Guwahati: Gauhati High Court Chief Justice Bijoy Bishnoi has been recommended for elevation as a Supreme Court judge, as the Collegium, led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) B.R. Gavai, moved on Monday (May 26, 2025) to fill vacancies in the top court.
The Collegium also recommended Justice N.V. Anjaria, Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court, and Justice A.S. Chandurkar, a judge of the Bombay High Court, for appointment to the apex court.
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The Supreme Court is currently operating with a reduced strength of 31 judges following the retirements of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and A.S. Oka. This number is set to further drop to 30 with Justice Bela Trivedi’s superannuation on June 9. The sanctioned judicial strength of the Supreme Court is 34.
Justice Bishnoi’s parent High Court is the Rajasthan High Court, while Justice Anjaria’s is the Gujarat High Court. Justice Chandurkar began his career in the Bombay High Court. This marks the first set of recommendations from the Collegium under Chief Justice Gavai’s leadership.
Justice Vijay Bishnoi, born in Jodhpur in March 1964, enrolled as an advocate in July 1989. He was appointed an Additional Judge of the Rajasthan High Court in January 2013, becoming a Permanent Judge in January 2015. He took oath as the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court on February 5, 2024.
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Justice N.V. Anjaria, born in Ahmedabad in March 1965, comes from a family of lawyers. As an advocate, he served as senior panel counsel for various central government bodies. He was elevated as an Additional Judge of the Gujarat High Court in November 2011 and became a Permanent Judge in September 2013. He assumed charge as Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court on February 25 last year.
Justice A.S. Chandurkar, born in April 1965, joined the Bar in July 1988 and was elevated to the Bombay High Court Bench on June 21, 2013.
Despite the formal summer vacation, all five senior-most judges of the Supreme Court are actively presiding over Benches. Chief Justice Gavai has consistently referred to the May-June holidays as “partial working days,” underscoring the judiciary’s commitment to year-round work to tackle pendency.
With the retirements of Justices Khanna and Oka, Justices J.K. Maheshwari and B.V. Nagarathna have joined the influential Collegium.
Based on seniority norms, Justices Surya Kant and Vikram Nath, currently the second and third most senior judges, are in line to become Chief Justices of India. Additionally, Justice Nagarathna is anticipated to make history as the first woman Chief Justice of India in 2027.