Justice N Kotiswar Singh, Chief Justice of the High Court for Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, and Justice R Mahadevan, the Acting Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, have been appointed.
The President of India has issued two notifications under the powers conferred by clause (2) of Article 124 of the Constitution of India to formalize these appointments.
Justice Singh, originally from Manipur, was appointed as a Judge of the Gauhati High Court on October 17, 2011. Following the establishment of the High Court of Manipur, he was transferred there from the Gauhati High Court.
The collegium’s resolution recommending Justice Singh noted, “His appointment as a Judge of the Supreme Court will provide representation to the North-East, and in particular, he will be the first Judge from the State of Manipur to be appointed to the Supreme Court.”
Regarding Justice Mahadevan’s appointment, the collegium highlighted his background, stating, “As he belongs to a backward community from the State of Tamil Nadu, his appointment will bring diversity to the Bench.”
The resolution further noted, “The Collegium has taken due note of the fact that Mr. Justice R Mahadevan ranks third among the currently serving judges of the Madras High Court, including those posted as Chief Justices outside the Madras High Court. At this stage, the Collegium has given precedence to the candidature of Mr. Justice R Mahadevan to ensure representation for the backward community.