The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended nine names — including three women judges — for elevation to the apex court of India. The Indian Express reports that the three women judges are Justice BV Nagarathna from the Karnataka High Court, Justice Hima Kohli, who is currently the Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court, and Justice Bela Trivedi from the Gujarat High Court. If the President approves this recommendation, then in 2027, India may get its first woman Chief Justice in Justice Nagarathna.
Born on October 30, 1962, Justice Nagaratha enrolled as an advocate on October 28, 1987, in Bengaluru. She practiced in Bengaluru in various fields of law including constitutional law, commercial law, insurance law, service law, administrative and public law, etc. She was appointed as an additional judge of the High Court of Karnataka on February 18, 2008, and was confirmed as a permanent judge on February 17, 2010.
The other name from the Karnataka High Court that has been recommended by the Collegium is that of Chief Justice Abhay Oka. The Collegium has also recommended the names of Chief Justice of Gujarat High Court Vikram Nath, Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court JK Maheshwari, Justice CT Ravikumar from the Kerala High Court, Justice MM Sundaresh from the Madras High Court, and former Additional Solicitor General PS Narasimha for elevation to the apex court, reports The Indian Express.
According to Indian Express, the Collegium had not been able to reach a consensus for several days as Justice Rohinton Nariman, who retired last week, had been insistent on elevating Justice Oka and Tripura High Court Chief Justice Akil Kureshi, who are the senior-most High Court judges in India, to the Supreme Court. Now, six days after he retired, nine names are said to have been recommended by the Collegium.
Now, these names are likely to be sent to the President of India for approval. The Supreme Court Collegium oversees the appointments, the elevation of judges and lawyers to the Supreme Court as well as transfers of judges of High Courts and the apex court. The decisions are made by a forum of the Chief Justice of India and the four senior-most judges of the Supreme Court. Currently, the Collegium comprises Chief Justice of India NV Ramana, Justice UU Lalit, Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice Nageshwar Rao and Justice AM Khanwilkar.