In a landmark development, all 25 High Courts in India now have permanent Chief Justices, following the Centre’s approval of the Collegium’s recent recommendations. Prior to this, as reported by Bar & Bench in July 2026, seven High Courts were being managed by acting Chief Justices due to a combination of routine transfers, retirements, and the government’s decision to increase the Supreme Court’s sanctioned strength from 33 to 37 judges. This expansion, legislated through the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Ordinance, 2026, and subsequently the Amendment Act, prompted the elevation of four High Court Chief Justices to the Supreme Court, creating temporary vacancies.
The High Courts affected by acting Chief Justices as of July 20, 2026, included Bombay, Punjab & Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, Patna, Rajasthan, and Calcutta. Acting appointments were made as follows: Justice RV Ghuge in Bombay, Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra in Punjab & Haryana, Justice Vivek Rusia in Madhya Pradesh, Justice Sanjeev Kumar in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, Justice Sudhir Singh in Patna, Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma in Rajasthan, and Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty in Calcutta.
Collegium’s Strategic Recommendations
On August 6, the Collegium convened to address the situation, resulting in five strategic recommendations. Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra, previously acting as Chief Justice, was nominated as the permanent Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Similarly, Delhi High Court’s Justice V Kameswar Rao was proposed for the Chief Justice position at the Patna High Court. Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi from Allahabad High Court was recommended for the Bombay High Court. Justice RV Ghuge was suggested for the Chief Justice role at Calcutta High Court, while Orissa High Court’s Justice Krushna Ram Mohapatra was recommended for Chhattisgarh High Court, anticipating the retirement of the incumbent Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha on September 4.
The Central government ratified all five appointments on September 5, notwithstanding some opposition from the Punjab government concerning Justice Mishra’s appointment, citing that the State’s opinion had not been solicited. Regardless, Justice Mishra assumed his new role on September 7.
Controversy and Resolution in Rajasthan
A separate issue arose in Rajasthan, where Bar & Bench reported on August 26 about allegations against Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma. Supreme Court Justice Sandeep Mehta had expressed concerns to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant regarding Sharma’s administrative practices and case listings, sparking protests from the legal community in Jaipur and Jodhpur. In response, Justice Sharma voluntarily withdrew from judicial duties. Consequently, the Collegium recommended Justice Sanjay K Agrawal from Chhattisgarh High Court as the new Chief Justice for Rajasthan, a proposal promptly approved by the government, with Justice Agrawal taking his oath on September 7.
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Further Appointments
In addition to these changes, the Collegium recommended Gujarat High Court’s Justice Alpesh Yeshvant Kogje for the Madhya Pradesh High Court and Rajasthan High Court’s Justice Pushpendra Singh Bhati for the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court. These recommendations were also sanctioned by the Central government and implemented on September 5.
Looking ahead, further transitions are expected as Chief Justices Manoj Kumar Gupta of Uttarakhand, Harish Tandon of Orissa, and MS Sonak of Jharkhand approach retirement in 2026.
