The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended the elevation of Justice Alok Aradhe, Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court, and Justice Vipul Manubhai Pancholi, Chief Justice of the Patna High Court, as judges of the Supreme Court. The five-judge Collegium, led by Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai, made the resolution during a meeting held on Monday.

If these appointments are cleared, the Supreme Court will be functioning at its full sanctioned strength of 34 judges. Currently, the working strength of the Supreme Court is at 32 judges, following the retirements of Justices Bela Trivedi and Sudhanshu Dhulia. The Collegium also comprises Justices Surya Kant, Vikram Nath, J.K. Maheshwari, and B.V. Nagarathna. The recommendations have sparked some discussion, particularly regarding the transparency of the Collegium's decision-making process and the superseding of other senior judges.

Justice Alok Aradhe was born on April 13, 1964, in Raipur. He has served as Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court since January 21, 2025. Justice Aradhe has a distinguished career, having previously served as the Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court. Additionally, he has been a judge in the Karnataka High Court, Jammu and Kashmir High Court, and Madhya Pradesh High Court. He also served as Acting Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court and Jammu and Kashmir High Court. Justice Aradhe has played a key role in the establishment of the Kolhapur circuit bench. He began his legal practice in 1988 at the Madhya Pradesh High Court in Jabalpur, focusing on civil, constitutional, arbitration, and company matters. He was designated as a Senior Advocate in April 2007 and appointed as an Additional Judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court on December 29, 2009. If appointed to the Supreme Court, Justice Aradhe will serve until April 12, 2029.

Justice Vipul Manubhai Pancholi was born on May 28, 1968, in Ahmedabad. He enrolled as an advocate in September 1991 and began his practice at the Gujarat High Court. He served as an assistant government pleader and additional public prosecutor for seven years until March 2006. In October 2014, he was elevated as an Additional Judge of the Gujarat High Court and confirmed as a permanent judge in June 2016. He was transferred to the Patna High Court in July 2023 and took oath as a judge there. He was appointed Chief Justice of the Patna High Court on July 21, 2025. If appointed, Justice Pancholi is in line to become the Chief Justice of India for 16 months, starting in May 2031, upon the retirement of Justice Joymalya Bagchi. He would retire as the Chief Justice of India on May 27, 2033. However, his elevation to the Supreme Court would supersede as many as 21 Chief Justices whose initial appointment as High Court judges predates Justice Pancholi's.

The Collegium's recommendation also included the transfer of 14 High Court judges, including Justices Arun Monga and Tara Ganju.