New Delhi: Set to appoint the first Supreme Court Judge from Manipur, the Centre on Tuesday cleared the elevation of two High Court judges to the top court.
The two notifications state “the President is pleased to appoint Shri Justice Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh, Chief Justice, High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh/Shri Justice R. Mahadevan, Judge, Madras High Court, to be a Judge of the Supreme Court of India, with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office.”
The elevation of Justices Kotiswar Singh and R Mahadevan was approved only days after the SC Collegium recommended both Judges on July 1. The collegium highlighted the importance of diversity on the bench when recommending both judges.
Once Justices Singh and Mahadevan take oath, the roster at the Supreme Court will be at full strength with 34 judges.Justice Singh is originally from Manipur and is set to become “the first Judge from Manipur to be appointed as a Judge of Supreme Court”.
Justice Mahadevan meanwhile “belongs to a backward community from Tamil Nadu” with the SC noting, “His appointment will bring diversity to the Bench.”
Justice Mahadevan will serve as a judge outside the Madras High Court for the first time in his career. He has served as a Judge at the Madras High Court since he was first appointed in 2013 and is currently its Acting Chief Justice. In February 2023, Justice Madhavan was a part of the bench that set aside an order that imposed conditions on the RSS’ proposed statewide march.
Justice N Kotiswar Singh was set to retire on February 28, 2025 (upon turning 62, as is the norm for High Court Judges). He is now set to serve as a judge at the Supreme Court until February 28, 2028, where the mandatory retirement age is 65.
At his parent HC in Manipur Justice Singh oversaw a number of key cases, including a matter where the court intervened in the functioning of Manipur University due to protests in 2018.
