The Supreme Court Collegium, led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, has suggested appointing advocates and judicial officers as judges in the High Courts of Punjab and Haryana, and Andhra Pradesh. In a recent meeting, the Collegium approved the appointment of advocates Pravindra Singh Chauhan, Rajesh Gaur, and Minderjeet Yadav as judges of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Additionally, seven more advocates were recommended for judgeship in the same High Court, including Monica Chhibber Sharma, Harmeet Singh Deol, Puja Chopra, Sunish Bindlish, Navdeep Singh, Divya Sharma, and Ravinder Malik.
The Collegium also greenlighted the appointment of three judicial officers, Sunitha Gandham, Alapati Giridhar, and Purushottam Kumar Chintalapudi, as judges of the Andhra Pradesh High Court. According to the memorandum of procedure governing High Court judge appointments, the process involves initiation by the Chief Justice of the respective High Court, with the Chief Minister having the option to suggest names for consideration. The final recommendation is made by the Chief Justice of India after consultations with senior Supreme Court judges.
In adherence to the appointment process, the Centre reviews the proposal along with background details before forwarding it to the Chief Justice of India. Following consultations with senior judges, the CJI sends the recommendation to the Union Minister of Law and Justice for further action. Once the President signs the warrant of appointment, the Department of Justice Secretary informs the Chief Justice, with subsequent notification in the Gazette of India.
