New Delhi: The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended the appointment of 12 new judges as permanent judges in four High Courts: Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Uttarakhand, and Gauhati High Court.
The recommendations were approved at a Collegium meeting on 23 September 2026. The Collegium is headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and includes Justices Vikram Nath and B V Nagarathna. The Supreme Court issued separate resolutions for the four High Courts.
The latest recommendations cover five judges of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, five of the Kerala High Court, and one each from the Uttarakhand and Gauhati High Courts.
It is important to note that these are recommendations by the Supreme Court Collegium. The final appointment of High Court judges is made by the President of India under the constitutional process.
Five judges recommended for Andhra Pradesh High Court
The Collegium has recommended five additional judges of the Andhra Pradesh High Court for appointment as permanent judges.
They are Justice Maheswara Rao Kuncheam, also known as Kuncham, Justice Thoota Chandra Dhana Sekar, also known as T.C.D. Sekhar, Justice Challa Gunaranjan, Justice Avadhanam Hari Haranadha Sarma, and Dr. Justice Yadavalli Lakshmana Rao.
The recommendation was made through a separate resolution dated September 23. The Supreme Court's Collegium resolutions page lists the decision under appointments of additional judges as permanent judges of the Andhra Pradesh High Court.
Justice Challa Gunaranjan and Justice Avadhanam Hari Haranadha Sarma are currently in the process of appearing before the Andhra Pradesh High Court. Their elevation to permanent positions is part of the latest batch of recommendations covering the court.
Five additional judges recommended for Kerala HC
The Collegium has also recommended five additional judges of the Kerala High Court for permanent appointment.
Justice P. Krishna Kumar, Justice K.V. Jayakumar, Justice Muralee Krishna S., Justice Jobin Sebastian, and Justice P.V. Balakrishnan are the judges.
The five names were also included in a separate Collegium resolution dated September 23. The recommendation would give the judges permanent status in the Kerala High Court, subject to completion of the appointment process.
The recommendations are part of the wider effort to fill and regularise judicial positions across the High Courts. Additional judges are appointed for a specified period, while those recommended for permanent appointment continue as judges after the required appointment process is completed.
One Judge Each for Uttarakhand and Gauhati High Courts
For the Uttarakhand High Court, the Collegium recommended Justice Subhash Upadhyay, currently an additional judge, for appointment as a permanent judge.
The recommendation for the Gauhati High Court is for Justice Kaushik Goswami to be appointed as a permanent judge. Both recommendations were approved separately by the Collegium on September 23.
The Supreme Court Collegium's latest decisions therefore cover four different High Courts and a total of 12 additional judges.
In the Collegium's published material, the process for appointing additional judges for permanent appointment involves assessing their judicial work and performance. The Supreme Court has also published information on the general process of appointments to the High Courts.
What happens after the Collegium Recommendation?
The Collegium's recommendation is an important stage in the appointment process, but it does not itself constitute the final appointment.
Under Article 217 of the Constitution, the Chief Justice and judges of High Courts are appointed by the President. Additional judges are appointed under Article 224. The recommendation then follows the regular process before the appointment is formally notified.
The Supreme Court Collegium has been making several recommendations for appointments to High Courts and permanent appointments in 2026. The September 23 resolutions are recorded on its official website along with recent decisions on appointments, transfers, and elevations in the country's High Courts.
Based on those recommendations, five additional judges each from Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, and one from Uttarakhand and Gauhati have been suggested for permanent appointment.
The recommendations will now move through the next steps of the constitutional appointment process. The final status of the 12 judges will depend on the completion of that process and the subsequent formal appointment notifications.
