New Delhi: The Supreme Court Collegium, in its meeting held on 25 August 2025, has recommended the elevation of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe of the Bombay High Court and Chief Justice Vipul Manubhai Pancholi of the Patna High Court as Judges of the Supreme Court of India.
The collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India B. R. Gavai, emphasized that the recommendations were made after careful consideration of seniority, merit, and judicial contributions of the two senior jurists.
Justice Alok Aradhe: Distinguished Judicial Career
Born on 13 April 1964 in Raipur (then Madhya Pradesh), Justice Alok Aradhe is presently the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court. He previously served as the Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court and held judicial positions across multiple High Courts including Karnataka, Jammu and Kashmir, and Madhya Pradesh.
Starting his legal practice in 1988 at the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Justice Aradhe specialized in civil, constitutional, arbitration, and company matters. He was designated Senior Advocate in 2007 and also contributed as visiting faculty at the Judicial Officers Training and Research Institute of Madhya Pradesh.
Appointed as a judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court in 2009, he later served in the Jammu and Kashmir High Court where he headed the State Judicial Academy and the State Legal Services Authority. He also held charge as Acting Chief Justice of both the Jammu and Kashmir and Karnataka High Courts at different times.
In July 2023, he was appointed as Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court, and in January 2025, he took charge as Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court.
Justice Vipul Manubhai Pancholi: Legal Expertise and Tenure
Justice Vipul Manubhai Pancholi, born on 28 May 1968 in Ahmedabad, is currently the Chief Justice of the Patna High Court. He began his career after passing the bar in 1991 and practiced law at the Gujarat High Court, where he also served as Assistant Government Pleader and Additional Public Prosecutor from 1999 to 2006.
An academic contributor, Justice Pancholi was visiting faculty at Sir L. A. Shah Law College, Ahmedabad, for over two decades. His practice included diverse branches of law, ranging from criminal and civil to property, service, family, and banking matters.
Elevated as a judge of the Gujarat High Court in October 2014, he was confirmed as a permanent judge in 2016. Later, he was transferred to the Patna High Court in 2023. In July 2025, he took oath as its Chief Justice following the approval of the Supreme Court Collegium’s earlier recommendation.
With the present recommendation for his elevation to the Supreme Court, Justice Pancholi is also in line to become the 60th Chief Justice of India, potentially serving a tenure of nearly 1.5 years.
Significance of the Recommendation
The Collegium’s latest move comes amid the pressing need to fill vacancies in the Supreme Court to ensure efficient judicial functioning. The elevation of two senior-most Chief Justices, with experience across multiple High Courts, is expected to strengthen the judiciary’s capacity in handling complex constitutional, civil, and criminal matters.
If approved by the Central Government, both Justices Aradhe and Pancholi will join the bench of the Supreme Court, bringing decades of judicial experience and scholarly contribution to the apex court.
Also Read: Unchecked Development Threatens Himachal: SC Appoints Amicus Curiae to Guide Environmental Response
