First From Manipur: N Kotishwar Singh Become Judge of SC
- By Thetripurapost Desk, Imphal
- Jul 16, 2024
- 326
There is good news for violence-hit Manipur that for the first time after getting the status of a full state, someone from this northeastern state is going to become a Supreme Court judge.
The Supreme Court Collegium headed by the Chief Justice of the country Justice DY Chandrachud recommended the names of High Court judges N. Kotishwar Singh (NK Singh) and R. Mahadevan to the Center for appointment as judges in the apex court on Thursday.
Justice NK Singh is currently the Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court, while Justice Mahadevan is the acting Chief Justice of the Madras High Court. Justice NK Singh will be the first person from Manipur to become a Supreme Court judge.
NK Singh became the 36th Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court in February last year.
NK Singh was born in 1963 in Imphal. His father N. Ibotombi Singh was also a judge. He was a member of the Guwahati High Court. The number of sanctioned posts of judges in the country's largest court, including the Chief Justice, is 34, while at present the number of judges is 32.
After a nearly 4-hour long marathon meeting yesterday, the collegium headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and comprising Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Justice BR Gavai, Justice Surya Kant and Justice Hrishikesh Roy unanimously decided to appoint someone from Manipur as a Supreme Court judge for the first time since Manipur attained full statehood.
Apart from Justice NK Singh, Justice Mahadevan, who comes from the backward class, was also recommended to be made a judge. The collegium headed by the CJI has fulfilled its promise of giving representation to qualified people belonging to the underprivileged sections of the society among the judges in the court.
Apart from this, Justice Tashi Rabstan, the most senior judge of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, has been recommended for appointment as the Chief Justice of Meghalaya. Justice Rabstan, a Buddhist, will be the first judge from Ladakh to become the Chief Justice of the High Court. He will assume this post after the retirement of the current Chief Justice S Vaidyanathan.
Delhi got the biggest share in the appointment of Chief Justices in different High Courts, as 3 of its judges have been recommended for the highest judicial post in the states i.e. Chief Justice.
Justice Manmohan, the acting Chief Justice of Delhi High Court, has been recommended to be appointed as the regular Chief Justice of the same High Court.
While Justice Rajiv Shakdhar has been recommended to be appointed as the Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh. Justice Suresh Kait, who comes from the Dalit community, has been recommended to be made the Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court. This post will be vacant in case Justice NK Singh becomes a Supreme Court judge.
The SC Collegium has recommended the appointment of Himachal Pradesh High Court Chief Justice MS Ramachandra Rao as the Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court, a post which will fall vacant after Justice BR Sarangi retires on July 19. Justice Shakdhar of Delhi High Court will take over the post of Chief Justice of Himachal.
Justice GS Sandhawalia, the most senior judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, has been recommended to be appointed as the Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court. His father Justice SS Sandhawalia retired from the post of Chief Justice of Patna on July 27, 1987.
Not only this, the Collegium has also recommended the appointment of Justice Nitin Jamdar and KR Sriram of Bombay High Court as Chief Justices of Kerala High Court and Madras High Court respectively