• In exercise of the powers conferred by Article 124(2) of the Constitution, President Droupadi Murmu appointed two judges to the Supreme Court on August 27.

• Bombay High Court Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Patna High Court Chief Justice Vipul Manubhai Pancholi were elevated as judges of the Supreme Court.

• Their names were recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium.

• Once the two take oath, the Supreme Court will function with its full sanctioned strength of 34 judges, including the Chief Justice of India (CJI).

• Justice Pancholi will be in line to become the CJI in October 2031 after Justice Joymalya Bagchi's retirement on October 2, 2031.

What is the collegium system?

• The collegium system is a forum including the Chief Justice of India and four senior-most judges of the SC, which recommends appointments and transfers of judges. 

• Judges of the higher judiciary are appointed only through the collegium system, and the government has a role only after names have been decided by the collegium.

Appointment of SC judges

• The CJI and judges of the Supreme Court are appointed by the President under clause (2) of Article 124 of the Constitution.

• In order to be appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court, a person must be a citizen of India and must have been, for at least five years, a judge of a High Court or of two or more such courts in succession, or an advocate of a High Court or of two or more such courts in succession for at least 10 years or he must be, in the opinion of the President, a distinguished jurist. 

• Provisions exist for the appointment of a judge of a High Court as an ad-hoc judge of the Supreme Court and for retired Judges of the Supreme Court or High Courts to sit and act as judges of that court.

• Whenever a vacancy is expected to arise in the office of a judge of the Supreme Court, the CJI will initiate a proposal and forward his recommendation to the law minister to fill up the vacancy.

• The opinion of the CJI for appointment of a judge of the Supreme Court should be formed in consultation with a collegium of the four senior-most judges of the apex court.

• The opinion of members of the collegium in respect of each of the recommendations as well as the senior-most judge in the Supreme Court from the High Court from which a prospective candidate comes, would be made in writing. The CJI must transmit his opinion as also the opinion of all concerned to the government of India as part of record.

• After receipt of the final recommendation of the CJI, the law minister will put up the recommendations to the Prime Minister, who will advise the President in the matter of appointment.

• Supreme Court judges retire upon attaining the age of 65 years.

Who is Justice Alok Aradhe?

• Born on April 13, 1964, Justice Alok Aradhe was enrolled as an advocate on July 12, 1988, and dealt with civil and constitutional, arbitration and company matters in the Madhya Pradesh High Court. He was designated as a senior advocate in April 2007.

• He was appointed as an additional judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court on December 29, 2009, and as a permanent judge on February 15, 2011.

• He was transferred to the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and took oath on September 20, 2016.

• He was appointed as the acting Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir on May 11, 2018.

• Justice Aradhe was transferred to the Karnataka High Court, where he took oath as a judge on November 17, 2018.

• He assumed charge as the acting Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court on July 3, 2022, and functioned as such up to October 14, 2022.

• He was appointed as the Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court on July 19, 2023, and took the oath of office on July 23, 2023.

• He was transferred as the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court and assumed charge on January 21 this year.

Who is Justice Vipul Manubhai Pancholi?

• Born on May 28, 1968, in Ahmedabad, Justice Vipul Manubhai Pancholi was appointed as an assistant government pleader and additional public prosecutor in the Gujarat High Court and served as such for seven years till March 2006.

• He entered the Bar in September 1991 and started practice as an advocate in the Gujarat High Court.

• He was elevated as an additional judge of the Gujarat High Court on October 1, 2014, and was confirmed as a permanent judge on June 10, 2016.

• He was transferred to the Patna High Court and took oath as a judge on July 24, 2023.

• Justice Pancholi became the Chief Justice of the Patna High Court on July 21 this year.

• He also worked as a visiting faculty at Sir L.A. Shah Law College, Ahmedabad, from December 1993 for 21 years.