The Central government officially notified the appointments of Jammu and Kashmir High Court Chief Justice N Kotiswar Singh and Madras High Court Acting Chief Justice R Mahadevan as judges of the Supreme Court.
This follows the Supreme Court Collegium's recommendation on July 11, and with their swearing-in, the apex court will function at its full strength of 34 judges.
Justice N Kotiswar Singh has been serving as the Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court since February 2023. Originating from Manipur, he will be the first Supreme Court judge from the state.
Born on March 1, 1963, in Imphal, Manipur, Justice Singh is the son of (Late) Justice N Ibotombi Singh of the Gauhati High Court, who also served as the first Advocate General of Manipur and N Gomati Devi. Justice Singh initially practiced before the Supreme Court of India before moving to the Gauhati High Court, where he was designated a Senior Advocate in 2008. In 2011, he was sworn in as an additional judge of the Gauhati High Court and became a permanent judge in 2012. He was appointed as a judge of the Manipur High Court upon its creation in 2013 and later transferred back to the Gauhati High Court in 2018 before becoming the Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court.
Justice R Mahadevan has been serving as the Acting Chief Justice of the Madras High Court since May 2024. He completed his law degree at Madras Law College and enrolled as a lawyer in 1989.
Over 25 years, he specialized in indirect taxes, customs, and Central Excise matters, practicing on the civil, criminal, and writ sides. He also served as Additional Government Pleader (Taxes) for the Government of Tamil Nadu, and Additional Central Government Standing Counsel and Senior Panel Counsel for the Government of India at the Madras High Court, conducting over 9,000 cases. Justice Mahadevan was elevated as a judge of the Madras High Court in 2013.
With these appointments, the Supreme Court is set to operate at full capacity, ensuring the judiciary's ability to handle its caseload effectively.
