Five judges recommended for permanent appointment in Andhra Pradesh, while Kerala gets five; Uttarakhand and Gauhati get one each

The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended the appointment of 12 additional judges as permanent judges across four High Courts — Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Uttarakhand and Gauhati. The recommendations were approved at a Collegium meeting held on September 23, 2026.

The latest resolutions cover five judges in the Andhra Pradesh High Court, five in the Kerala High Court, and one each in the Uttarakhand and Gauhati High Courts. The Supreme Court has published separate resolutions for each of the four High Courts on its official website.

Five Additional Judges Recommended for Andhra Pradesh High Court

The largest group of recommendations is for the Andhra Pradesh High Court, where five additional judges have been recommended for permanent appointment.

The names listed in the Collegium resolution are Justice Maheswara Rao Kuncheam, also referred to as Kuncham, Justice Thoota Chandra Dhana Sekar, also referred to as T.C.D. Sekhar, Justice Challa Gunaranjan, Justice Avadhanam Hari Haranadha Sarma and Dr Justice Yadavalli Lakshmana Rao.

The move would transition these judges from their status as additional judges to permanent members of the High Court, subject to completion of the appointment process.

Five Judges Recommended for Kerala High Court

The Collegium has also recommended five additional judges of the Kerala High Court for permanent appointment.

They are Justices P Krishna Kumar, KV Jayakumar, Muralee Krishna S, Jobin Sebastian and PV Balakrishnan.

The recommendations form part of a continuing process of confirming additional judges whose appointments are considered for permanence after serving in the High Court.

One Judge Each for Uttarakhand and Gauhati

For the Uttarakhand High Court, the Collegium has recommended Justice Subhash Upadhyay, currently an additional judge, for appointment as a permanent judge.

In the Gauhati High Court, Justice Kaushik Goswami has been recommended for permanent appointment.

The Supreme Court's official Collegium records list separate resolutions dated September 23 for Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Uttarakhand and Gauhati.

What the Collegium Recommendation Means

An important distinction is that the Supreme Court Collegium's decision is a recommendation within the constitutional appointment process rather than, by itself, the final appointment order.

The Department of Justice has explained that proposals for High Court judges move through a consultation process involving the concerned High Court Collegium, the state authorities and the Union government before being considered by the Supreme Court Collegium. The government appoints High Court judges whose names have been recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium.

Therefore, the latest resolution represents a significant step in the process of confirming the 12 judges as permanent members of their respective High Courts.

Focus on Judicial Continuity

The confirmation of additional judges as permanent judges provides continuity to the benches where they are already serving. Additional judges are appointed for a limited term, while permanent appointment provides a longer-term judicial tenure subject to the constitutional framework.

Such recommendations are also part of the broader process of maintaining the sanctioned strength of High Courts and ensuring continuity in their judicial functioning.

The Supreme Court has issued several such resolutions during 2026, including recommendations involving the High Courts of Kerala, Telangana, Punjab and Haryana, Bombay, Chhattisgarh and others.

Four High Courts Covered in Latest Resolution

The latest Collegium decision covers four geographically diverse High Courts:

• Andhra Pradesh High Court: Five additional judges

• Kerala High Court: Five additional judges

• Uttarakhand High Court: One additional judge

• Gauhati High Court: One additional judge

Together, the four resolutions cover 12 additional judges.

Appointment Process Now in Focus

The next stages will involve the authorities concerned processing the Collegium recommendations in accordance with the established procedure. The Department of Justice has noted that appointments to High Courts involve consultation and consideration by multiple constitutional authorities under the Memorandum of Procedure.

The latest recommendations therefore add to the ongoing process of strengthening the permanent judicial strength of the four High Courts.

India News Outlook

The Supreme Court Collegium's recommendation of 12 additional judges for permanent appointment marks another significant development in the country's higher judiciary. With five recommendations each for Andhra Pradesh and Kerala and one each for Uttarakhand and Gauhati, the September 23 resolutions advance the process of filling permanent judicial positions across four High Courts.

The subsequent administrative and constitutional steps will determine when the recommended judges formally assume permanent status.