The Indian judiciary consists of the Supreme Court of India, which is the highest court in the country and the constituent courts. The Supreme Court serves as the final court of appeal for all civil and criminal cases in India and consists of 33 judges headed by the Chief Justice of India.[1] The High Courts are the top judicial bodies in individual states, controlled and managed by Chief Justices of the respective courts. There are 25 High Courts in the country with seven of them having multiple jurisdictions. The last high courts created in India are the High Court of Telangana and the Andhra Pradesh High Court, both established on January 1, 2019, following the bifurcation of the state of Andhra Pradesh.[2] The High Courts of India manage a system of sub-ordinate courts headed by the various District and Session Courts in their respective jurisdictions. As per the Constitution of India, the Chief Justice, the other judges of the Supreme Court and the High Courts are appointed by the President of India.[3]
Chief Justice of India[edit | edit source]
| Name | Surya Kant[4] (list) |
|---|---|
| Image | 
|
| Date of elevation to Supreme Court | 24 May 2019 (7 years, 63 days) |
| Date of Appointment as CJI | 24 November 2025 (244 days) |
| Date of Retirement | 9 February 2027 (−198 days) |
| Tenure | 1 year, 78 days |
| Nominated By | B. R. Gavai |
| Appointed By | Droupadi Murmu |
| Seniority rank on the date of elevation | 11 |
| Date of Initial Appointment as Judge | 9 January 2004 (22 years, 198 days) |
| Parent High Court | Punjab and Haryana |
List of chief justices of High Courts[edit | edit source]
| High Court | Image | Name of the Chief Justice | Date of Appointment as Chief Justice | Date of Retirement | Tenure | Nominated as Chief Justice by | Appointed By | Parent High Court | All India seniority rank | Date of Initial Appointment as Judge | Nominated as Judge of by | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allahabad High Court | 
|
Arun Bhansali (list) |
5 February 2024 (2 years, 171 days) |
14 October 2029 (−3 years, 80 days) |
5 years, 252 days | D. Y. Chandrachud | Droupadi Murmu | Rajasthan | 11 Since 6 March 2026 |
8 January 2013 (13 years, 199 days) |
Altamas Kabir | |
| Andhra Pradesh High Court | Dhiraj Singh Thakur (list) |
28 July 2023 (2 years, 363 days) |
24 April 2026 (93 days) |
2 years, 271 days | Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh | 13 Since 6 March 2026 |
8 March 2013 (13 years, 140 days) |
|||||
| Bombay High Court | 
|
Shree Chandrashekhar (list) |
5 September 2025 (324 days) |
24 May 2027 (−302 days) |
1 year, 262 days | B. R. Gavai | Jharkhand | 12 Since 6 March 2026 |
17 January 2013 (13 years, 190 days) |
|||
| Calcutta High Court | Sujoy Paul (list) |
16 January 2026 (191 days) |
20 June 2026 (36 days) |
156 days | Surya Kant | Madhya Pradesh | 4 Since 6 March 2026 |
27 May 2011 (15 years, 60 days) |
S. H. Kapadia | |||
| Chhattisgarh High Court | Ramesh Sinha (list) |
29 March 2023 (3 years, 119 days) |
4 September 2026 (−40 days) |
3 years, 160 days | D. Y. Chandrachud | Allahabad | 6 Since 6 March 2026 |
21 November 2011 (14 years, 247 days) |
||||
| Delhi High Court | Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya (list) |
29 July 2023 (2 years, 362 days) Date of appointment in current HC 21 January 2025 (1 year, 186 days) |
15 June 2027 (−324 days) |
3 years, 322 days Tenure in current HC 2 years, 146 days |
D. Y. Chandrachud Nominated in current HC Sanjiv Khanna |
Allahabad | 8 Since 6 March 2026 |
47th CJ of Bombay From 29 July 2023 – 20 January 2025 (1 year, 176 days) | ||||
| Gauhati High Court | Ashutosh Kumar (list) |
21 July 2025 (1 year, 5 days) |
30 September 2028 (−2 years, 66 days) |
3 years, 72 days | B. R. Gavai | Patna | 40 Since 6 March 2026 |
15 May 2014 (12 years, 72 days) |
R. M. Lodha | |||
| Gujarat High Court | Sunita Agarwal (list) |
23 July 2023 (3 years, 3 days) |
29 April 2028 (−1 year, 278 days) |
4 years, 282 days | D. Y. Chandrachud | Allahabad | 7 Since 6 March 2026 |
21 November 2011 (14 years, 247 days) |
S. H. Kapadia | |||
| Himachal Pradesh High Court | Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia (list) |
29 December 2024 (1 year, 209 days) |
31 October 2027 (−1 year, 97 days) |
2 years, 307 days | Punjab and Haryana | 5 Since 6 March 2026 |
30 September 2011 (14 years, 299 days) |
|||||
| Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court | Arun Palli (list) |
16 April 2025 (1 year, 101 days) |
17 September 2026 (−53 days) |
1 year, 155 days | Sanjiv Khanna | Punjab and Haryana | 29 Since 6 March 2026 |
28 December 2013 (12 years, 210 days) |
P. Sathasivam | |||
| Jharkhand High Court | 
|
Mahesh Sharadchandra Sonak (list) |
9 January 2026 (198 days) |
27 November 2026 (−124 days) |
323 days | Surya Kant | Bombay | 20 Since 6 March 2026 |
21 June 2013 (13 years, 35 days) |
Altamas Kabir | ||
| Karnataka High Court | 
|
Vibhu Bakhru (list) |
19 July 2025 (1 year, 7 days) |
1 November 2028 (−2 years, 98 days) |
3 years, 106 days | B. R. Gavai | Delhi | 16 Since 6 March 2026 |
17 April 2013 (13 years, 100 days) |
|||
| Kerala High Court | Soumen Sen (list) |
8 October 2025 (291 days) Date of appointment in current HC 10 January 2026 (197 days) |
26 July 2027 (−1 year, 0 days) |
1 year, 292 days Tenure in current HC 1 year, 198 days |
B. R. Gavai Nominated in current HC Surya Kant |
Calcutta | 2 Since 6 March 2026 |
13 April 2011 (15 years, 104 days) |
S. H. Kapadia | 14th CJ of Meghalaya From 8 October 2025 – 9 January 2026 (94 days) | ||
| Madhya Pradesh High Court | Sanjeev Sachdeva (list) |
17 July 2025 (1 year, 9 days) |
25 December 2026 (−152 days) |
1 year, 162 days | B. R. Gavai | Delhi | 15 Since 6 March 2026 |
17 April 2013 (13 years, 100 days) |
Altamas Kabir | |||
| Madras High Court | Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari (list) |
6 March 2026 (142 days) |
7 July 2028 (−1 year, 347 days) |
2 years, 124 days | Surya Kant | Madhya Pradesh | 57 Since 10 March 2026 |
7 April 2016 (10 years, 110 days) |
T. S. Thakur | |||
| Manipur High Court | M. Sundar (list) |
15 September 2025 (314 days) |
18 July 2028 (−1 year, 358 days) |
2 years, 308 days | B. R. Gavai | Madras | 67 Since 10 March 2026 |
5 October 2016 (9 years, 294 days) |
||||
| Meghalaya High Court | Revati Prashant Mohite Dere (list) |
10 January 2026 (197 days) |
16 April 2027 (−264 days) |
1 year, 97 days | Surya Kant | Bombay | 19 Since 6 March 2026 |
21 June 2013 (13 years, 35 days) |
Altamas Kabir | |||
| Orissa High Court | 
|
Harish Tandon (list) |
26 March 2025 (1 year, 122 days) |
15 November 2026 (−112 days) |
1 year, 235 days | Sanjiv Khanna | Calcutta | 1 Since 6 March 2026 |
13 April 2010 (16 years, 104 days) |
K. G. Balakrishnan | ||
| Patna High Court | Sangam Kumar Sahoo (list) |
7 January 2026 (200 days) |
4 June 2026 (52 days) |
149 days | Surya Kant | Orissa | 41 Since 6 March 2026 |
2 July 2014 (12 years, 24 days) |
R. M. Lodha | |||
| Punjab & Haryana High Court | Sheel Nagu (list) |
9 July 2024 (2 years, 17 days) |
31 December 2026 (−158 days) |
2 years, 176 days | D. Y. Chandrachud | Madhya Pradesh | 3 Since 6 March 2026 |
27 May 2011 (15 years, 60 days) |
S. H. Kapadia | |||
| Rajasthan High Court | Sanjeev Prakash Sharma[†] (list) |
28 September 2025 (301 days) |
26 September 2026 (−62 days) |
364 days | -- | Rajasthan | 85 | 16 November 2016 (9 years, 252 days) |
T. S. Thakur | |||
| Sikkim High Court | Muhamed Mustaque Ayumantakath (list) |
4 January 2026 (203 days) |
31 May 2029 (−2 years, 309 days) |
3 years, 148 days | Surya Kant | Kerala | 34 Since 6 March 2026 |
23 January 2014 (12 years, 184 days) |
P. Sathasivam | |||
| Telangana High Court | 
|
Aparesh Kumar Singh (list) |
17 April 2023 (3 years, 100 days) Date of appointment in current HC 19 July 2025 (1 year, 7 days) |
6 July 2027 (−345 days) |
4 years, 81 days Tenure in current HC 1 year, 353 days |
D. Y. Chandrachud Nominated in current HC B. R. Gavai |
Jharkhand | 9 Since 6 March 2026 |
24 January 2012 (14 years, 183 days) |
S. H. Kapadia | 8th CJ of Tripura From 17 April 2023 – 18 July 2025 (2 years, 93 days) | |
| Tripura High Court | 
|
Mamidanna Satyaratna Ramachandra Rao (list) |
30 May 2023 (3 years, 57 days) Date of appointment in current HC 22 July 2025 (1 year, 4 days) |
6 August 2028 (−2 years, 11 days) |
5 years, 69 days Tenure in current HC 3 years, 16 days |
D. Y. Chandrachud Nominated in current HC B. R. Gavai |
Telangana | 10 Since 6 March 2026 |
29 June 2012 (14 years, 27 days) |
28th CJ of Himachal Pradesh From 30 May 2023 – 24 September 2024 (1 year, 118 days) 16th CJ of Jharkhand From 25 September 2024 – 21 July 2025 (300 days) | ||
| Uttarakhand High Court | Manoj Kumar Gupta (list) |
10 January 2026 (197 days) |
8 October 2026 (−74 days) |
272 days | Surya Kant | Allahabad | 14 Since 6 March 2026 |
12 April 2013 (13 years, 105 days) |
Altamas Kabir |
Key
|
Dates of Changes in Seniority Rank (S.R.):
6 March 2026 - Retirement of M. M. Shrivastava (CJ of Madras) on 5 March 2026 (S.R. 1)
10 March 2026 - Retirement of Anupinder Singh Grewal (Judge of Punjab & Haryana) on 9 March 2026 (S.R. 43)
See also[edit | edit source]
- List of current Indian governors
- List of current Indian lieutenant governors and administrators
- List of current Indian chief ministers
- List of current Indian deputy chief ministers
- List of current Indian legislative speakers and chairpersons
- List of current Indian opposition leaders
- List of female chief justices in India
- List of sitting judges of the Supreme Court of India
- List of former judges of the Supreme Court of India
- List of female judges of the Supreme Court of India
- List of sitting judges of the high courts of India
- List of former chief justices of the high courts of India
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ "Rule of law index 2016". Justice Project. Archived from the original on 29 April 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
- ↑ "Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to have separate HCs". The Hindu. 26 December 2018. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 7 October 2025.
- ↑ "Memorandum of procedure of appointment of Supreme Court Judges". Government of India. Archived from the original on 9 March 2024. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
- ↑ "Justice Surya Kant sworn in as 53rd Chief Justice of India". thehindu.com. 24 November 2025.