All 25 High Courts now have regular Chief Justices following a fresh set of appointments, and the Supreme Court Collegium’s attention is expected to turn to four vacancies in the top court. The Indian Express reports that the Supreme Court currently has 34 judges and is four short of its sanctioned strength after an increase in 2026; another vacancy is due later this year.
The immediate issue is judicial capacity, but the institutional question is larger. Judges of the Supreme Court are formally appointed by the President under Article 124. In practice, recommendations emerge from the Collegium system developed through the Supreme Court’s Judges Cases. The executive can seek reconsideration, but the system gives the higher judiciary a decisive role in judicial appointments.
The Collegium is defended as a safeguard for judicial independence, especially from political control. Critics point to opacity, limited formal criteria and concerns about representation and accountability. The appointment process therefore sits at the intersection of independence of the judiciary and the democratic demand for transparent public institutions.