The Central government has announced the selection of Jammu & Kashmir High Court Chief Justice N Kotiswar Singh and Madras High Court Acting Chief Justice R Mahadevan as judges of the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court Collegium had recommended the appointments of the two judges on July 11. Upon their swearing in, the apex court will operate with its complete strength of 34 judges. Justice Singh has been in the position of Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court since February 2023.
Justice Mahadevan, who hails from Manipur, could potentially become the first Supreme Court judge from that State pending approval from the Central government.
Justice Singh, born on March 1, 1963 in Imphal, Manipur, is the son of (Late) Justice N Ibotombi Singh of the Gauhati High Court and N Gomati Devi.
After practicing briefly before the Supreme Court of India, he transitioned to the Gauhati High Court and was appointed as a Senior Advocate in 2008.
In 2011, he took oath as an additional judge of the Gauhati High Court and became a permanent judge in 2012.
Following the establishment of the Manipur High Court in 2013, he was appointed as a judge there. In 2018, he was transferred back to the Gauhati High Court before being promoted to Chief Justice.
Justice Mahadevan has been serving as Acting Chief Justice of the Madras High Court since May 2024.
He obtained his law degree from Madras Law College in 1989 and practiced for 25 years with a focus on civil, criminal, and writ matters, specializing in indirect taxes, customs, and Central Excise. He handled over 9,000 cases as Additional Government Pleader (Taxes) for Tamil Nadu, Additional Central Government Standing Counsel, and Senior Panel Counsel for the Government of India at the Madras High Court.
In 2013, he was appointed as a judge of the Madras High Court.