TheIndian judiciary consists of theSupreme Court of India, which is thehighest court in the country and the constituent courts. The Supreme Court serves as the finalcourt of appeal for all civil and criminal cases in India and consists of 33 judges headed by theChief Justice of India.[1] TheHigh 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 variousDistrict and Session Courts in their respective jurisdictions. As per theConstitution of India, the Chief Justice, the other judges of the Supreme Court and the High Courts are appointed by thePresident of India.[3]
| Name of the Chief Justice | Image | Date of Appointment as Chief Justice | Date of Retirement | Tenure | Nominated By | Appointed By | Date of elevation to Supreme Court | Seniority rank on the date of elevation | Date of Initial Appointment as Judge | Parent High Court |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surya Kant (list) |  | 24 November 2025 (0 days) | 9 February 2027 (−1 year, 77 days) | 1 year, 78 days | B. R. Gavai | Droupadi Murmu | 24 May 2019 (6 years, 184 days) | 11 | 9 January 2004 (21 years, 319 days) | Punjab and Haryana |
| High Court | 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 (1 year, 292 days) | 14 October 2029 (−3 years, 324 days) | 5 years, 252 days | D. Y. Chandrachud | Droupadi Murmu | Rajasthan | 14 Since 16 September 2025 | 8 January 2013 (12 years, 320 days) | Altamas Kabir | |
| Andhra Pradesh High Court | Dhiraj Singh Thakur (list) | 28 July 2023 (2 years, 119 days) | 24 April 2026 (−151 days) | 2 years, 271 days | Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh | 16 Since 16 September 2025 | 8 March 2013 (12 years, 261 days) | ||||
| Bombay High Court | Shree Chandrashekhar (list) | 5 September 2025 (80 days) | 24 May 2027 (−1 year, 181 days) | 1 year, 262 days | B. R. Gavai | Jharkhand | 15 Since 16 September 2025 | 17 January 2013 (12 years, 311 days) | |||
| Calcutta High Court | Sujoy Paul[†] (list) | 8 October 2025 (47 days) | 20 June 2026 (−208 days) | 256 days | -- | Madhya Pradesh | 6 | 27 May 2011 (14 years, 181 days) | S. H. Kapadia | ||
| Chhattisgarh High Court | Ramesh Sinha (list) | 29 March 2023 (2 years, 240 days) | 4 September 2026 (−284 days) | 3 years, 160 days | D. Y. Chandrachud | Allahabad | 8 Since 16 September 2025 | 21 November 2011 (14 years, 3 days) | |||
| Delhi High Court | Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya (list) | 29 July 2023 (2 years, 118 days) Date of appointment in current HC 21 January 2025 (307 days) | 15 June 2027 (−1 year, 203 days) | 3 years, 322 days Tenure in current HC 2 years, 146 days | D. Y. Chandrachud Nominated in current HC Sanjiv Khanna | Allahabad | 10 Since 16 September 2025 | 21 November 2011 (14 years, 3 days) | 47th CJ of Bombay From29 July 2023 – 20 January 2025 (1 year, 176 days) | ||
| Gauhati High Court | Ashutosh Kumar (list) | 21 July 2025 (126 days) | 30 September 2028 (−2 years, 311 days) | 3 years, 72 days | B. R. Gavai | Patna | 45 Since 28 September 2025 | 15 May 2014 (11 years, 193 days) | R. M. Lodha | ||
| Gujarat High Court | Sunita Agarwal (list) | 23 July 2023 (2 years, 124 days) | 29 April 2028 (−2 years, 157 days) | 4 years, 282 days | D. Y. Chandrachud | Allahabad | 9 Since 16 September 2025 | 21 November 2011 (14 years, 3 days) | S. H. Kapadia | ||
| Himachal Pradesh High Court | Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia (list) | 29 December 2024 (330 days) | 31 October 2027 (−1 year, 341 days) | 2 years, 307 days | Punjab and Haryana | 7 Since 16 September 2025 | 30 September 2011 (14 years, 55 days) | ||||
| Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court | Arun Palli (list) | 16 April 2025 (222 days) | 17 September 2026 (−297 days) | 1 year, 155 days | Sanjiv Khanna | Punjab and Haryana | 33 Since 28 September 2025 | 28 December 2013 (11 years, 331 days) | P. Sathasivam | ||
| Jharkhand High Court | Tarlok Singh Chauhan (list) | 23 July 2025 (124 days) | 8 January 2026 (−45 days) | 170 days | B. R. Gavai | Himachal Pradesh | 43 Since 28 September 2025 | 23 February 2014 (11 years, 274 days) | |||
| Karnataka High Court | Vibhu Bakhru (list) | 19 July 2025 (128 days) | 1 November 2028 (−2 years, 343 days) | 3 years, 106 days | Delhi | 19 Since 16 September 2025 | 17 April 2013 (12 years, 221 days) | Altamas Kabir | |||
| Kerala High Court | Nitin Madhukar Jamdar (list) | 26 September 2024 (1 year, 59 days) | 9 January 2026 (−46 days) | 1 year, 106 days | D. Y. Chandrachud | Bombay | 11 Since 16 September 2025 | 23 January 2012 (13 years, 305 days) | S. H. Kapadia | ||
| Madhya Pradesh High Court | Sanjeev Sachdeva (list) | 17 July 2025 (130 days) | 25 December 2026 (−1 year, 31 days) | 1 year, 162 days | B. R. Gavai | Delhi | 18 Since 16 September 2025 | 17 April 2013 (12 years, 221 days) | Altamas Kabir | ||
| Madras High Court | Manindra Mohan Shrivastava (list) | 6 February 2024 (1 year, 291 days) Date of appointment in current HC 21 July 2025 (126 days) | 5 March 2026 (−101 days) | 2 years, 28 days Tenure in current HC 228 days | D. Y. Chandrachud Nominated in current HC B. R. Gavai | Chhattisgarh | 2 Since 16 September 2025 | 10 December 2009 (15 years, 349 days) | K. G. Balakrishnan | 42nd CJ of Rajasthan From6 February 2024 – 20 July 2025 (1 year, 165 days) | |
| Manipur High Court | M. Sundar (list) | 15 September 2025 (70 days) | 18 July 2028 (−2 years, 237 days) | 2 years, 308 days | B. R. Gavai | Madras | 76 Since 23 October 2025 | 5 October 2016 (9 years, 50 days) | T. S. Thakur | ||
| Meghalaya High Court | Soumen Sen (list) | 8 October 2025 (47 days) | 26 July 2027 (−1 year, 244 days) | 1 year, 292 days | Calcutta | 4 Since 16 September 2025 | 13 April 2011 (14 years, 225 days) | S. H. Kapadia | |||
| Orissa High Court | Harish Tandon (list) | 26 March 2025 (243 days) | 15 November 2026 (−356 days) | 1 year, 235 days | Sanjiv Khanna | Calcutta | 3 Since 16 September 2025 | 13 April 2010 (15 years, 225 days) | K. G. Balakrishnan | ||
| Patna High Court | Sudhir Singh[†] (list) | 23 October 2025 (32 days) | 10 December 2027 (−2 years, 16 days) | 2 years, 49 days | -- | Patna | 57 | 15 April 2015 (10 years, 223 days) | H. L. Dattu | ||
| Punjab and Haryana High Court | Sheel Nagu (list) | 9 July 2024 (1 year, 138 days) | 31 December 2026 (−1 year, 37 days) | 2 years, 176 days | D. Y. Chandrachud | Madhya Pradesh | 5 Since 16 September 2025 | 27 May 2011 (14 years, 181 days) | S. H. Kapadia | ||
| Rajasthan High Court | Sanjeev Prakash Sharma[†] (list) | 28 September 2025 (57 days) | 26 September 2026 (−306 days) | 364 days | -- | Rajasthan | 94 | 16 November 2016 (9 years, 8 days) | T. S. Thakur | ||
| Sikkim High Court | Biswanath Somadder (list) | 27 April 2020 (5 years, 211 days) Date of appointment in current HC 12 October 2021 (4 years, 43 days) | 14 December 2025 (−20 days) | 5 years, 232 days Tenure in current HC 4 years, 64 days | S. A. Bobde Nominated in current HC N. V. Ramana | Ram Nath Kovind | Calcutta | 1 Since 27 October 2023 | 22 June 2006 (19 years, 155 days) | Y. K. Sabharwal | 9th CJ of Meghalaya From27 April 2020 – 11 October 2021 (1 year, 168 days) |
| Telangana High Court | Aparesh Kumar Singh (list) | 17 April 2023 (2 years, 221 days) Date of appointment in current HC 19 July 2025 (128 days) | 6 July 2027 (−1 year, 224 days) | 4 years, 81 days Tenure in current HC 1 year, 353 days | D. Y. Chandrachud Nominated in current HC B. R. Gavai | Droupadi Murmu | Jharkhand | 12 Since 16 September 2025 | 24 January 2012 (13 years, 304 days) | S. H. Kapadia | 8th CJ of Tripura From17 April 2023 – 18 July 2025 (2 years, 93 days) |
| Tripura High Court | Mamidanna Satyaratna Ramachandra Rao (list) | 30 May 2023 (2 years, 178 days) Date of appointment in current HC 22 July 2025 (125 days) | 6 August 2028 (−2 years, 256 days) | 5 years, 69 days Tenure in current HC 3 years, 16 days | D. Y. Chandrachud Nominated in current HC B. R. Gavai | Telangana | 13 Since 16 September 2025 | 29 June 2012 (13 years, 148 days) | 28th CJ of Himachal Pradesh From30 May 2023 – 24 September 2024 (1 year, 118 days) 16th CJ of Jharkhand | ||
| Uttarakhand High Court | Guhanathan Narendar (list) | 26 December 2024 (333 days) | 9 January 2026 (−46 days) | 1 year, 15 days | D. Y. Chandrachud | Karnataka | 52 Since 28 September 2025 | 2 January 2015 (10 years, 326 days) | H. L. Dattu |
Key
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Dates of Changes in Seniority Rank (S.R.):
27 October 2023 - Retirement ofVipin Sanghi(CJ of Uttarakhand) on26 October 2023 (S.R. 1)
16 September 2025 - Retirement ofT. S. Sivagnanam(CJ of Calcutta) on15 September 2025 (S.R. 2)
28 September 2025 - Retirement ofK. R. Shriram(CJ of Rajasthan) on27 September 2025 (S.R. 23)
23 October 2025 - Retirement ofP. B. Bajanthri(CJ of Patna) on22 October 2025 (S.R. 53)
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