2 HC CJ elevated to SC, no women again
Two High Court Chief Justices—Alok Aradhe (Bombay) and Vipul Manubhai Pancholi (Patna)—were just elevated to the Supreme Court, but the move is facing heat for sidelining women.
President Droupadi Murmu approved their appointments, as announced on August 28, but many are pointing out that no women were included this time.
Concerns raised over Pancholi's low seniority
Justice BV Nagarathna, currently the only woman in the Supreme Court collegium, openly disagreed with Pancholi's elevation.
She emphasized that three senior women judges were passed over and flagged concerns about Pancholi's relatively low seniority (he's ranked 57th nationwide).
Since 2021, when three women joined India's highest court—including Nagarathna herself—there haven't been any new female appointments, raising fresh questions about gender balance at the top.