'Completely wrong': Ex-CJI BR Gavai on nepotism in judiciary
Former Chief Justice of India BR Gavai has pushed back against claims of nepotism in the judiciary, calling them "completely wrong."
He said, "Politics me neta ke bete neta bante hai. Being related to a judge does not become a disqualifier," and shared that he recused himself and was not part of the interaction or decision regarding his distant relative's appointment.
Why is this debate happening?
The collegium—made up of the CJI and four top Supreme Court judges—handles all major judicial appointments.
People have accused it of favoritism for years.
Attempts to replace it with a government-led system (like the NJAC Act) were blocked by the courts, and last year, new petitions challenged how transparent and fair it really is.
Gavai's take on transparency and independence
Gavai explained that the collegium doesn't just work in isolation—it gets input from government agencies before picking judges.
He insisted there's no outside pressure or secretive decision-making, saying disagreements among members are resolved as a group, with majority consensus required.
Who's running things now?
Right now, Chief Justice Surya Kant leads the collegium with Justices Vikram Nath , BV Nagarathna, JK Maheshwari, and MM Sundresh.
Their main job: make sure new judges are chosen for their merit—not because they know someone important.