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In A Historic Move, Supreme Court Decides to Make Collegium Decisions Transparent

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9 years ago

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Supreme Court

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]There has been much talk about the opacity of the Supreme Court Collegium and the recent transfer and resignation of Justice Jayant Patel of the Karnataka High Court – transferred to the Allahabad High Court as the third senior-most, killing his Supreme Court prospects – has added fuel to the controversy fire.

The Supreme Court has decided that all the recommendations of the Supreme Court Collegium will henceforth be posted on the court’s website. The information that will be posted on the court’s website will include information about appointment, promotion and transfer of judges.

This decision by the Collegium, headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra marks a prominent milestone for his term. The Supreme Court Collegium said that the new rules will increase transparency without affecting the confidentially of the judicial process. The reasons for certain decision will also be uploaded on the court’s website.

The court has already started uploading information on its website and one of the first things to be posted is information about the appointment of three Judicial Officers and one Judicial Member of Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) as Judge of the Madras High Court:

  1. Resolution Dated 03.10.2017 regarding transparency in Collegium System.
  2. Recommendation Dated 03.10.2017 regarding elevation of Judicial Officers in Kerala High Court.
  3. Recommendation Dated 03.10.2017 for elevation of Judicial Officers in Madras High Court (Part I).
  4. Recommendation Dated 03.10.2017 for elevation of Judicial Officers in Madras High Court (Part II).

The more important addition to this is that the new section – a new tab to the top left of the Supreme Court site, called “Collegium Resolutions” – will also provide the reason for such transfer, elevation etc. of judges, judicial officers and others. To begin with the initial postings have detailed reasons for the October 3 judicial appointments to the Madras and the Kerala high courts.

The Collegium has also detailed reasons for the transparency. The two-page entry reads as follows:

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA

Re: Transparency in Collegium system.

The Chief Justice of India proposed the following Agenda for consideration by the Collegium:

“DECISION ON UPLOADING OF COLLEGIUM’S RESOLUTIONS WITH REASONS, ON EACH CANDIDATE FOR ELEVATION AS JUDGE OF HIGH COURT, CHIEF JUSTICE OF HIGH COURT OR AS JUDGE OF SUPREME COURT OR TRANSFER ON THE SUPREME COURT’S OFFICIAL WEBSITE FOR ENSURING TRANSPARENCY OF COLLEGIUM SYSTEM”.

The Collegium has resolved:

THAT the decisions henceforth taken by the Collegium indicating the reasons shall be put on the website of the Supreme Court, when the recommendation(s) is/are sent to the Government of India, with regard to the cases relating to initial elevation to the High Court Bench, confirmation as permanent Judge(s) of the High Court, elevation to the post of Chief Justice of High Court, transfer of High Court Chief Justices / Judges and elevation to the Supreme Court, because on each occasion the material which is considered by the Collegium is different.

The Resolution is passed to ensure transparency and yet maintain confidentiality in the Collegium system.

(Signed)

( Dipak Misra ), CJI.

( J.Chelameswar ), J.

( Ranjan Gogoi ), J.

( Madan B. Lokur ), J.

( Kurian Joseph ), J.

New Delhi,

October 03, 2017

The issue of the transfers became a trifle ugly with the Justice Patel issue. While the judge himself has kept his opinion to himself, there have been many within the judicial profession who have lambasted the judiciary for virtually sidelining the judge who had shown tremendous spine in ordering a CBI enquiry into the Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case during the Godhra riots of 2002. It has been alleged that the executive may have had finally gotten total control of the judiciary and is now calling the shots about judicial postings and transfers.

The reaction to this transfer (of Justice Patel) from the Supreme Court so far has been a trite comment, saying:

“Decision taken to transfer Justice Jayant Patel was a conscious and unanimous decision taken after adequate deliberation keeping in view the input on record.”

Recently even Justice J Chelameswar, who is part of the Collegium – he is also the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court – had criticized the secret nature of the functioning of the Collegium. He had even refused to participate in the Collegium meetings until there was some record made of what transpired.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani appointed as India’s next Chief of Defence Staff

Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani has been appointed as India’s next Chief of Defence Staff and will succeed General Anil Chauhan later this month.

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May 9, 2026

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Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani appointed as India’s next Chief of Defence Staff

The Centre has appointed Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani as India’s next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), succeeding General Anil Chauhan, whose tenure will conclude on May 30.

According to the government announcement, Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani will also serve as Secretary to the Government of India in the Department of Military Affairs from the date he assumes charge and until further orders.

Lt Gen Subramani is currently serving as the Military Adviser at the National Security Council Secretariat, a role he has held since September 2025. Before that, he served as Vice Chief of the Army Staff between July 2024 and July 2025.

A senior officer from the Garhwal Rifles, he was commissioned into the Indian Army in December 1985 and has held several important operational and command positions during his military career. He has commanded formations in Jammu and Kashmir, the Northeast and along the western front.

Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy and the Indian Military Academy. He also studied at the Joint Services Command and Staff College in the United Kingdom and the National Defence College in New Delhi. He holds a Master’s degree from King’s College London and an MPhil in Defence Studies from the University of Madras.

The post of Chief of Defence Staff was created in 2020 to improve coordination among the Army, Navy and Air Force. General Bipin Rawat became India’s first CDS, followed by General Anil Chauhan in 2022. Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani will become the country’s third CDS after assuming office.

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Bengal to get BJP’s first CM as Suvendu Adhikari set to take oath today

Suvendu Adhikari will be sworn in as West Bengal Chief Minister, marking the BJP’s first government formation in the state.

Published

5 hours ago

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May 9, 2026

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Suvendu Adhikari is set to take oath as the Chief Minister of West Bengal, becoming the first leader from the Bharatiya Janata Party to head the state government.

The swearing-in ceremony is scheduled to take place at Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata and is expected to witness the presence of several senior BJP leaders and supporters from across the state.

Adhikari was unanimously elected as the BJP legislature party leader after the party secured a decisive victory in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. His appointment marks a significant political change in the state, where the BJP is forming the government for the first time.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and several Union ministers are expected to attend the ceremony. Reports also indicate that the oath event has been planned on a large public scale to underline the BJP’s breakthrough in Bengal politics.

Adhikari emerged as one of the BJP’s key faces in Bengal after defeating Mamata Banerjee in the high-profile Nandigram contest in 2021 and later consolidating his position within the party’s state leadership.

Security arrangements have been tightened around the oath venue, while party workers have gathered in large numbers ahead of the ceremony. The event is being viewed as a landmark moment in West Bengal’s political history.

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PM Modi to lead Somnath Amrit Parv celebrations with grand roadshow in Gujarat

PM Modi is set to visit Somnath Temple in Gujarat for the Somnath Amrit Parv celebrations marking 75 years of the temple’s reconstruction, with a roadshow and religious ceremonies planned.

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19 hours ago

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May 8, 2026

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PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit the Somnath Temple in Gujarat on May 11 to lead the ‘Somnath Amrit Parv’ celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of the temple’s reconstruction.

According to state ministers and senior officials, the Prime Minister will take part in religious rituals, lead a public roadshow, and address a gathering during the celebrations.

The visit comes months after PM Modi attended the Somnath Swabhiman Parv held earlier this year, which commemorated 1,000 years since the first recorded attack on the temple in 1026.

Grand roadshow and cultural programmes planned

Officials said PM Modi will arrive in Somnath from Jamnagar and lead a one-kilometre roadshow from the Triveni Helipad to the statue of Veer Hamirji Gohil. The procession is expected to feature cultural dance performances from different Indian states along with displays representing the 12 Jyotirlingas.

A Suryakiran Air Show and a flower petal shower over the temple spire are also planned during the event. The Prime Minister is expected to be welcomed by Rishikumars and members of local communities dressed in traditional attire.

During his visit, PM Modi will perform rituals including Kumbhabhishek, Dhvaja Puja and Mahapuja at the temple before addressing a public gathering at Sadbhavna Ground.

Somnath reconstruction anniversary

The celebrations mark 75 years since the reconstructed Somnath Temple was inaugurated in 1951 in the presence of India’s first President Rajendra Prasad. The reconstruction effort after Independence was led under the vision of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and supported by leaders including K.M. Munshi.

State minister Jitu Vaghani said the temple’s restoration remains a symbol of national self-respect and resilience.

After the Somnath events, PM Modi is scheduled to travel to Vadodara to inaugurate the Sardardham Educational Complex. Preparations are also underway for a possible roadshow in the city later in the day.

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