Agencies,
March 17, 2025 : Justice Joymalya Bagchi was sworn in as a Supreme Court judge on Monday, with Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna administering the oath of office. His appointment fills one of the two vacant positions in the Supreme Court, which has a sanctioned strength of 34 judges. Notably, Justice Bagchi is set to become the Chief Justice of India in May 2031, though his tenure in the top position will last just over four months until his retirement on October 2, 2031.His elevation comes shortly after the Union government approved his appointment, following the Supreme Court collegium’s recommendation on March 6. The five-member collegium, headed by CJI Khanna and comprising Justices Bhushan R Gavai, Surya Kant, Abhay S Oka, and Vikram Nath, assessed his merit, integrity, judicial competence, and regional representation before selecting him.
Justice Bagchi brings over 13 years of experience as a high court judge. Appointed to the Calcutta High Court in June 2011, he was transferred to the Andhra Pradesh High Court in January 2021 before being repatriated to Calcutta in November 2021. Throughout his tenure, he has handled cases spanning civil, criminal, and constitutional law.
His appointment is also notable as he will be the first Chief Justice of India from the Calcutta High Court since Justice Altamas Kabir, who held the position in 2013. Currently, Justice Dipankar Datta is the only other judge from the Calcutta High Court serving in the Supreme Court. Ranked 11th in the combined all-India seniority list of high court judges, Justice Bagchi’s presence on the Supreme Court bench is expected to bring valuable legal expertise, strengthening the judiciary’s ability to handle complex cases in the years ahead.
