The Union government on Monday (January 5, 2026) notified the appointment of three judges and one additional judge to various High Courts, according to notifications issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice.
Advocates Ritesh Kumar and Praveen Kumar have been appointed as Judges of the Patna High Court. The Supreme Court Collegium had recommended Ritesh Kumar’s name on February 20, 2025, while Praveen Kumar’s name was recommended on July 1, 2025.
Ritesh Kumar’s name was originally recommended along with five advocates, out of whom three have already been notified. The notifications of Ritesh Kumar and Anshul Raj remained pending for several months. With the latest notification, Ritesh Kumar has been cleared, while Anshul Raj’s appointment is still awaited.
Praveen Kumar’s name was recommended along with Advocate Ajit Kumar, whose appointment as a judge of the Patna High Court was notified on August 2, 2025.
In another appointment, Advocate Jai Krishna Upadhyay has been appointed as a Judge of the Allahabad High Court. His name was recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium on September 1, 2025, along with 11 other advocates. On September 26, 2025, the government notified the appointments of 10 advocates, leaving Jai Krishna Upadhyay and Adnan Ahmad pending. With the latest notification, Jai Krishna Upadhyay has been cleared, while Adnan Ahmad’s appointment remains pending.
Meanwhile, the Centre has also notified the appointment of Advocate Siddhartha Sah as an Additional Judge of the Uttarakhand High Court. The collegium had recommended his name on October 17, 2023, along with Advocate Alok Mehra. Alok Mehra was appointed as a judge in February 2025, while Siddhartha Sah’s notification had remained pending until now.
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