Members of the Supreme Court Collegium as of November 2025

Chief Justice B.R. Gavai retired on 23 November 2025, ushering in a relatively long tenure of Justice Surya Kant as Chief. 

With CJI Gavai’s retirement, the Collegium will be headed by CJI Kant and will include Justices Vikram Nath, J.K. Maheshwari, B.V. Nagarathna and M.M. Sundresh.

Appointment track records of members of the Collegium

CJI Surya Kant has been part of the Collegium since 5 July 2023, when CJI D.Y. Chandrachud was Chief. He has since been involved in the appointment of 16 judges to the Supreme Court. He will be part of the Collegium until 9 February 2027, when he retires.

Justice Nath joined the CJI Sanjiv Khanna-led Collegium on 31 January 2025, after the retirement of Justice Hrishikesh Roy. He was involved in the appointments of six judges since. Justice Nath will be part of the Collegium till 24 September 2027, when he retires. 

Justice Maheshwari joined the Collegium on 14 May 2025, after the retirement of CJI Khanna. He has been involved in the appointments of five judges so far. Justice Maheshwari will remain in the Collegium till his retirement on 28 June 2026. His place will be taken up by Justice P.S. Narasimha.

Justice Nagarathna joined the Collegium on 25 May 2025, after the retirement of Justice A.S. Oka. Having joined the collegium just a few days after Justice Maheshwari, she too has been involved in the appointments of five judges so far.

Justice Sundresh is the latest entrant. He joins the Collegium following CJI Gavai’s retirement, ensuring that the collegium comprises five members. 

Highlights of the Kant-led collegium

The present Collegium stands out for including a woman among its members. Justice Nagarathna will serve as a collegium member for a little over 2 years and 5 months. She is the fifth woman to have been part of the Collegium in its 32 year history. Read the Supreme Court Observer’s piece on the women in the Collegium here. 

Another notable feature of this Collegium is the fact that it includes two judges in line to be Chief Justice. Justice Nath will become CJI in February 2027 and serve for a relatively short tenure of seven months, before retiring on 24 September 2027. Justice Nagarathna will become the first woman Chief Justice of India and will serve an even shorter tenure of 36 days.

Under CJI Surya Kant’s leadership the Collegium will change shape two times—once when Justice Maheshwari retires in June 2026 and again when Justice Sundresh retires in July. 

This also means that the Collegium will have opportunities to fill two vacancies.