New Delhi, Jan 5 : The Centre on Monday notified the appointment of four advocates as judges in three High Courts, acting on the recommendations of the Supreme Court Collegium.

In a post on social media platform X, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal said that the President, in exercise of the powers conferred by the Constitution of India and after consultation with the Chief Justice of India (CJI), was pleased to appoint advocates Ritesh Kumar and Praveen Kumar as judges of the Patna High Court.

Advocate Jai Krishna Upadhyay has been appointed as a judge of the Allahabad High Court, while advocate Siddhartha Sah has been appointed as an additional judge of the Uttarakhand High Court, the minister said.

The appointments follow recommendations made by the Supreme Court Collegium in its earlier meetings.

In February 2025, the apex court Collegium, then headed by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, had approved the proposal for the appointment of several advocates, including Ritesh Kumar, as judges of the Patna High Court.

Similarly, advocate Jai Krishna Upadhyay was among the names recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium in September 2025 for elevation to the Allahabad High Court. However, on September 26, 2025, when 24 judges were appointed to the Allahabad High Court, his name did not figure in the list cleared by the Centre.

With regard to advocate Siddhartha Sah, the Supreme Court Collegium had, in October 2023, recommended his elevation to the Uttarakhand High Court after assessing his professional standing and suitability.

The Collegium had noted that he enjoys a good reputation at the Bar and that nothing adverse had come to notice against his integrity.

â??The observation made by the Government should not come in the way of the recommendation, particularly when the inputs placed in the file indicate that nothing adverse has come to notice against his integrity,â?? the Collegium had said in a statement uploaded on the apex courtâ??s website.

/IANS