In a major boost to the Madhya Pradesh High Court, ten new judges—five from the Bar and five from the judiciary—were sworn in today, increasing the court’s working strength from 34 to 44 judges.

Who Took Oath?

Seven judges took oath as permanent judges:

• Justice Pushpendra Yadav

• Justice Anand Singh Bahrawat

• Justice Ajay Kumar Nirankari

• Justice Jai Kumar Pillai

• Justice Himanshu Joshi

• Justice Ramkumar Choubey

• Justice Rajesh Kumar Gupta

Three others—Justices Alok Awasthi, Ratnesh Chandra Singh Bisen, and Bhagwati Prasad Sharma—were appointed as additional judges for a two-year term.

Another judicial officer, Pradeep Mittal, has also been cleared for appointment as an additional judge. His oath will take place on August 10.

The appointments were formally notified by the Central Government on July 28, following recommendations from the Supreme Court Collegium made in January and July 2025.

The swearing-in ceremony was attended by several senior members of the legal community, including Madhya Pradesh Advocate General (AG) Prashant Singh, who welcomed the new judges and expressed happiness over the appointments.

AG Singh shared his personal joy over the elevation of Justice Pushpendra Yadav, with whom he had previously worked. Justice Yadav has served in key legal roles, including as Deputy Solicitor General of India, and enjoys the trust of both the Bar and the Bench.