New Delhi, June 1 (IANS) The Centre on Monday issued a notification appointing Justice Vivek Rusia as the Acting Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, following the elevation of incumbent Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva to the Supreme Court.

“In exercise of the powers conferred by Article 223 of the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint Shri Justice Vivek Rusia, Judge of the High Court of Madhya Pradesh, to perform the duties of the office of the Chief Justice of the High Court of Madhya Pradesh consequent upon appointment of Shri Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, Chief Justice of the High Court of Madhya Pradesh as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India,” said a notification issued by the Union Ministry of Law and Justice.

Article 223 of the Constitution empowers the President to appoint any puisne judge as Acting Chief Justice when the office of the Chief Justice of a High Court is vacant or when the Chief Justice is unable to discharge the duties of the office.

Earlier in the day, the Centre cleared the elevation of Justice Sachdeva, along with three other High Court Chief Justices and senior advocate V. Mohana, as judges of the Supreme Court, acting on the recommendation of the Supreme Court Collegium.

In a post on X, Union Minister for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal announced that the President, after consultation with the Chief Justice of India (CJI), had appointed Justices Sheel Nagu, Shree Chandrashekhar, Sanjeev Sachdeva, and Arun Palli, along with senior advocate V. Mohana, as judges of the Supreme Court.

Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, whose parent High Court is the Delhi High Court, had taken oath as the Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court in July 2025.

The Supreme Court Collegium had recommended his elevation to the apex court at its meetings held on May 22 and May 27.

The appointments to the Supreme Court follow the Centre’s recent decision to increase the sanctioned strength of judges in the apex court from 33 to 37, excluding the Chief Justice of India (CJI), with a view to reducing pendency and expediting the disposal of cases.

Justice Vivek Rusia was appointed as an Additional Judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court in April 2016 and became a permanent judge in March 2018.

–IANS

pds/dan