Hyderabad: India on Friday, June 5, achieved a historic first, with four women simultaneously serving as Chief Justices of High Courts across the country.
The milestone was reached with the appointment of Justice Meenakshi Madan Rai of the Sikkim High Court as Chief Justice of the Patna High Court. She joins Justice Sunita Agarwal (Gujarat High Court), Justice Revati Mohite Dere (Meghalaya High Court) and Justice Lisa Gill (Andhra Pradesh High Court).
While four women had headed High Courts simultaneously in 2018, one of them was serving only as Acting Chief Justice.
Friday’s development marks the first time four women hold permanent appointments at the same time.
Justice Agarwal, elevated from the Allahabad High Court, has served as Chief Justice of Gujarat since July 2023. Justice Mohite Dere, from the Bombay High Court, was appointed to lead the Meghalaya High Court in January this year.
Justice Gill, from the Punjab and Haryana High Court, took charge as Chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh High Court in April.
Women remain significantly underrepresented in the higher judiciary overall. Government data placed before Parliament in February showed 116 women among 781 working judges across High Courts, roughly 15 per cent of the total strength.
This post was last modified on June 5, 2026 3:37 pm