In a landmark decision aimed at enhancing transparency and reinforcing public trust in the judiciary, the Supreme Court of India has, for the first time in history, published the asset declarations of its judges on its official website.
This monumental step comes following a Full Court meeting held on April 1, 2025, which was presided over by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna. During this meeting, all sitting judges of the Supreme Court unanimously agreed to make their assets and liabilities public.
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“The Full Court has resolved that the placing of declarations of assets on the Supreme Court website will be mandatory.”
As a result, the asset declarations of the Chief Justice and 20 other sitting judges have been uploaded. This includes the three judges next in line to become the Chief Justice of India in the near future. The disclosures are accessible directly from the Supreme Court's official website.
Until now, Supreme Court judges were required to submit their statements of assets and liabilities to the Chief Justice. However, those statements remained confidential and were not available for public viewing.
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This unprecedented move towards openness is seen as a response to recent controversies involving the judiciary. Notably, concerns arose following allegations of cash recovery from the official premises of Justice Yashwant Varma, while he was serving as a judge of the Delhi High Court. Although this incident involved a High Court judge, it raised broader questions about transparency in the higher judiciary.
"This is a historic first. Never before have the personal asset declarations of Supreme Court judges been made public," a senior court official confirmed.
Legal experts and judicial commentators have widely welcomed the initiative, calling it a bold and much-needed reform. They believe it sets a strong precedent for other courts and helps to ensure accountability at the highest levels of the judicial system.
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By making this information public, the Supreme Court has taken a major step towards aligning with international best practices on judicial transparency and public integrity.
With this move, the judiciary hopes to strengthen the credibility of its institutions and reassure the public that those entrusted with upholding the law are also committed to being accountable themselves.
“Transparency is essential for public confidence in the institution. This initiative by the Full Court reflects that spirit,” stated a former Supreme Court judge.
The declarations can now be viewed by citizens, legal professionals, and researchers alike, marking a significant moment in the Indian judiciary's evolution toward greater openness and ethical governance.
The asset declarations:
| S.No. | Name | Assets |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hon’ble Mr. Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Chief Justice of India | View |
| 2 | Hon’ble Mr. Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai | View |
| 3 | Hon’ble Mr. Justice Surya Kant | View |
| 4 | Hon’ble Mr. Justice Abhay S. Oka | View |
| 5 | Hon’ble Mr. Justice Vikram Nath | View |
| 6 | Hon’ble Mr. Justice J.K. Maheshwari | |
| 7 | Hon’ble Mrs. Justice B.V. Nagarathna | |
| 8 | Hon’ble Mr. Justice M.M. Sundresh | View |
| 9 | Hon’ble Ms. Justice Bela M.Trivedi | View |
| 10 | Hon’ble Mr. Justice Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha | View |
| 11 | Hon’ble Mr. Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia | View |
| 12 | Hon’ble Mr. Justice Jamshed Burjor Pardiwala | View |
| 13 | Hon’ble Mr. Justice Dipankar Datta | |
| 14 | Hon’ble Mr. Justice Pankaj Mithal | View |
| 15 | Hon’ble Mr. Justice Sanjay Karol | View |
| 16 | Hon’ble Mr. Justice Sanjay Kumar | View |
| 17 | Hon’ble Mr. Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah | |
| 18 | Hon’ble Mr. Justice Manoj Misra | |
| 19 | Hon’ble Mr. Justice Rajesh Bindal | View |
| 20 | Hon’ble Mr. Justice Aravind Kumar | |
| 21 | Hon’ble Mr. Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra | |
| 22 | Hon’ble Mr. Justice K.V. Viswanathan | View |
| 23 | Hon’ble Mr. Justice Ujjal Bhuyan | View |
| 24 | Hon’ble Mr. Justice S. Venkatanarayana Bhatti | View |
| 25 | Hon’ble Mr. Justice Satish Chandra Sharma | |
| 26 | Hon’ble Mr. Justice Augustine George Masih | View |
| 27 | Hon’ble Mr. Justice Sandeep Mehta | View |
| 28 | Hon’ble Mr. Justice Prasanna Bhalachandra Varale | |
| 29 | Hon’ble Mr. Justice N. Kotiswar Singh | |
| 30 | Hon’ble Mr. Justice R. Mahadevan | |
| 31 | Hon’ble Mr. Justice Manmohan | View |
| 32 | Hon’ble Mr. Justice K. Vinod Chandran | View |
| 33 | Hon’ble Mr. Justice Joymalya Bagchi |
