In a significant administrative decision for the Indian higher judiciary, the Supreme Court Collegium has officially recommended the elevation of Justice Meenakshi Madan Rai as the next Chief Justice of the Patna High Court.
Justice Rai, who is currently serving as a senior judge of the Sikkim High Court, is slated to succeed the incumbent Chief Justice, Justice Sangam Kumar Sahoo, who will be demitting office on June 4, 2026, upon reaching the constitutional retirement age.
The high-level Collegium meeting, convened on May 22, 2026, was headed by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant. The decision-making panel also comprised senior apex court jurists, including Justice BV Nagarathna, Justice JK Maheshwari, Justice Vikram Nath, and Justice MM Sundresh. Following the publication of the official resolution, the proposal has been forwarded to the Union Ministry of Law and Justice for processing, after which the President of India will formally issue the warrant of appointment under Article 217 of the Constitution.
A Historic First for Gender Representation: Justice Rai’s proposed elevation marks a monumental milestone for diversity in the higher judiciary. With her appointment, Indian High Courts will, for the first time in history, simultaneously have four serving women Chief Justices leading constitutional benches across the country.
Pioneering Path: From Sikkim’s First Woman Jurist to Patna
Born on July 12, 1964, Justice Meenakshi Madan Rai—daughter of former Sikkim Home Secretary Madan Mohan Rasaily—has a career defined by breaking barriers. She completed her early schooling in Sikkim before moving to New Delhi on a merit scholarship to pursue political science honors at Lady Shri Ram College. She subsequently earned her law degree from the Campus Law Centre, Delhi University, in 1989. After enrolling with the Bar Association of Delhi in 1990, she briefly practiced before the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court.
In December 1990, she joined the Sikkim Judicial Service as a Judicial Magistrate First Class, scripted history as the state’s very first woman judicial officer. Over a distinguished career spanning two and a half decades in the subordinate judiciary, she excelled in multiple roles, serving as a District and Sessions Judge and holding the administrative post of Registrar General of the Sikkim High Court on two separate occasions. On April 15, 2015, she made history yet again when she was elevated as the first woman judge of the Sikkim High Court.
Administrative Acumen and Deep Institutional Seniority
Beyond her extensive judicial record, Justice Rai carries vast administrative expertise into her proposed role at Patna. She has taken charge as the Acting Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court during several crucial intervals, including terms in 2018, 2019, 2021, and most recently during a high-profile transition between December 2025 and January 2026.
Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang (PS Golay) extended his warmest congratulations on behalf of the state government, calling the recommendation a moment of immense pride and an inspiration for the entire nation. Moving from the compact legal ecosystem of the Northeast to head the Patna High Court—one of India’s oldest and largest constitutional courts—Justice Rai’s long tenure and institutional seniority are expected to bring robust leadership to a bench that has historically seen limited female representation at its highest tier.