Veerendra Heggade writes to CM Siddaramaiah praising budget
Mangaluru (PTI): Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari (hereditary administrator) Veerendra Heggade has appreciated Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for the beneficial schemes for the people, especially the Jain community in the state budget.
He said the entire Jain community is glad that the Chief Minister has provided special funds to the community and supported them and expressed his gratitude on their behalf.
"You have provided useful projects for the people. Devotees arriving at Dharmasthala, women in particular, are expressing their joy. Several women devotees are offering their service and offerings to Manjunatha Swamy in your name," Heggade, who is a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha, wrote in a letter.
Reports have indicated that the number of women visiting pilgrim centres have substantially increased after the government introduced the Shakti scheme for free travel for women in government buses.
Heggade also extended an invitation to the Chief Minister to visit the temple at his convenience and have the darshan of Lord Manjunatha Swamy.
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Justice Nagarathna dissents on SC collegium’s recommendation of Justice Pancholi
Dissent cites seniority concerns, Gujarat High Court’s over-representation
New Delhi: Supreme Court judge B.V. Nagarathna has recorded a dissent note against the collegium’s recommendation to elevate Patna High Court Chief Justice Vipul Manubhai Pancholi to the apex court, The Indian Express reported.
The five-member collegium, comprising Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai and Justices Surya Kant, Vikram Nath, J.K. Maheshwari, and Nagarathna, reached the decision with a 4–1 split. Justice Nagarathna, the lone woman on the bench, opposed Pancholi’s elevation, citing concerns over seniority and regional representation.
Justice Pancholi ranks 57th on the all-India seniority list of high court judges. Justice Nagarathna reportedly objected to the move, noting that it came less than three months after another judge from the Gujarat High Court, Justice N.V. Anjaria, was elevated to the Supreme Court. She argued that advancing Pancholi would bypass several senior judges and further increase Gujarat’s representation at the top court, while other high courts remain underrepresented.
Her dissenting note, according to reports, emphasized that such decisions could undermine the credibility of the collegium system and have long-term consequences for the administration of justice.
Justice Pancholi, who served nearly two decades in the Gujarat High Court, was transferred to Patna High Court in July 2023 and appointed its Chief Justice in July 2025. His elevation, along with that of Justice Anjaria, was intended to maintain Gujarat’s representation in the Supreme Court following the retirements of Justices M.R. Shah and Bela Trivedi earlier this year.
With a sanctioned strength of 34 judges, the Supreme Court follows criteria of seniority, merit, integrity, and regional balance in appointments. Justice Nagarathna’s dissent highlights ongoing debates about diversity and fairness in judicial elevations.
