High Courts of India
The highest courts of each state or group of states; there are 25, and the oldest date from 1862.
What the paper can ask
- 25 High Courts; Calcutta, Bombay and Madras (1862) are the oldest; Andhra Pradesh and Telangana (1 January 2019) the newest. (as of 23 Oct 2026)
- Judges hold office until 62 (Article 217); qualification is ten years as a judge or as a High Court advocate.
- Gauhati High Court serves Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Nagaland; the Bombay High Court has benches at Aurangabad, Nagpur and Panaji.
- High Courts have writ jurisdiction; all courts are bound by Supreme Court judgments under Article 141.
Latest
The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh opened a permanent bench for Ladakh in Leh, inaugurated by CJI Surya Kant on 18 October 2026, with hearings from 21 October; a Presidential regulation of 27 August 2026 created it.
Why exams ask
Setters ask the count, the oldest and newest, the retirement age, the Article for UT High Courts and new benches.
The full story
A High Court is the highest court of a state (or of several states, or of Union Territories). India has 25 High Courts. The oldest three, Calcutta, Bombay and Madras, were set up in 1862 under the Indian High Courts Act, 1861; the newest, Andhra Pradesh (Amaravati) and Telangana (Hyderabad), began in 2019. High Court judges are appointed by the President under Article 217 and retire at 62, three years before Supreme Court judges.
In the news
- Kerala High Court strikes down rule barring women from toddy shops (August ruling, reported now) 29 Oct
- CJI Surya Kant inaugurates first High Court bench in Leh 18 Oct
- Three High Court Chief Justices appointed Supreme Court judges 6 Oct
- President promulgates regulation for High Court sittings in Ladakh 27 Aug
Test yourself
1.Leila Seth became the first woman Chief Justice of a High Court in 1991. Which High Court did she head?
Correct. Justice Leila Seth became Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court on 5 August 1991.
Not quite. Justice Leila Seth became Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court on 5 August 1991. It goes into your error book.
2.Forms of oaths and affirmations for Union Ministers, Members of Parliament and judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts are given in which Schedule?
Correct. The Third Schedule gives the oath forms for ministers, MPs, MLAs, judges and the CAG. The President's oath is in Article 60 itself, the Governor's in Article 159.
Not quite. The Third Schedule gives the oath forms for ministers, MPs, MLAs, judges and the CAG. The President's oath is in Article 60 itself, the Governor's in Article 159. It goes into your error book.
3.High Courts can issue writs under which Article of the Constitution?
Correct. Article 226 empowers High Courts to issue writs for enforcement of Fundamental Rights and 'for any other purpose', a wider ground than Article 32 for the Supreme Court.
Not quite. Article 226 empowers High Courts to issue writs for enforcement of Fundamental Rights and 'for any other purpose', a wider ground than Article 32 for the Supreme Court. It goes into your error book.