Judicial Well-being: Supreme Court forms Standing Committee
Why in the news
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant constituted a Standing Committee on Judicial Well-being under the Supreme Court, announced on World Mental Health Day (10 October 2026).
Key facts
- Chair: Justice K.V. Viswanathan, Judge, Supreme Court of India.
- Nature: a continuing institutional mechanism, so that well-being gets sustained rather than one-off attention.
- Functions: identify issues, coordinate welfare measures, frame guidance, facilitate interventions and periodically review welfare initiatives for judicial officers.
- Basis: a study by the Supreme Court’s Centre for Research and Planning on officers of the District Judiciary, covering workload, stress, staff shortages, infrastructure, transfers and work-life balance.
Members
| Member | Background |
|---|---|
| Justice K.V. Viswanathan (Chair) | Supreme Court judge |
| Dr Savita Malhotra | Former Dean, PGIMER Chandigarh; psychiatry |
| Rajat Mitra | Psychologist; co-founder, Swanchetan Society for Mental Health |
| Mrinal Kanwar | Advocate-on-Record, Supreme Court |
| Aarti Singh | Registrar (J), Centre for Research and Planning |
About the global context
The move aligns with the Nauru Declaration on Judicial Well-being, adopted on 25 July 2024. In March 2025 the UN General Assembly declared 25 July as the International Day for Judicial Well-being.
Exam angle
- Constituted by CJI Surya Kant; chaired by Justice K.V. Viswanathan.
- World Mental Health Day: 10 October.
- International Day for Judicial Well-being: 25 July.