MUMBAI, July 5 -- The Ministry of Law and Justice on Friday notified the appointment of advocates Gautam Ashwin Ankhad and Mahendra Madhavrao Nerlikar as additional judges of the Bombay High Court. The two will serve an initial term of two years from the date they assume office. "In exercise of the powers conferred under clause (1) of Article 224 of the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint... Ankhad and Nerlikar as Additional Judges of the Bombay High Court," the official notification said. They will take charge in order of seniority. Their names were among nine recommended for elevation by the Bombay High Court Collegium in April this year, in consultation with the two senior-most judges of the court. The Supreme Court Collegium later endorsed the recommendations after securing the concurrence of the chief ministers and Governors of Maharashtra and Goa. According to the apex court's note on Ankhad's candidature, he has argued in cases leading to 56 reported judgments and is known for his expertise in commercial, contract, and arbitration matters. Nerlikar, who has over two decades of experience in civil, criminal, constitutional, labour and service law, represented the Maharashtra government at the Aurangabad Bench for a decade. Since November 2023, he has served as additional government pleader and additional public prosecutor. His elevation, the collegium observed, would enhance social diversity in the judiciary as he belongs to a Scheduled Caste....