India, Aug. 2 -- Justice Ujjal Bhuyan's remarks questioning the Supreme Court collegium's recent retreat from recording reasons for judicial appointments have revived an uncomfortable but necessary debate. Nearly a decade after the collegium began publishing its resolutions in the interests of transparency, the institution appears to have made a U-turn, with recent recommendations once again reduced to bare announcements. The concern is not merely about disclosure; it is about consistency.

The collegium has always struggled to balance two competing values. Greater transparency enhances public confidence and allows scrutiny of whether appointments are based on objective criteria. At the same time, disclosure can unfairly damage the reputa...