Will see when new building comes: Supreme Court on whether national emblem should be part of court's dome

The Supreme Court on Monday said it will consider on the administrative side a petition to add India's national emblem, the Lion Capital of Ashoka, on the main dome of the apex court building [Badaravada Venugopal @ Bara Khatarnak v. Union of India].

The Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi noted that a new Supreme Court building complex is currently under construction.

CJI Kant added that the proposal to add the national emblem to the Court's main dome could be considered for the new building.

“We are constructing a new building, we will deal with it then,” said CJI Kant.

The Court proceeded to close the plea filed by Badaravada Venugopal, also known as Bara Khatarnak, in the matter.

It further directed the Secretary General of the Supreme Court to place the petitioner’s representation before the competent authority for consideration.

“The Secretary General is directed to put up this note before the competent authority. This issue needs to be dealt on the administrative side,” the Court ordered.

During the hearing, the petitioner told the Court that he had earlier written to the Supreme Court's administration with the suggestion to add India's emblem to the main building's dome.

“I received a reply from the Supreme Court in November that Supreme Court uses its own logo,” he added.

However, CJI Kant suggested that the earlier decision may have been taken before he assumed office in late November of 2025.

“Perhaps the decision was before November 24. Anyways we will see,” he assured, before disposing of the petition.

Notably, the Supreme Court's seal features elements inspired by the Lion Capital, along with a wheel and the motto “Yato Dharmastato Jayaḥ” (Where there is dharma, there is victory).

While the Supreme Court uses such emblematic imagery in its official seal, the emblem does not appear as a physical installation on the dome of the building.

In 2024, during the tenure of CJI DY Chandrachud, the Supreme Court's logo underwent a change. The revised logo featured the Ashoka Chakra, the Supreme Court building and the Constitution of India, in a blue background and with the text Supreme Court of India’ and ‘Yato Dharmastato Jayah’ (in Devanagari script).

However, the earlier logo was restored in 2025, after BR Gavai took over as CJI.

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