The Supreme Court will increase its strength with the addition of five new judges after the Central Government approved the names recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium, bringing the apex court close to its newly expanded sanctioned capacity.
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal confirmed via X that the President of India has authorised the appointment of four High Court Chief Justices and Senior Advocate V. Mohana as judges of the Supreme Court under Article 124(2) of the Constitution.
The appointees include Justice Sheel Nagu, Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court; Justice Shree Chandrashekhar, Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court; Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court; Justice Arun Palli, Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh; and Senior Advocate Venkita Subramani Mohana.
These appointments follow the Supreme Court Collegium’s recommendation on May 27, headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, marking the Collegium’s first major set of appointments under his leadership since he assumed office in November 2025.
The developments come after the Centre increased the Supreme Court’s sanctioned strength from 34 to 38 judges through the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Ordinance, 2026. With these five appointments, the Court’s strength will reach 37 judges, leaving one vacancy remaining.
The expansion intends to address the rising backlog of cases in the Supreme Court and facilitate the constitution of more regular Constitution Benches. The new appointments aim to bolster the Court’s capacity while reflecting seniority, merit, regional representation, and gender diversity in judicial selections.