According to the report, the notification came just four days after the Supreme Court collegium recommended their names for elevation, marking a major reshaping of the apex court’s bench following its recent expansion in sanctioned strength.

Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal announced the appointments through a post on the social media platform X, stating that the President of India, after consultation with the Chief Justice of India, had approved the appointments under constitutional provisions. He extended his best wishes to the newly appointed judges.

Appointed Judges

The five individuals appointed to the Supreme Court are Justice Sheel Nagu, Justice Shree Chandrashekhar, Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, Justice Arun Palli, and senior advocate V Mohana.

According to official sources, the judges are expected to take the oath on Tuesday. Their elevation comes shortly after the collegium headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant cleared their names on May 27.

Expansion of the Supreme Court Strength

The appointments follow the recent decision to increase the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court from 33 to 37 judges (excluding the Chief Justice of India) through a legislative amendment. The move was aimed at addressing the rising backlog of cases, which has crossed 92,000, and to facilitate the functioning of the constitution benches regularly.

With the latest inductions, the working strength of the court will rise to 36 judges, leaving only one vacancy.

Balance of Representation and Experience

The collegium, which also included Justices Vikram Nath, J K Maheshwari, B V Nagarathna and M M Sundresh, is understood to have considered factors such as regional representation, judicial experience, merit and gender balance while finalising the recommendations.

Profiles of the Newly Appointed Judges

Justice Sheel Nagu, currently Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, previously served in the Madhya Pradesh High Court, where he was elevated in 2011. He is known for his expertise in constitutional, administrative and service law matters.

Justice Shree Chandrashekhar, Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court, began his judicial career in the Jharkhand High Court and was elevated as a judge in 2013 before becoming Chief Justice last year.

Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, recently appointed Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, previously served as a judge of the Delhi High Court. He has handled significant matters related to constitutional, commercial and criminal law.

Justice Arun Palli, who heads the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court, has a long legal career beginning in 1988. He was elevated to the bench in 2013 and has dealt extensively with constitutional, civil, labour and criminal cases.

Historic Elevation of V Mohana

Senior advocate V Mohana’s elevation is being viewed as particularly significant, as it will increase women’s representation in the Supreme Court, which currently has only one woman judge, Justice B V Nagarathna.

A prominent member of the Supreme Court Bar, Mohana graduated in law in 1988 and built her legal career in Delhi, working with several senior legal figures, including former Supreme Court judge Justice Indu Malhotra. She cleared the advocate-on-record examination in 1996 and was designated a senior advocate in 2015 by the full court of the Supreme Court.

She has also represented the Union government in several matters and is widely respected in legal circles for her extensive courtroom experience. Her appointment marks her as only the second woman advocate to be directly elevated from the Bar to the Supreme Court.

Crucial Phase for the Apex Court

The appointments come at a time when the Supreme Court is undergoing structural adjustments following its expansion and is also preparing for a series of upcoming retirements among sitting judges.

Several judges are set to retire over the coming months, including Justice Pankaj Mithal on June 6, Justice J K Maheshwari on June 28, Justice Sanjay Karol on August 28, and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma on November 29.

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