With five new appointments, the Supreme Court reaches its highest-ever working strength
June 2, 2026: The Supreme Court of India has reached a historic milestone after five new judges were sworn in, taking its working strength to 37 — the highest in the court’s history. The oath ceremony was conducted by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant following the Centre’s decision to increase the sanctioned strength of the apex court from 34 to 38 judges. The newly appointed judges are Justice Sheel Nagu, Justice Shri Chandrashekhar, Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, Justice Arun Palli and Venkita Subramoni Mohana.
The appointment of Mohana is being viewed as a landmark development. She becomes only the second woman to be directly elevated from the Bar to the Supreme Court, after Justice Indu Malhotra. Her induction also raises the number of women judges in the apex court to two, alongside Justice B V Nagarathna, marking a notable step toward greater gender representation in the judiciary.
Despite the latest appointments, one vacancy remains in the Supreme Court. However, that number is expected to rise soon as Justice J K Maheshwari and Justice Pankaj Mithal are set to retire during the court’s summer recess. With additional vacancies on the horizon, the Supreme Court Collegium is expected to recommend more names in the coming months to maintain the court’s strength and address its growing caseload.