The Union government on Monday cleared the appointment of five new judges to the Supreme Court of India, taking the total working strength of the apex court to 37 judges, just one short of its newly enhanced sanctioned strength of 38. The appointments were issued through separate notifications by the Union Law Ministry under the Government of India.

Those elevated include senior advocate Venkita Subramani Mohana, Justice Shree Chandrashekhar, Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court, Justice Sheel Nagu, Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, and Justice Arun Palli, Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court. The appointments will come into effect once the judges are sworn in and formally assume office at the Supreme Court.

With this expansion, the apex court moves significantly closer to operating at full sanctioned capacity following recent institutional changes aimed at strengthening its functioning. The increase in sanctioned strength follows an ordinance promulgated last month by the Centre, which amended existing legal provisions to raise the strength of the Supreme Court from 34 to 38 judges, including the Chief Justice of India.

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The decision was framed as part of broader efforts to address mounting pendency of cases and improve judicial efficiency at the highest level of the judiciary. Prior to the latest appointments, the Supreme Court was already functioning with multiple vacancies, including two pre-existing posts that had remained unfilled. With the latest round of elevations, only one vacancy now remains in the top court, bringing it close to its revised structural capacity.

The five judges were recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium on May 27. The Centre approved the recommendations within four days, a relatively swift clearance compared to the often-lengthy timelines associated with judicial appointments in India. The newly appointed judges come from a mix of senior advocates and serving Chief Justices of various High Courts, reflecting the established convention of elevating experienced members of the higher judiciary to the apex court.

Their induction is expected to strengthen the court’s capacity to handle constitutional, civil, and criminal matters at a time when case backlog remains a key concern. With the Supreme Court now functioning at 37 judges, attention turns to the final remaining vacancy. Once filled, the court will operate at its revised sanctioned strength of 38, marking one of the most fully staffed phases in its recent history.

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