India Swears in Five New Supreme Court Judges, Strength Hits 37, June 03

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant administered the oath of office to five new judges on June 3, 2026, bringing the Supreme Court’s working strength to 37. The appointments came after President Droupadi Murmu increased the sanctioned strength from 34 to 38 judges through an ordinance. The expansion targets the court’s growing backlog of cases running into lakhs of matters.

Who Are the Five New Judges

The five newly sworn judges include Justices Sheel Nagu, Shree Chandrashekhar, Sanjeev Sachdeva, Arun Palli, and senior advocate V. Mohana. Mohana became the second woman directly elevated from the Bar to the Supreme Court, after Indu Malhotra. She is also the first woman from Tamil Nadu to achieve this distinction and becomes the 12th woman judge in the court’s history. With her appointment, the Supreme Court now has two serving women judges: V. Mohana and B. V. Nagarathna.

How the Expansion Happened

The Union government approved the five appointments after the Supreme Court Collegium made recommendations on May 22 and May 27. Chief Justice Surya Kant administered the oath at the Supreme Court premises in New Delhi on June 3. The expansion created six new vacancies: four from the increase in sanctioned strength plus two pre-existing positions. Five of these six positions are now filled, leaving one vacancy.

Why the Court Needed More Judges

The Supreme Court faces a massive backlog of cases running into lakhs of matters. The expansion from 34 to 38 sanctioned judges represents the highest working strength in the court’s history. The Supreme Court operates under Article 124 of the Indian Constitution, which allows Parliament to fix and regulate the number of judges by law through the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956.

What Comes Next for the Judiciary

Justice B. V. Nagarathna is expected to become India’s first woman Chief Justice in 2027. The judicial expansion signals the government’s commitment to addressing case pendency. The remaining one vacancy from the six new positions created will be filled through future appointments as recommended by the Collegium.

Final Thoughts

India’s Supreme Court now operates at its highest strength of 37 judges following the June 3 swearing-in ceremony. The expansion aims to reduce case backlogs and improve justice delivery, though one vacancy remains to be filled.

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