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The Supreme Court of India has added five new judges to its ranks, taking the court’s working strength to 37, the highest in its history.The appointments come shortly after the Centre increased the sanctioned strength of the apex court from 34 judges, including the Chief Justice of India, to 38. With the induction of the five new judges, the Supreme Court is now just one judge short of its full sanctioned capacity.

The oath-taking ceremony was held at the Supreme Court auditorium at 10.30 am on Monday, where Chief Justice of India Surya Kant administered the oath of office to the newly appointed judges.

Five Judges Take Oath

The judges who were sworn in as Supreme Court judges are:

• Justice Sheel Nagu, former Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court
• Justice Shri Chandrashekhar, former Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court
• Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, former Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court
• Justice Arun Palli, former Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh
• Venkita Subramoni Mohana, senior advocate of the Supreme Court

Their appointments further strengthen the apex court at a time when it continues to deal with a heavy caseload and a growing number of constitutionally significant matters.

Milestone for Women in the Judiciary

The appointment of Venkita Subramoni Mohana marks a significant moment for the judiciary.

Until now, Justice B V Nagarathna was the only woman judge serving on the Supreme Court bench. With Mohana’s elevation, the number of women judges in the apex court has increased to two.

Mohana has also achieved a rare distinction by becoming only the second woman to be elevated directly from the Bar to the Supreme Court.

Before her, Justice Indu Malhotra was the only woman to have been appointed directly from legal practice to the country's highest court.

One Vacancy Remains

Despite the latest appointments, one position remains vacant out of the Supreme Court’s sanctioned strength of 38 judges.

However, the number of vacancies is expected to rise soon. Justice J K Maheshwari and Justice Pankaj Mithal are scheduled to retire during the court’s summer recess.

Their retirement will increase the number of vacant positions to three, creating the need for fresh appointments in the coming months.

Collegium Likely to Recommend More Names

With additional vacancies expected, attention is now turning to the Supreme Court Collegium, which is anticipated to recommend more names to the Centre for appointment.

Legal circles expect the collegium to initiate the process soon to ensure that the apex court continues to function close to its full sanctioned strength.

The latest appointments not only bring the Supreme Court to a record strength but also mark an important step towards maintaining judicial capacity amid rising demands on the country's highest court.