Supreme Court gets 5 new judges as Centre clears Collegium picks, strength rises to historic 37

In a significant development for India’s judiciary, the Centre on Monday approved the appointment of five new judges to the Supreme Court, acting on recommendations made by the Supreme Court Collegium. The appointments come shortly after the government’s decision to increase the sanctioned strength of judges in the apex court, taking the total number of judges to 37, excluding the Chief Justice of India (CJI).

Union Minister for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal announced that President Droupadi Murmu, after consultation with Chief Justice of India Justice B.R. Gavai, had approved the elevation of four High Court Chief Justices and senior advocate V. Mohana as judges of the Supreme Court.

The newly appointed judges are Justice Sheel Nagu, Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court; Justice Shree Chandrashekhar, Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court; Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court; Justice Arun Palli, Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court; and senior advocate V. Mohana.

The appointments follow recommendations made by the Supreme Court Collegium during meetings held on May 22 and May 27. The Collegium had proposed the elevation of the four Chief Justices along with senior advocate Mohana, citing their judicial experience, legal expertise and contributions to the justice delivery system.

Justice Sheel Nagu began his judicial career as a judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court in 2011 and became Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in July 2024. Justice Shree Chandrashekhar was elevated to the Jharkhand High Court in 2013 before assuming charge as Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court in January 2025.

Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva served on the Delhi High Court before becoming Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court in July 2025. Justice Arun Palli, who was elevated to the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2013, took over as Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court in April 2025.

Senior advocate V. Mohana is a prominent practitioner before the Supreme Court and has appeared in several constitutional, civil and service law matters. His elevation marks a rare instance of a senior advocate being directly appointed to the apex court bench.

The appointments come weeks after President Murmu promulgated the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Ordinance, 2026increasing the sanctioned strength of Supreme Court judges from 33 to 37, excluding the Chief Justice of India. The move was aimed at addressing rising case pendency and improving the speed of disposal of matters before the country’s highest court.

With the latest appointments, the Supreme Court is expected to strengthen its capacity to hear constitutional matters, appeals and public interest cases while reducing pressure on existing benches. The expansion is being viewed as one of the most significant additions to the apex court in recent years as the judiciary seeks to improve efficiency and reduce delays in the justice delivery system.