President of India appointed five new judges to the Supreme Court on June 1, 2026, after consultation with Chief Justice Surya Kant, raising the court’s working strength to 37 out of the sanctioned 38.
The appointments include four High Court Chief Justices — Sheel Nagu of Punjab & Haryana High Court, Shree Chandrashekhar of Bombay High Court, Sanjeev Sachdeva of Madhya Pradesh High Court, and Arun Palli of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court — along with senior advocate Venkita Subramani Mohana, who has been directly elevated from the Bar.
Venkita Subramani Mohana becomes only the second woman in India’s history to be appointed directly from the Bar, following Justice Indu Malhotra’s elevation in 2018, marking a milestone for gender representation in the apex court.
The appointments are expected to ease the massive backlog of cases, strengthen Constitution Benches, and bring diverse regional perspectives to constitutional adjudication.
The Supreme Court Collegium had recommended the names on May 27, 2026, and the Union Law Ministry issued the notification on June 1, 2026, under Article 124(2) of the Constitution, which requires Presidential approval after consultation with the Chief Justice of India.
With these appointments, the Supreme Court moves closer to its full sanctioned strength, reinforcing its role as the guardian of the Constitution at a time of rising caseloads and pressing judicial demands.
