The Central Government has officially notified the appointment of five new judges to the Supreme Court of India, significantly strengthening the country’s highest judicial institution and taking its working strength closer to the newly expanded sanctioned capacity. The appointments include four sitting High Court Chief Justices and senior advocate V. Mohana, whose elevation is being seen as a landmark moment for gender representation in the judiciary.
The five appointees 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 & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court; and senior advocate V. Mohana. Their appointments were approved following recommendations made by the Supreme Court Collegium headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant.
The appointments come shortly after the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court was increased from 34 to 38 judges, including the Chief Justice of India. With the addition of the five new judges, the apex court’s strength will rise to 37, helping address vacancies and reduce the growing pendency of cases.
Among the newly appointed judges, V. Mohana’s elevation has attracted particular attention. She becomes one of the very few lawyers to be directly elevated from the Bar to the Supreme Court and only the second woman in India’s history to receive such an appointment. Her appointment is expected to improve female representation in the apex court, which currently has only one sitting woman judge, Justice B.V. Nagarathna.
V. Mohana has practiced law for nearly four decades and has appeared in several significant constitutional, civil and criminal matters before the Supreme Court. She has also served as amicus curiae in important cases and was involved in landmark litigation concerning permanent commission for women officers in the Indian Armed Forces. Legal observers view her elevation as an important step toward improving diversity within India’s higher judiciary.
The appointments follow a series of meetings held by the Supreme Court Collegium on May 22 and May 27, during which the names were finalized and forwarded to the Union Government for approval. The Collegium emphasized factors such as seniority, merit, integrity and regional representation while making its recommendations.
Justice Sheel Nagu, Justice Shree Chandrashekhar, Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva and Justice Arun Palli each bring extensive judicial experience from various High Courts across the country. Their elevation is expected to strengthen the Supreme Court’s capacity to handle complex constitutional matters, civil disputes and public interest litigation.
The expansion of the Supreme Court bench comes at a crucial time as the judiciary continues to face a heavy backlog of pending cases. Legal experts believe that increasing the court’s strength will help improve efficiency, reduce delays and ensure faster delivery of justice in key matters affecting citizens and institutions nationwide.
The appointments also reflect ongoing efforts to modernize and strengthen India’s judicial system through improved representation and enhanced judicial capacity. With the new judges expected to take oath soon, the Supreme Court will move closer to its full sanctioned strength, marking one of the most significant judicial appointment exercises in recent years.
