Three new judges were formally appointed to the Supreme Court on Monday, significantly bolstering the judicial bench. With these fresh appointments taking effect, the active working strength of the apex court will rise to 37 judges, leaving only one vacancy unfilled out of the total sanctioned capacity of 38 posts.
The Appointed Judges and Their Current Roles
Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal announced the development through a post on social media. According to the announcement, Justice Sunita Agarwal, the Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court, Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, and Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh, the Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court, have all been elevated to serve as judges of the Supreme Court.
Collegium Recommendation and Swearing-In Timeline
The Supreme Court Collegium had recommended the names of the three senior judicial officers on September 28. Prior to these appointments, the highest court was operating with 34 sitting judges. Once the newly designated judges formally take their oath of office, the court's effective functional strength will touch 37.
Expansion of Sanctioned Bench Strength
The overall sanctioned strength of the apex court stands at 38, a figure that includes the Chief Justice of India. This ceiling was revised following the passage of the Supreme Court Amendment Act, 2026, which raised the permitted strength of judges from the earlier limit of 34 to 38 in order to support the higher judicial workload.
