President Clears Appointment of Five New Judges to the Supreme Court

President Approves Five Supreme Court Appointments

President Clears Appointment of Five New Judges to the Supreme Court: The President of India has approved the appointment of five new judges to the Supreme Court of India, following the recommendations of the Supreme Court Collegium. The appointments include four sitting High Court Chief Justices and Senior Advocate V. Mohana, marking the first major elevation exercise under Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant.

The appointments were announced by Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and were made under Article 124(2) of the Constitution of India, which governs the appointment of judges to the Supreme Court.

Static GK fact: The Supreme Court of India was inaugurated on 28 January 1950 and functions as the highest judicial authority in the country.

Supreme Court Strength Expanded

The appointments follow the recent decision to increase the sanctioned strength of Supreme Court judges from 34 to 38. The expansion was approved through a Presidential Ordinance to improve judicial efficiency and reduce the growing backlog of pending cases.

With these five appointments, the Court’s working strength will increase to 37 judges, leaving only one vacancy against the newly approved sanctioned strength of 38 judges.

Static GK Tip: The Chief Justice of India and other judges of the Supreme Court are appointed by the President of India under Article 124 of the Constitution.

Newly Appointed Judges

The five judges appointed to the Supreme Court 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
• Senior Advocate V. Mohana

The appointments reflect a balance between experienced High Court judges and distinguished members of the Bar.

V. Mohana Creates Judicial History

The elevation of Senior Advocate V. Mohana is a historic milestone for the Indian judiciary. She will become the second woman to be directly elevated from the Bar to the Supreme Court, after Justice Indu Malhotra.

A native of Coimbatore, V. Mohana is a first-generation lawyer. She became an Advocate-on-Record in 1996, was designated as a Senior Advocate in 2015, and has more than 37 years of legal experience. Her appointment strengthens gender representation in the higher judiciary.

Static GK fact: Justice Indu Malhotra became the first woman advocate to be directly elevated to the Supreme Court in 2018.

Profiles of the Other Judges

Justice Sheel Nagu currently serves as the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Appointed as a judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court in 2011, he became Chief Justice in July 2024.

Justice Shree Chandrashekhar, serving as the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court, has held several important judicial assignments during his career.

Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, presently the Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, brings extensive judicial experience to the apex court.

Justice Arun Palli, the Chief Justice of the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court, is also among the newly appointed Supreme Court judges.

Collegium’s Role in Judicial Appointments

The recommendations were made by the Supreme Court Collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant. The Collegium also included Justice Vikram Nath, Justice J.K. Maheshwari, Justice B.V. Nagarathna, and Justice M.M. Sundresh.

The Collegium system plays a central role in the appointment and transfer of judges to the Supreme Court and High Courts, ensuring judicial independence through consultation among senior judges.

Static Usthadian Current Affairs Table

President Clears Appointment of Five New Judges to the Supreme Court: