Supreme Court Gets Five New Judges as President Approves Appointments

1. At a Glance

• President of India appointed five new judges to the Supreme Court on 01 June 2026 under Article 124(2) of the Constitution [S1].
• Brings working strength to 37 judges — the highest ever — close to the newly sanctioned strength of 38 [S2][S3].
• Tests the Collegium System as restored by the SC in 2015 after striking down the 99th Constitutional Amendment / NJAC Act, 2014 [S4].
• Important for Polity (GS-II): judicial appointments, separation of powers, judicial independence.

2. Why in the News

• On 01.06.2026, the Ministry of Law & Justice notified the appointment of five judges of the Supreme Court by the President [S1].
• Appointees: (i) Justice Sheel Nagu, CJ Punjab & Haryana HC; (ii) Justice Shree Chandrashekhar, CJ Bombay HC; (iii) Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, CJ Madhya Pradesh HC; (iv) Justice Arun Palli, CJ J&K and Ladakh HC; (v) Smt. V. S. Mohana, Senior Advocate [S1].
• Oath administered by CJI Surya Kant [S2].
• Follows the Cabinet decision to raise the SC judge strength from 33 to 37 (plus CJI = 38) [S3].

3. Background & Evolution

• Article 124 (Constitution, 1950) — establishes the Supreme Court; original strength 8 (incl. CJI) [S4].
• Strength enhanced by successive Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Acts: 1956, 1960, 1977, 1986, 2008, 2019 (raised to 34 incl. CJI) [S3].
• Three Judges Cases (1981, 1993, 1998) evolved the Collegium System [S4].
• 99th Constitutional Amendment Act & NJAC Act, 2014 — sought to replace collegium; struck down in Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association v. Union of India (2015) [S4].
• 2026 Cabinet approval raised sanctioned strength to 38 (CJI + 37) [S3].

4. Core Static Facts

• Constitutional basis: Article 124(2) — President appoints SC judges in consultation with CJI and such other judges as he deems necessary [S1][S4].
• Implementing Ministry: Ministry of Law and Justice, Department of Justice [S1].
• Sanctioned strength: 38 (CJI + 37) post-2026 increase [S3].
• Qualifications (Art. 124(3)): Citizen of India + (a) HC judge for ≥5 yrs, or (b) HC advocate for ≥10 yrs, or (c) distinguished jurist (in President's opinion).
• Tenure: Until age 65 years (Art. 124(2) proviso).
• Collegium for SC appointments: CJI + 4 senior-most SC judges [S4].
• Removal: Only by impeachment under Art. 124(4) — proved misbehaviour or incapacity; majority of total membership + 2/3 of those present in each House.
• Notifying authority for current batch: Joint Secretary, GoI, Jagannath Srinivasan [S1].

5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis

Legal / Constitutional - Appointment power under Art. 124(2) is formal; substantive decision lies with the Collegium, per Second Judges Case (1993) [S4]. - Notifications cite clause (2) of Art. 124 as enabling provision [S1]. - Reinforces basic structure doctrine — judicial independence held inviolable in NJAC verdict (2015) [S4].

Administrative / Governance - Tackles case pendency: SC arrears > 80,000; expanded strength aimed at faster disposal [S3]. - Four of five appointees are sitting HC Chief Justices; one direct elevation from Bar (Senior Advocate Mohana) — preserves the convention of bar-bench mix [S2].

Social / Representation - V. S. Mohana = direct elevation from Bar; significant for gender representation in higher judiciary [S2]. - Constitution does not provide caste/class reservation in higher judiciary appointments [S4].

Federal - Five appointees drawn from HCs across Punjab & Haryana, Bombay, MP, J&K-Ladakh — broad regional spread [S1].

6. Recent Developments (last 12-18 months)

• 2026: Cabinet approved increase of SC judge strength by 4 (33 → 37, excl. CJI) [S3].
• 01.06.2026: President notified appointment of five SC judges [S1].
• 02.06.2026: CJI Surya Kant administered oath; working strength reached 37 [S2].

7. Prelims Hooks

• SC judges are appointed under Article 124(2) [S1].
• Current sanctioned strength of SC: 38 (CJI + 37) [S3].
• The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 2019 had raised strength to 34 [S3].
• Collegium System restored by SC judgment dated 16.10.2015 after NJAC was struck down [S4].
• SC Collegium = CJI + 4 senior-most judges [S4].
• Judges of SC retire at age 65; HC judges at 62.
• Removal grounds under Art. 124(4): proved misbehaviour or incapacity.
• One of the 2026 appointees, V. S. Mohana, was a Senior Advocate — direct elevation from the Bar [S1].
• Notification issued by Ministry of Law & Justice [S1].
• CJI Surya Kant administered the oath in June 2026 [S2].

8. Mains Relevance

• GS-II: Indian Constitution — structure, functioning of organs; Appointment to constitutional posts; Separation of Powers.
• Possible stems: 1. "The Collegium System, though judicially restored, remains opaque. Critically examine in light of recent Supreme Court appointments." 2. "Discuss the constitutional scheme for appointment of Supreme Court judges. How has the post-NJAC framework affected executive-judiciary balance?" 3. "Increasing the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court can address pendency only partially. Discuss."

9. Related Topics to Study Next

• NJAC Act & 99th Amendment — struck down in 2015; tests basic structure.
• Three Judges Cases (1981, 1993, 1998) — origin of Collegium.
• Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) — unsettled since NJAC.
• All India Judicial Service (Art. 312) — pending proposal.
• Article 217 / 224 — HC judges' appointment.
• Tribunal reforms & Tribunal Reforms Act 2021 — judicial appointments debate.
• Judicial pendency / National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG).
• Impeachment procedure (Judges Inquiry Act, 1968).

10. Common Errors / Trap Areas

• Sanctioned strength ≠ working strength: Current sanctioned = 38 (CJI+37); working reached 37 [S3].
• Article confusion: SC judges → Art. 124; HC judges → Art. 217. Don't swap.
• Retirement age: SC = 65, HC = 62 — frequently confused.
• NJAC: It was the 99th Amendment, not 98th; struck down in 2015, not 2014.
• Collegium composition: SC = CJI + 4; for HC appointments the SC Collegium = CJI + 2 senior-most.
• V. S. Mohana — appointed from the Bar (not a sitting judge) — direct elevation route under Art. 124(3)(b).

11. Sources

• [S1] Supreme Court Gets Five New Judges as President Approves Appointments — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2267354 — (tier: 1)
• [S2] Supreme Court strength rises to 37 after five new judges sworn in — https://www.business-standard.com/india-news/supreme-court-strength-rises-to-37-after-five-new-judges-sworn-in-126060200318_1.html — (tier: 4, used only for oath/date corroboration)
• [S3] Cabinet approves increase in the Judge strength of the Supreme Court of India by Four to 37 from 33 — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2258131 — (tier: 1)
• [S4] Supreme Court Collegiums / Appointment of Judges — https://www.pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1797657 — (tier: 1)