Three Former High Court Chief Justices Sworn In, Taking the Supreme Court's Working Strength to 37

5 October 2026National

Three former High Court Chief Justices — Sunita Agarwal (Gujarat), Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya (Delhi) and Aparesh Kumar Singh (Telangana) — were sworn in as judges of the Supreme Court on 5 October 2026, lifting its working strength from 34 to 37 against a sanctioned strength of 38 including the Chief Justice of India. The Supreme Court (Amendment) Act, 2026 had raised that sanctioned figure from 34 to 38. The Collegium recommended the three names on 28 September 2026 and the President made the appointments under Article 124(2) of the Constitution. With Justice Agarwal's elevation the court now has three women judges.

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Article 124 provides for the establishment and constitution of the Supreme Court, and Article 124(2) governs the appointment of its judges by the President | The Supreme Court opened in 1950 with a sanctioned strength of eight judges including the CJI; this rose to 31 in 2009 and to 34 in 2019 | Supreme Court judges hold office until the age of 65, while High Court judges retire at 62

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