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New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India has strengthened its judicial bench with the appointment of three new judges, taking the working strength of the country’s apex court to 37, including Chief Justice of India Surya Kant. Justice Sunita Agarwal, Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh took oath of office and secrecy on Tuesday at a ceremony held on the Supreme Court premises, with CJI Surya Kant administering the oath to the newly appointed judges. With the induction of the three judges, the Supreme Court now has 37 serving judges against its sanctioned strength of 38, leaving only one position vacant.
The latest appointments come as the apex court continues to handle a wide range of constitutional, civil, criminal and public-interest matters from across the country. Prior to Tuesday’s ceremony, the Supreme Court had 34 serving judges, including the CJI, and the addition of the three new judges has brought the court closer to its full sanctioned strength.
The appointments had been recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium and were subsequently approved by the President following consultation with the Chief Justice of India. Union Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal had also announced the appointments on social media a day before the swearing-in ceremony. Among the three new judges, Justice Sunita Agarwal brings extensive judicial experience from the Allahabad and Gujarat High Courts. Born on April 30, 1966, she was appointed as a judge of the Allahabad High Court on November 21, 2011, and later became the Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court on July 23, 2023.
Her elevation to the Supreme Court marks another significant step in a judicial career spanning more than a decade on the High Court bench. Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, born on June 16, 1965, was appointed as a judge of the Allahabad High Court on November 21, 2011. During his judicial career, he also served in the Bombay High Court and went on to become the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court.
His elevation brings his experience of handling matters across multiple High Courts to the country’s highest judicial forum. Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh, born on July 7, 1965, began his judicial career in the Jharkhand High Court and was appointed as an additional judge there on January 24, 2012. He subsequently served as Chief Justice of the Tripura High Court and later as Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court.
His elevation to the Supreme Court adds another senior judicial voice with experience across different High Courts. The appointment of the three judges also reflects the Collegium’s effort to strengthen the Supreme Court’s judicial capacity at a time when the apex court continues to deal with a substantial workload. With the sanctioned strength now almost completely filled, the court will have 37 judges available to hear cases across different benches, while one vacancy remains to be filled. The swearing-in ceremony therefore marks an important development for the Supreme Court, both in terms of its judicial strength and the experience being brought into its ranks.
