Centre appoints 3 judges to Supreme Court, increasing working strength to 37
GS2Polity · Governance · IR· Judiciary & landmark judgments· Prelims·
Judicial appointments and Collegium system: a key GS2 topic regarding the independence of the judiciary.
Why in news
The Centre appointed three judges to the Supreme Court, increasing its working strength to 37, following recommendations by the Supreme Court Collegium.
Background
The Supreme Court's sanctioned strength is 38, with 37 judges currently in office. The three new appointees—Justice Sunita Agarwal, Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, and Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh—were recommended by the Collegium on September 28, 2026.
Facts for Prelims
- FactSupreme Court sanctioned strength: 38
- FactSupreme Court current working strength: 37
- BodySupreme Court Collegium: Body responsible for recommending judicial appointments
- PostJustice Sunita Agarwal: Former Chief Justice of Gujarat High Court
- PostJustice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya: Former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court
Prelims practice question
With reference to the Supreme Court of India, consider the following statements:
- The Supreme Court Collegium is the body responsible for recommending judicial appointments.
- The current working strength of the Supreme Court is 40.
- The sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court is 38.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a)1 only
- (b)2 only
- (c)1 and 2 only
- (d)1 and 3 only
Show answer
Answer: (d) 1 and 3 only — Statements 1 and 3 are correct. Statement 2 is incorrect: The current working strength is 37.
For Mains
Q. Examine the role of the Collegium system in maintaining judicial independence and the challenges of judicial vacancies in India.
Dimensions to cover in your answer
- Institutional bottleneck: Delays in judicial appointments affecting the disposal of pending cases
- Constitutional balance: Balancing executive role in appointments with judicial autonomy of the Collegium
Keywords: Judicial Appointments · Supreme Court Collegium · Judicial Vacancies · Judicial Independence · Sanctioned Strength
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