SC Collegium Recommends Four High Court Chief Justices and a Senior Advocate as Supreme Court Judges

The Supreme Court collegium has recommended the elevation of four high court chief justices and a senior advocate as judges of the Supreme Court. This is one of the most significant rounds of appointments to the top court in recent years, coming soon after the court's sanctioned strength was increased.

The resolution was passed by the collegium led by the Chief Justice of India, Surya Kant. The names recommended are Justices Sheel Nagu, Shree Chandrashekhar, Sanjeev Sachdeva and Arun Palli, along with senior advocate V. Mohana. These recommendations will now be sent to the Union government for approval, after which the President issues the warrants of appointment.

The timing is important. The Supreme Court is adjusting to its newly expanded strength and is also facing a series of upcoming retirements of sitting judges over the coming months. Filling these vacancies is expected to keep the court's working strength stable.

The round follows the Union government formally increasing the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court from 33 to 37 judges (excluding the CJI) through an ordinance, the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Ordinance, 2026.

For exam aspirants, this is a key polity topic: the collegium system for appointing judges, the role of the President and the government in the process, and how the strength of the Supreme Court is fixed by law.