Centre approves four High Court Chief Justices; Justice V. Mohana cleared for Supreme Court elevation
New Delhi: The Central Government has officially notified the appointment of five new judges to the Supreme Court of India, including four sitting Chief Justices of High Courts and Senior Advocate V. Mohana. The appointments were made by President Droupadi Murmu under Article 124(2) of the Constitution after consultation with Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, following the Supreme Court Collegium's recommendations of May 22 and May 27, 2026.
The four High Court Chief Justices appointed are: Justice Sheel Nagu, currently Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court (parent High Court: Madhya Pradesh); Justice Shree Chandrashekhar, Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court (parent High Court: Jharkhand); Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court (parent High Court: Delhi); and Justice Arun Palli, Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh (parent High Court: Punjab and Haryana) . Senior Advocate Venkita Subramani Mohana (V. Mohana), who practices at the Supreme Court, is the fifth appointee and the only woman among the five.
Justice V. Mohana's elevation is particularly significant as she will become the eleventh person directly elevated to the Supreme Court from the Bar and the second woman to achieve this distinction after retired Justice Indu Malhotra . She has been involved in landmark litigation, including the case on permanent commission for women officers in the Indian Army . If appointed, she will be the first woman elevated to the Supreme Court in over five years and will join Justice B.V. Nagarathna as one of only two sitting women judges on the apex court bench.
The Supreme Court currently functions with 32 judges, including the CJI, against the sanctioned strength of 34. The Union Government recently increased the sanctioned strength from 34 to 38 judges through an ordinance notified by the Law Ministry on May 16, 2026 . These five new appointments will take the working strength to 37 judges, bringing the court closer to its expanded sanctioned strength. Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal announced the appointments on X (formerly Twitter), confirming that the President had cleared all five names.
The notifications dated June 1, 2026, state that the appointees will assume office from the date they take charge, and swearing-in ceremonies will be scheduled shortly . The Collegium's recommendations reflect an attempt to ensure broader regional representation within the apex court, with appointees hailing from High Courts across Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Delhi, and Jammu & Kashmir.
