NEW DELHI, OCT 6: Chief Justice of India Surya Kant administered the oath of office to Justices Sunita Agarwal, Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, and Aparesh Kumar Singh on Tuesday, bringing the working strength of the Supreme Court to 37 judges against a sanctioned limit of 38. The brief swearing-in ceremony at the apex court auditorium also increased the total number of sitting women judges on the top court from two to three.
Prior to their elevation, all three appointees held leadership roles across various state high courts. Justice Agarwal served as the Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court, while Justice Upadhyaya and Justice Singh led the Delhi and Telangana High Courts, respectively. While Justices Agarwal and Upadhyaya originated from the Allahabad High Court, Justice Singh’s parent bench is the Jharkhand High Court.
Court records indicate that the new inductees possess extensive judicial tenure spanning over a decade in high court jurisprudence. Justice Agarwal, who was elevated to the bench in November 2011, will remain in office at the apex court until her retirement in April 2031.
“This method makes it possible to strengthen the administration of justice and uphold procedural integrity across the highest judicial forum,” stated a senior Supreme Court advocate attending the ceremony.
Judicial analysts noted that the fresh appointments bring the top court near its maximum sanctioned judicial capacity.
“The expansion of the bench ensures that constitutional benches and long-pending appellate matters receive accelerated attention,” affirmed a member of the Supreme Court Bar Association.
With Justice Upadhyaya’s background as a former Chief Standing Counsel for Uttar Pradesh and Justice Singh’s earlier tenure heading the Tripura High Court, the expanded bench reflects diverse regional judicial expertise.
