Supreme Court Collegium Recommendations

The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended the elevation of five individuals as Judges of the Supreme Court.

• Justice Sheel Nagu - Current Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court
• Justice Shree Chandrashekhar - Current Chief Justice of Bombay High Court
• Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva - Current Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court
• Justice Arun Palli - Current Chief Justice of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court
• Senior Advocate V Mohana

Meetings and Recommendations

The recommendations were made following meetings held on May 22 and 27.

Amendment to Increase Supreme Court Judges

Earlier this month, the Union Cabinet approved a Bill to increase the strength of judges in the Supreme Court from the existing 34 to 38.

• The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, seeks to amend the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956.
• The current Act provides for a maximum of 33 judges, excluding the Chief Justice of India (CJI).
• The amendment proposes to increase this number to 37, excluding the CJI.

Current and Projected Judge Strength

Currently, the Supreme Court has a strength of 32 judges.

• Four judges are expected to retire in 2026, including Justices J K Maheshwari, Pankaj Mithal, Sanjay Karol, and Satish Sharma.
• Justice Rajesh Bindal retired in April.

Future Recommendations

If the Bill is cleared, the Supreme Court Collegium, led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, will need to make at least nine recommendations this year. Chief Justice Surya Kant's tenure lasts until February 2027.