NEW DELHI, OCT 6: In a ceremony held on Tuesday afternoon, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant administered the oath to three newly appointed Supreme Court judges, leaving only one vacancy on the 38-member sanctioned bench. The swearing-in of Justice Sunita Agarwal, Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, and Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh marks a significant bench expansion while raising the count of women judges at the top court to three.
All three elevated jurists previously headed state high courts prior to their apex court appointments. Justice Agarwal led the Gujarat High Court since July 2023, while Justice Upadhyaya served as Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court before his transfer to the Delhi High Court in January 2025. Justice Singh previously served as Acting Chief Justice in Jharkhand and Chief Justice in Tripura before taking charge of the Telangana High Court.
Legal representatives highlighted the depth of experience brought by the newly inducted judges across both civil and constitutional law.
“The induction of seasoned Chief Justices from major high courts will significantly boost the disposal rate of complex litigations,” declared a senior court official following the swearing-in proceedings.
The appointments complete a key phase of judicial fill-ins recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium.
“With a working strength of 37 judges, the apex court is well-positioned to tackle pendency and maintain judicial efficiency,” maintained a legal commentator present at the ceremony.
Justice Agarwal, a 1989 law graduate from Awadh University who entered the legal profession in 1990, brings over 14 years of judicial experience to the apex court, where she is set to serve until 2031.
