Prior to the ceremony, the Supreme Court operated at 34 judges, a figure raised from the 32 seats of the 2021 amendment. The latest appointments bring it up to 37, just shy of the 38 sanctioned.
The oath‑taking convened in the new block’s auditorium, with Chief Justice Surya Kant leading the proceedings. Present were all sitting Supreme Court judges, senior judiciary officers, and dignitaries from high courts across the nation.
Sunita Agarwal, formerly Chief Justice of Gujarat, and Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya from Delhi, both hail from the Allahabad High Court, while Aparesh Kumar Singh, the former Chief Justice of Telangana, joins from Jharkhand’s bench.
With Justice Agarwal’s entry, the number of women in the apex court rises to three, a milestone underscored by Justice Venkita Subramani Mohana’s direct elevation from the Bar. The court now awaits the last vacancy, expected to be filled before the next term’s commencement.
For a family in Allahabad whose son serves as a clerk in the high court, the appointment of a fellow Allahabad judge feels like a homecoming, echoing the court’s commitment to regional representation.