Supreme Court Collegium Recommends Five Names for Elevation as Judges in 2026

Key Facts

• On 27 May 2026, the Supreme Court Collegium recommended five names for elevation as judges of the Supreme Court of India.
• The nominee list includes four Chief Justices of High Courts: Justice Sheel Nagu (Punjab & Haryana High Court), Justice Shree Chandrashekhar (Bombay High Court), Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva (Madhya Pradesh High Court), and Justice Arun Palli (Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court).
• The fifth nominee is Senior Advocate V. Mohana.
• The Collegium is headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, whose tenure ends in February 2027.
• The Supreme Court’s sanctioned strength was increased from 34 to 38 judges, including the Chief Justice of India, through the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, following an ordinance promulgated on 16 May 2026.
• As of May 2026, the Supreme Court was functioning with 32 judges and expected further retirements during the year.

Background & Context

The Supreme Court Collegium is the constitutional mechanism for recommending appointments and transfers of judges in the higher judiciary of India. It comprises the Chief Justice of India and the four senior-most Supreme Court judges, thereby institutionalizing the judicial appointments process through a collegial system evolved from Supreme Court judgments.

The increase in the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court aims to address the backlog of cases and enhance the court's capacity to deliver timely justice.

Why This Matters for Exams / Exam Relevance

This matter is pertinent to the Indian Polity and Judiciary syllabus in competitive exams, illustrating the collegium system's role, recent developments in judicial appointments, and legislative changes affecting the Supreme Court's composition.

Points to Remember

• The Supreme Court Collegium consists of the Chief Justice of India and four senior-most Supreme Court judges.
• The Supreme Court was established on 26 January 1950 under the Constitution of India.
• Judges of the Supreme Court retire at age 65.
• The sanctioned strength of Supreme Court judges was increased from 34 to 38 in 2026 to bolster judicial capacity.
• Chief Justice Surya Kant heads the Collegium during this appointment round.
• The four High Court Chief Justices recommended come from diverse jurisdictions across India.