Supreme Court of India appoints three new judges and examines CEC law plea

The Supreme Court of India has seen significant developments regarding both its composition and ongoing legal challenges. Chief Justice of India Surya Kant administered the oath of office to three new judges: Justices Sunita Agarwal, Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, and Aparesh Kumar Singh. This elevation, following recommendations from the Supreme Court Collegium, increases the court's working strength to 37, nearing the sanctioned capacity of 38. Notably, Justice Agarwal's appointment brings the number of women serving on the Supreme Court to three.

Separately, the Supreme Court has agreed to examine a plea seeking to recall a recent split verdict concerning the 2023 Act governing the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and other Election Commissioners. The split verdict, delivered by Justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma, centered on whether challenges to the law—which excludes the Chief Justice of India from the selection panel—should be referred to a larger Constitution Bench. The fresh application for recall was presented by senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, and the Chief Justice has stated the court will examine the matter.