Three New Judges Sworn into the Supreme Court of India

On October 6, 2026, Chief Justice Surya Kant administered the oath to three new judges of the Supreme Court of India. This ceremony marked a significant shift in the traditional timing of such events. The newly appointed judges, Justices Sunita Agarwal, Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, and Aparesh Kumar Singh, were elevated from their positions as Chief Justices of various High Courts. Their appointments are expected to strengthen the Supreme Court's judicial capacity, following a recent increase in its sanctioned strength. Discover more about their backgrounds and the implications of these appointments.

By Narendra Chaudhary Oct 6, 2026, 16:47 IST

Oath Ceremony for New Supreme Court Judges

Photo: @scobserver/X

New Delhi, Oct 6: On Tuesday, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant officiated the oath-taking ceremony for three newly appointed judges of the Supreme Court: Justices Sunita Agarwal, Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, and Aparesh Kumar Singh.

This event, which was broadcast live, took place at 3:30 p.m., marking a shift from the traditional morning schedule for such ceremonies.

Typically, new judges of the Supreme Court are sworn in at 10:30 a.m., aligning with the court's regular session times for hearings.

The three judges, who were previously Chief Justices of various High Courts, took their oaths following the Centre's approval of their elevation based on the Supreme Court Collegium's recommendations made earlier this week.

The Collegium had stated, "In its meeting on September 28, 2026, the Supreme Court Collegium recommended the elevation of the following Chief Justices of High Courts to the Supreme Court," as noted in a statement on the official Supreme Court website.

Acting promptly on this recommendation, the Centre sanctioned the elevation of Justices Agarwal, Upadhyaya, and Singh on Monday.

Union Minister for Law and Justice, Arjun Ram Meghwal, shared on X that the President, after consulting with CJI Surya Kant, appointed the three judges to the Supreme Court.

Justice Agarwal, born on April 30, 1966, was first appointed as a judge of the Allahabad High Court on November 21, 2011, and became the Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court on July 23, 2023.

Justice Upadhyaya, born on June 16, 1965, was appointed as a puisne Judge of the Allahabad High Court on November 21, 2011, and became a permanent Judge on August 6, 2013. He served as the Senior Judge of the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court starting March 28, 2023, and was appointed Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court on July 29, 2023, before being transferred to the Delhi High Court, where he took the oath on January 21, 2025.

Justice Singh, born on July 7, 1965, began his career as an Additional Judge of the Jharkhand High Court on January 24, 2012, and was confirmed as a Permanent Judge on January 16, 2014. He acted as the Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court from December 20, 2022, to February 19, 2023, and took the oath as Chief Justice of the Tripura High Court on April 17, 2023, before being transferred to the Telangana High Court, where he took the oath on July 19, 2025.

The recent appointments are expected to enhance the judicial capacity of the Supreme Court, following the Centre's earlier decision to increase its sanctioned strength to 37 judges, excluding the Chief Justice.