The Supreme Court of India has once again reached its full sanctioned strength of 34 judges, following the swearing-in of three new judges on May 30, 2025. Chief Justice of India (CJI) B.R. Gavai administered the oath of office to Justices N.V. Anjaria, Vijay Bishnoi, and A.S. Chandurkar in a ceremony held on Friday morning. This development comes after the Centre cleared their appointments on May 29, acting on the recommendations of the Supreme Court Collegium.
The appointment of these three judges fills the vacancies created by the superannuation of former CJI Sanjiv Khanna, and Justices Abhay S. Oka and Hrishikesh Roy, as well as the already existing vacancies. However, this full strength will be short-lived, as Justice Bela M. Trivedi is set to retire on June 9, 2025, creating another vacancy.
Justice N.V. Anjaria, born on March 23, 1965, in Ahmedabad, hails from a family of lawyers. He took oath as the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court on February 25, 2024. Previously, he served as an Additional Judge of the Gujarat High Court, starting in November 2011, and was confirmed as a permanent judge in September 2013. Justice Anjaria's legal career began in 1988, and he has handled various cases involving constitutional issues, civil matters, labor, and service law.
Justice Vijay Bishnoi, born on March 26, 1964, in Jodhpur, enrolled as an advocate on July 8, 1989. Before being appointed as the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court on February 5, 2024, he practiced at the Rajasthan High Court and the Central Administrative Tribunal at Jodhpur, dealing with civil, criminal, constitutional, service, and election-related cases. He was appointed as an Additional Judge of the Rajasthan High Court in January 2013 and became a permanent judge in January 2015.
Justice A.S. Chandurkar, born on April 7, 1965, completed his schooling in Pune and began his legal practice in Mumbai in 1988. He later shifted his practice to Nagpur in 1992. Justice Chandurkar was appointed as an Additional Judge in the Bombay High Court in June 2013.
The Supreme Court Collegium, headed by CJI Gavai, had recommended the names of these three judges on May 26, and the government swiftly approved their appointment within three days. The inclusion of Justices Anjaria, Bishnoi, and Chandurkar is expected to bring a wealth of experience and diverse perspectives to the apex court. With their swearing-in, the Supreme Court is now operating at its full capacity, poised to address the numerous legal challenges and महत्वपूर्ण constitutional matters that come before it.