Centre Clears Appointment of 5 New Supreme Court Judges; Here Is Who They Are The Central government has approved the appointment of five new judges to the Supreme Court, bringing the total number of filled positions to 37 out of the newly increased sanctioned strength of 38. The appointments were announced following an ordinance that raised the court’s sanctioned strength from 34 to 38, and they come days after the government’s decision to expand the judiciary’s capacity. The new judges include four Chief Justices of High Courts and Senior Advocate V Mohana, marking a significant addition to the apex court’s bench. The recommendations for the appointments were made by the Supreme Court Collegium, led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, and the final approval was granted by the Central government. Union Minister of State (in charge) of Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal shared the development on X (formerly Twitter), highlighting the government’s commitment to strengthening the judiciary. The five new appointees are Justice Sheel Nagu, Justice Shree Chandrashekhar, Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, Justice Arun Palli, and Senior Advocate V Mohana. Justice Sheel Nagu, the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, will join the Supreme Court after serving as the acting Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court. Born in 1965, Nagu began his legal career in 1987 and has been associated with civil, constitutional, and service-related matters. His tenure at the Madhya Pradesh High Court included notable rulings on environmental issues, privacy, and personal liberty. Nagu was also part of the in-house inquiry committee that investigated the cash-at-residence controversy involving Justice Yashwant Varma. He will retire from the Supreme Court on December 31, 2029.#central_government #supreme_court #chief_justice_of_india #supreme_court_collegium #union_minister_arjun_ram_meghwal
72 Legal Experts Urge CJI to Retract Remarks on Environmental Activism A group of 72 legal professionals, including lawyers, law students, faculty, researchers, and activists, has written an open letter to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, demanding the retraction of recent Supreme Court remarks that cast doubt on the legitimacy of environmental activism. The letter, released on May 21, 2026, argues that the court’s observations undermine the role of public interest litigation (PILs) in holding authorities accountable for developmental decisions. The signatories are members of the National Alliance for Justice, Accountability and Rights (NAJAR), a collective of legal professionals. The letter criticizes a Supreme Court bench, led by CJI Surya Kant and Justice [name redacted], for its May 11 remarks questioning the validity of environmental activists’ claims. The bench had stated, “Show us even a single project in this country where these alleged environmental activists have said that we welcome this project.” The legal experts argue that these comments unfairly stigmatize citizens and communities who use legal mechanisms to protect ecological interests. They contend that the remarks represent a broader shift in judicial philosophy, moving away from viewing environmental litigation as a constitutional duty toward treating it as an obstruction to development. The letter emphasizes that the court’s stance risks marginalizing citizens who act as enforcers of statutory obligations. It highlights a perceived judicial trend of dismissing environmental activists as “so-called” advocates rather than recognizing their role in upholding environmental laws.#surya_kant #chief_justice_of_india #national_green_triputial #ngt_act
