On Monday, the Supreme Court of India appointed five new judges, bringing its total strength to 37, just one short of the newly sanctioned capacity of 38 judges. The appointments were confirmed through notifications from the Union law ministry's department of justice. The newly appointed judges are Venkita Subramani Mohana, a senior advocate, and four Chief Justices from various High Courts: Shree Chandrashekhar from the Bombay High Court, Sheel Nagu from the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Sanjeev Sachdeva from the Madhya Pradesh High Court, and Arun Palli from the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court. This increase in the court's capacity follows an ordinance promulgated last month, which amended existing laws to allow for a greater number of judges. Prior to these appointments, there were already two vacancies in the Supreme Court, and with the increase in sanctioned strength, a total of six positions became vacant. The Supreme Court Collegium had recommended these five names on May 27, and the appointments were finalized just four days later. The new judges are expected to take their oaths soon, filling the current vacancy in the apex court.