In a historic departure from decades-old institutional practice, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant will administer the oath of office to three newly appointed Supreme Court judges at 3:30 PM on Tuesday, breaking away from the customary morning slot.
Conventionally, judges of the apex court are sworn in at 10:30 AM, coinciding with the time judicial benches assemble for daily hearings. According to an official communication from the Supreme Court, the afternoon ceremony for Justices Sunita Agarwal, Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, and Aparesh Kumar Singh will also be live-streamed.
Reason Behind the Timing Change
While no formal administrative reason was cited for the shift, the adjustment accommodates the personal schedules and official farewell commitments of the newly elevated judges. Justice Sunita Agarwal received a Full Court Farewell Reference from the Gujarat High Court on Monday, while Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya’s farewell at the Delhi High Court was slated for Tuesday noon. Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh travelled to Delhi immediately following his transition from the Telangana High Court.
The formal notification of the three judges follows recommendations made by the Supreme Court Collegium, headed by CJI Surya Kant and comprising senior-most justices Vikram Nath, B.V. Nagarathna, M.M. Sundresh, and P.S. Narasimha.
With these high-profile inductions, the working strength of the Supreme Court climbs to 37, leaving just one vacancy against its sanctioned strength of 38. Justice Sunita Agarwal also steps into her role as the third sitting woman judge on the apex court bench, alongside Justice B.V. Nagarathna and Justice V. Mohana.
