CJI Ramana Administers Oath Of Office To Nine New SC Judges, Including 3 Women

Traditionally, new judges take the oath of office in the CJI's courtroom, but due to that Covid pandemic, the swearing-in ceremony would be held in the auditorium of the Supreme Court.

New Delhi: Nine new judges, including three women were administered the oath of office as Supreme Court Jusged on Tuesday by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) NV Ramana. With this, the strength of the Supreme Court has reached 33, including the CJI, out of the sanctioned strength of 34.

This is the first time that nine judges were sworn in together in the history of the top court. Traditionally, new judges take the oath of office in the CJI's courtroom, but due to that Covid pandemic, the swearing-in ceremony would be held in the auditorium of the Supreme Court's additional building complex.

Last week, after Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana declined to concede the request made by the government to reconsider some names, the Government of India reportedly approved all the nine names recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium for elevation as judges of the apex court. 

The nine names nominated by the Supreme Court Collegium include four High Court Chief Justices —Vikram Nath (Gujarat), A S Oka (Karnataka), Hima Kohli (Telangana) and J K Maheshwari (Sikkim) — four High Court judges Justices B V Nagarathna (Karnataka), M M Sundresh (Madras), C T Ravikumar (Kerala) and Bela M Trivedi (Gujarat), and Senior Advocate P S Narasimha. 

Three out of these 9 judges, Justice Vikram Nath and Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice PS Narasimha -- are in line to become the chief justice of India. There are high chances that one of the three women judges in the list may become the first woman CJI in 2027.