India, Aug. 29 -- Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan R Gavai on Friday administered the oath of office to two new judges of the Supreme Court, Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Vipul M Pancholi, with the latter's appointment turning controversial after Justice BV Nagarathna recorded a strong note of dissent against his elevation, warning that his appointment would be "counter-productive" to the administration of justice and imperil the credibility of the collegium system.

The Union government on Wednesday notified the appointments in less than 48 hours of the collegium's recommendation. With their swearing-in, the Supreme Court has reached its sanctioned strength of 34 judges, including the CJI, even as Justice Nagarathna remains the lon...