Centre Approves Proposal to Increase Supreme Court Judge Strength to 37

Union Cabinet on 5th May, 2026 approved a proposal to increase the strength of the Supreme Court from 34 to 38 judges. At present, the Supreme Court has an approved strength of 34 judges including the Chief Justice of India (CJI). This new proposal will be introduced in the Parliament through the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026. This decision is expected to improve the efficiency of the top court and faster disposal of pending cases.

Supreme Court Amendment Bill 2026 Key Highlights

The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026 seeks to amend the existing Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956.

When this amendment will passed by Parliament this law will officially raise the sanctioned strength of Supreme Court judges by four additional strength.

Currently the Supreme Court functions with the sanctioned strength of 33 judges apart from Chief Justice of India. The proposed expansion to 37 judges is aims to help the judiciary and manage to increasing case burdens more effectively.

Why the Increase in Judge Strength Matters

Over the years India’s Supreme Court has witnessed the steady rise in the number of pending cases. As the increasing litigation and complex constitutional matters the workload of judges has grown day by day. After the addition of four more judges is expected to strengthen judicial capacity and improve the speed of justice delivery.

Also the larger bench strength will help in quicker constitution of benches, faster hearings and timely disposal of cases. It will also reduce the work load pressure on existing judges and improve the overall functioning of the judiciary.

The government has stated that this move will allow the Supreme Court to function more efficiently and effectively along with ensuring speedy justice for citizens.

Constitutional Provision Behind Supreme Court Strength

Under the Article 124(1) of the Constitution of India have the provision about the composition of the Supreme Court. It states that Supreme Court shall consist of the Chief Justice of India and such number of judges as Parliament may prescribe by the law.

Initially the Constitution had allowed a maximum of seven judges apart from the Chief Justice. After time by time with the growth of population, legal disputes, and constitutional responsibilities and Parliament has amended the law several times to increase the court’s strength.

How SC Judge Strength Has Increased Over Time?

Earlier, the original Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956 fixed the number of judges at 10 excluding the Chief Justice.

In the year 1960 the strength was increased to 13 judges. It was further expanded to 17 in 1977.

Later strength was rose to 25 via 1986 amendment and then 30 through the 2008 amendment. The last major increase came in 2019 when the strength was raised from 30 to 33 judges.

The latest proposal of 2026 will increase the number to 37 marks another important step in judicial reforms.

Expenditure of Judges

The expenditure related to the salaries, infrastructure, staff and other facilities for the additional judges will be met via the Consolidated Fund of India. The Consolidated Fund of India is the principal financial instrument of the Government of India. It acts as the central repository for all revenues received by the government, all loans raised by it and all repayments of loans made by the government.

Question

Q. With reference to Article 124 of the Constitution, consider.

1. Parliament can increase or decrease the number of judges.
2. The Chief Justice of India is appointed by the President with mandatory consultation of senior judges.
3. A distinguished jurist can be appointed as a Supreme Court judge.

Correct answer:
A. 1 and 3 only
B. 2 only
C. 1, 2 and 3
D. 1 only