NEW DELHI: President Droupadi Murmu has approved the Union Cabinet’s decision to increase the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court from 33 to 38 judges, which includes the Chief Justice of India. The amendment to the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, was communicated by Minister of State for Law and Justice, Arjun Ram Meghwal, via a post on X.
This change follows the Union Cabinet’s approval, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on May 5. The government stated that the expansion is intended to bolster the apex court and expedite the delivery of justice, particularly as over 92,000 cases are currently pending before the Supreme Court.
The Cabinet approved the introduction of the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, which will be presented in Parliament to formalize this increase. Under Article 124(1) of the Constitution, it is within Parliament’s purview to legislate the number of Supreme Court judges.
Historically, the court’s composition has evolved in response to increasing caseloads. The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, initially set the number at 10 judges, excluding the Chief Justice. This number increased to 13 in 1960, 17 in 1977, 25 in 1986, and 30 in 2008. The most recent adjustment occurred in 2019, when the strength was raised from 30 to 33 judges, again excluding the Chief Justice.
