The Union cabinet has approved a proposal to increase the sanctioned strength of judges in the Supreme Court from 33 to 37, excluding the Chief Justice of India, to address mounting pendency and strengthen the court's functioning.
The decision, taken at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, paves the way for the introduction of the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, in Parliament.
The proposed legislation seeks to amend the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, at a time when more than 92,000 cases are pending before the apex court.
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant had written to the Centre seeking an immediate increase of four judges, citing the need for augmenting judicial strength to enable the regular constitution of Constitution benches that hear substantial questions of law.
