Cabinet Approves Increase in Supreme Court Judges’ Strength from 33 to 37

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved a proposal to increase the sanctioned strength of judges in the Supreme Court of India from 33 to 37, excluding the Chief Justice of India. The decision was taken on Tuesday as part of the government’s efforts to address mounting pendency and improve the efficiency of the judiciary.

Following the approval, the government is expected to introduce 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 to formally enhance the judicial strength of the apex court.

The Centre said the move is intended to ensure quicker disposal of cases and strengthen access to timely justice. The increase comes at a time when the Supreme Court is witnessing a steady rise in workload and pending matters.

The additional expenditure relating to salaries, staff, infrastructure, and other facilities for the new judges will be met from the Consolidated Fund of India.

Under Article 124 of the Constitution, Parliament has the authority to determine the number of judges in the Supreme Court. Since Independence, the strength of the apex court has been expanded multiple times in response to growing judicial demands.

Originally fixed at eight judges, including the Chief Justice, the sanctioned strength was increased to 10 in 1956, 13 in 1960, 17 in 1977, and 25 in 1986. Subsequent amendments raised the number to 30 in 2008 and then to 33 in 2019. The latest proposal aims to further expand the court’s capacity to handle an increasing volume of litigation.

The government maintained that augmenting the number of judges would help reduce case backlog, improve judicial efficiency, and reinforce the delivery of speedy justice across the country.