Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026 to increase judge strength to 37

Key facts

• The Union Cabinet 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 (CJI).
• The decision facilitates the introduction of the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, which seeks to revise the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956.
• Article 124 of the Constitution of India provides for the establishment of the Supreme Court and empowers Parliament to determine the number of judges.
• The expenditure on salaries, staff, and associated infrastructure for the additional judges will be met from the Consolidated Fund of India.
• The judicial strength has been revised multiple times since Independence, including increases to 10 judges in 1956, 13 in 1960, 17 in 1977, 25 in 1986, 30 in 2008, and 33 in 2019.