**Executive Summary**
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the proposal to introduce the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, on May 5, 2026. The primary purpose of the bill is to increase the sanctioned strength of Supreme Court judges from 33 to 37 (excluding the Chief Justice of India). This legislative change is intended to improve judicial efficiency and ensure the delivery of speedy justice.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Proposed Legislative Changes**
* Introduction of the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, to amend the original 1956 Act.
* A formal increase in the number of Supreme Court judges by four, raising the total from 33 to 37.
* The total count of 37 judges excludes the Chief Justice of India.
* **Financial and Administrative Provisions**
* Expenditure related to the salaries of new judges and supporting staff will be covered.
* Costs for additional facilities and infrastructure will be met from the Consolidated Fund of India.
* **Historical Context of Judge Strength**
* **1950 (Constitution):** Originally set at a maximum of seven judges plus the Chief Justice.
* **1956–1977:** Successive increases raised the strength to 10 (1956), 13 (1960), and 17 (1977).
* **1986–2019:** Strength was further augmented to 25 (1986), 30 (2008), and most recently to 33 in 2019.
**Impact Analysis**
**Supreme Court of India**
**Impact**
The court will gain additional judicial members and supporting staff, enabling it to function more effectively and handle caseloads more efficiently.
**Action Required**
The institution must prepare for the integration of four additional judges and the management of associated staff and facilities.
**Parliament of India**
**Impact**
As the legislative body, Parliament is the venue where the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, must be introduced and deliberated.
**Action Required**
Parliament must process the proposal for the introduction and passage of the Amendment Bill.
**The Public / Litigants**
**Impact**
The increase in judicial strength is expected to result in the delivery of speedier justice and a more efficient legal process.
**Action Required**
No direct action is required from the public; they are the beneficiaries of the improved judicial capacity.
Key Entities Referenced
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026: A legislative proposal approved by the Union Cabinet to increase the number of judges in the Supreme Court of India from 33 to 37 to ensure speedy justice.
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956: The principal legislation that prescribes the maximum number of judges in the Supreme Court, which the 2026 Bill seeks to amend.
Supreme Court of India: The highest judicial body in the country whose operational capacity and judge strength are the primary focus of this policy update.
Article 124 (1) of the Constitution of India: The constitutional provision that establishes the Supreme Court and empowers Parliament to increase the number of judges by law.
Consolidated Fund of India: The government fund from which the salaries, facilities, and supporting staff expenses for the increased number of judges will be met.
Ministry of Law and Justice
Cabinet approves increase in the Judge strength
of the Supreme Court of India by Four to 37 from
33
Posted On: 05 MAY 2026 7:23PM by PIB Delhi
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today has approved the proposal
for introducing The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026 in Parliament to amend
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956 for increasing the number of Judges of the Supreme
Court of India by 4 from the present 33 to 37 (excluding the Chief Justice of India).
Point-wise details:
Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026 provides for increasing the number of Judges
of the Supreme Court by 04 i.e. from 33 to 37 (excluding the Chief Justice of India).
Major Impact:
The increase in the number of Judges will allow Supreme Court to function more efficiently and
effectively ensuring speedy justice.
Expenditure:
The expenditure on salary of Judges and supporting staff and other facilities will be met from the
Consolidated Fund of India.
Background:
Article 124 (1) in Constitution of India inter-alia provided “There shall be a Supreme Court of India
consisting of a Chief Justice of India and, until Parliament by law prescribes a larger number, of not
more than seven other Judges…”.
An act to increase the Judge strength of the Supreme Court of India was enacted in 1956 vide The
Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act 1956. Section 2 of the Act provided for the maximum number of
Judges (excluding the Chief Justice of India) to be 10.
The Judge strength of the Supreme Court of India was increased to 13 by The Supreme Court (Number of
Judges) Amendment Act, 1960, and to 17 by The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act,
1977. The working strength of the Supreme Court of India was, however, restricted to 15 Judges by the
Cabinet, excluding the Chief Justice of India, till the end of 1979, when the restriction was withdrawn at
the request of the Chief Justice of India.
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 1986 further augmented the Judge strength of
the Supreme Court of India, excluding the Chief Justice of India, from 17 to 25. Subsequently, The
Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 2008 further augmented the Judge strength of the
Supreme Court of India from 25 to 30.The Judge strength of the Supreme Court of India was last increased from 30 to 33 (excluding the Chief
Justice of India) by further amending the original act vide The Supreme Court (Number of Judges)
Amendment Act, 2019.
****
MJPS
(Release ID: 2258133) Visitor Counter : 163
Read this release in: Urdu , ही , Marathi , Gujarati