Centre to Table Bill Raising Supreme Court's Sanctioned Strength From 34 to 38 Judges
The Centre is set to introduce a Bill in the Monsoon Session to replace an ordinance that increased the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court from 34 to 38 judges, including the Chief Justice of India (CJI). The Union Cabinet had cleared the Bill in May 2026, after which the ordinance was promulgated and five judges were appointed under the enhanced strength. The Lok Sabha admitted a statutory resolution by Opposition members disapproving the ordinance. The proposed law does not require a constitutional amendment and can be passed by a simple majority.
Key Facts & Details
7 points- 1A Bill will raise the Supreme Court's sanctioned strength from 34 to 38 judges, including the CJI.
- 2The Bill replaces an ordinance already promulgated after Cabinet approval in May 2026.
- 3Five judges were appointed under the enhanced strength via the ordinance.
- 4The Lok Sabha admitted a statutory resolution by the Opposition disapproving the ordinance.
- 5The change needs no constitutional amendment and can pass by a simple majority.
Deep Dive
- +The Supreme Court's strength was last raised in 2019 from 30 to 33 judges (excluding the CJI).
- +Judge strength is set by the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act; the original 1956 Act sanctioned only 10 judges.
Exam Focus
The Supreme Court's sanctioned strength is being raised from how many to how many judges?
Related Topics
Exam Relevance & Angle
The judiciary's composition is a high-yield polity topic. The 34-to-38 change, inclusion of the CJI and the simple-majority procedure are precise, testable facts.
Target Exams
Background & Context
The sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court of India is fixed by Parliament through the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, which can be amended by ordinary law (simple majority), not a constitutional amendment. Originally set at 10 judges plus the CJI in 1956, it has been raised several times — to 33 (plus CJI) in 2019. Increasing the strength helps the court tackle its large backlog of pending cases.
Test Yourself
1 / 2The proposed Bill raises the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court to how many judges (including the CJI)?
Source
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