Parliament approves bill to increase number of judges in Supreme Court

The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday approved the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill 2026 through a voice vote amidst a walkout by the opposition, which increases the number of judges in the Supreme Court from 33 to 37.

The bill has now received Parliament's final approval, having already been passed by the Lok Sabha. The law will replace an ordinance issued on May 16 this year.

Responding to a nearly two-hour debate on the bill, Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal said the move aims to take forward judicial reforms and ensure speedy disposal of pending cases. He said the addition of four new judges will take the Supreme Court's judge strength to 37, while the total number, including the Chief Justice, will be 38.

Mr. Meghwal said the increase in the number of judges was a necessity given the rising number of cases in the Supreme Court. He informed that the Chief Justice of India had also written to the Prime Minister, emphasizing the need to increase the number of judges due to the consistent rise in new cases and the formation of constitutional benches.

He stated that as of January 2026, there were 92,101 pending cases in the Supreme Court. Although the court has been functioning with almost the approved strength since 2019, 75,410 new cases were filed in 2025 compared to 65,615 cases disposed of.

He said the government is committed to reducing the number of pending cases and is increasing the number of judges for this purpose. He informed that efforts are also being made to speed up case disposal under the e-Court mission, for which Rs 7,000 crore has been allocated.

The Minister of State mentioned the increasing representation of women in the judiciary, saying that women are serving as Chief Justices in several high courts and the country will soon get its first woman Chief Justice of India. He said the government is fully committed to the independence of the judiciary.