More judges for Supreme Court: Cabinet clears proposal to increase bench strength

The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved a proposal to increase the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court, clearing a bill that seeks to add four more judges to the top court.

The proposed Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, will raise the number of judges from the current 33 to 37, excluding the Chief Justice of India.

The government said the expansion is aimed at improving the court’s efficiency and ensuring faster delivery of justice.

"The increase in the number of Judges will allow the Supreme Court to function more efficiently and effectively, ensuring speedy justice," the Cabinet said in a statement. 

The additional expenditure on salaries, staff, and related facilities will be met from the Consolidated Fund of India.

The move builds on a series of revisions to the court's strength since Independence. Article 124(1) of the Constitution provides for a Supreme Court comprising the Chief Justice of India and a number of judges as determined by Parliament.

The strength was initially set at 10 judges under the 1956 law, and was subsequently raised to 13 in 1960, 17 in 1977, and 25 in 1986. It was later increased to 30 in 2008 and then to 33 in 2019.

The proposed amendment now seeks to take that number to 37 as the government moves to expand the court’s capacity.

Till December 2025, 92,118 cases were pending in the apex court.  The pendency in respect of High Courts and District & Subordinate Courts stood at 63,70,904 and 4,43,45,599, respectively.