President Approves Supreme Court Judge Increase
President Droupadi Murmu has approved the proposal to increase the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court of India from 34 to 38 judges, including the Chief Justice of India.
Supreme Court Judge Strength Increased
The approval follows the Union Cabinet’s earlier decision to expand the top court’s strength by four judges. The change will raise the number of judges excluding the Chief Justice of India from 33 to 37, taking the total sanctioned strength to 38.
Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said the President had approved the increase, clearing the way for the judiciary to function with a larger sanctioned bench strength.
Supreme Court Case Pendency Concern
The decision comes amid rising concern over the growing number of pending cases before the Supreme Court. The government has said the increase in judges is aimed at improving the court’s efficiency and helping deliver faster justice.
A higher number of judges is expected to allow the Supreme Court to constitute more benches and hear more matters simultaneously. This could help reduce pressure on existing judges and improve case disposal over time.
Supreme Court Judges Amendment
The change is linked to the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, which seeks to amend the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956. The last increase in Supreme Court judge strength took place in 2019, when the sanctioned strength was raised from 31 to 34, including the Chief Justice of India.
The latest approval marks another expansion of India’s highest court as the justice system attempts to respond to rising litigation and growing institutional workload.
