NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha on Monday passed the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, which proposes increasing the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court from 33 to 37 judges, excluding the Chief Justice of India.
With the addition of the Chief Justice, the court’s total sanctioned strength will rise from 34 to 38 judges.
The Bill was passed by a voice vote without a debate as Opposition members continued protesting over the alleged NEET paper leak and the alleged theft of donations from the Ram Temple.
After a brief introduction by Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, the Chair invited members to participate in the discussion. However, amid continued sloganeering in the House, the Bill was put to a voice vote and passed.
The Lok Sabha was subsequently adjourned for the day.
The legislation will now be taken up by the Rajya Sabha.
The Union Cabinet had approved the introduction of the Bill on May 5. It seeks to amend the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, which governs the sanctioned strength of judges in the apex court, excluding the Chief Justice of India.
The government has said the increase in judicial strength is aimed at improving the Supreme Court’s efficiency, reducing its mounting case backlog and ensuring the speedier delivery of justice.
The court’s sanctioned strength was last revised in 2019, when Parliament increased the number of judges from 30 to 33, excluding the Chief Justice, through an amendment to the 1956 Act.
