Lok Sabha Passes Bill to Increase Supreme Court Judges to 37

# Lok Sabha Passes Bill to Increase Supreme Court Judges to 37 ### Why in News? The Lok Sabha passed the **Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026** on August 3, 2026, to raise the sanctioned strength of judges in the Apex Court from **33 to 37**, excluding the Chief Justice of India (CJI). This follows an ordinance promulgated by the President in May 2026. ### What does the bill change? - The bill amends the **Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956**, increasing the number of judges (excluding the CJI) from 33 to 37. Including the CJI, the total sanctioned strength will rise to **38**. - The previous strength of 34 (33+1) was in place since 2019. The increase is aimed at addressing the **over 92,000 pending cases** in the Supreme Court as of January 1, 2026. - Parliament derives this power from **Article 124(1)** of the Constitution, which allows it to prescribe the court's strength by law. The Supreme Court was originally established with just **8 judges** (1 CJI + 7 others) in 1950. ### Exam Connect **Article 124** → Establishes the Supreme Court of India and empowers Parliament to regulate its judge strength **Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956** → Originally set 10 judges (excluding CJI); amended over time to 13 (1960), 17 (1977), 25 (1986), 30 (2009), 33 (2019), and now 37 (2026)