Article 124
Constitutional provision establishing the Supreme Court of India, providing for the appointment of judges by the President, and permitting Parliament to prescribe a larger number of judges than the constitutional minimum.
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On UPSC.wiki
Current affairsAll 25 High Courts Get Permanent Chief Justices: Centre Notifies Eight Appointments — Collegium System, Article 217, and Judicial PendencyThe Ministry of Law and Justice on September 5, 2026, notified the appointments of eight High Court judges as Chief Justices across eight High Courts. Following these appointments, all 25 High Courts in India now function with permanent Chief Justices for the first time — a milestone reflecting both the Supreme Court Collegium's functioning and efforts to address the judiciary's leadership deficit amid India's record case pendency crisis. Current affairsSupreme Court Directs States to Raise District Judges' Retirement Age: Pendency Crisis, Constitutional Framework, and Judicial ReformA Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant directed all States and Union Territories on September 1, 2026, to consider raising the retirement age of district judiciary judicial officers from 60 to 61/62 years, in the long-pending case All India Judges Association v. Union of India (W.P.(C) No. 1022/1989). The direction is driven by over 5.18 crore pending cases in district courts and 1,744 vacancies, and is contested by 10 States citing financial constraints. Current affairsSupreme Court Reduces Judicial Service Practice Requirement to 1 Year: Bhumika Trust Case 2026 — Complete UPSC GuideIn Bhumika Trust v. Union of India (August 21, 2026), a three-judge Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant reduced the mandatory law practice requirement for Civil Judge (Junior Division) recruitment from three years to one year, introduced a transitional waiver for notifications issued up to March 31, 2027, and mandated structured Academy training plus a two-year clerkship for all fresh appointees. Current affairsSupreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026: Sanctioned Strength Raised from 34 to 38 — Tackling 92,000+ Case BacklogParliament has passed the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, raising the apex court's sanctioned strength from 34 to 38 judges (including the Chief Justice). The Bill replaces the May 2026 ordinance and amends the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956 — a direct response to the 92,000+ case pendency crisis in India's highest court. Current affairsSupreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 2026: Parliament Expands Apex Court Bench to 38 JudgesParliament passed the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026 — Lok Sabha on 3 August and Rajya Sabha on 5 August — permanently increasing the apex court's sanctioned bench strength from 34 to 38 judges (including the Chief Justice). The legislation replaces an Ordinance promulgated on 16 May 2026 and amends Section 2 of the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956.
In previous-year questions
- Which Article of the Constitution of India empowers Parliament to prescribe, by law, the number of judges in the Supreme Court beyond the Chief Justice of India?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Which Article of the Constitution of India directly empowers Parliament to prescribe a number of Supreme Court judges larger than the original seven mentioned in the Constitution?UPSC · Current Affairs
- In September 2026, the Centre notified eight High Court judges as Chief Justices, ensuring all 25 High Courts have permanent Chief Justices. Under which Article of the Constitution are High Court judges (including Chief Justices) appointed, and by whom?UPSC · Current Affairs
- The retirement age of High Court judges in India is 62 years, while Supreme Court judges retire at 65 years. Under which Article of the Constitution is the removal of a High Court judge governed, and what is the procedure?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Consider the following statements regarding the number of judges in the Supreme Court of India:\n1. The exact number of judges is fixed directly by the Constitution.\n2. Parliament can prescribe a larger number of judges by ordinary law.\nWhich of the statements given above is/are correct?UPSC · 2026 · Polity