Acts & Laws

Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956

The statute by which Parliament fixes the number of Supreme Court judges under Article 124(1). Amended in 2026 to raise judges (excluding the CJI) from 33 to 37, taking the total sanctioned strength to 38.

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On UPSC.wiki

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.

In previous-year questions

The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, passed by both Houses of Parliament, increases the total sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court of India (including the Chief Justice of India) to which number?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
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, replaces an ordinance promulgated by the President of India on which date, when Parliament was not in session?UPSC · Current Affairs
Data cited during parliamentary debates on the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026 showed that during calendar year 2025, the Supreme Court received 75,410 fresh matters but disposed of only 65,615. What does this net shortfall of approximately 9,800 cases per year imply for pendency?UPSC · Current Affairs