New Delhi, May 6: The Union Cabinet has approved a proposal to increase the number of judges in the Supreme Court of India, according to official sources.
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that a bill to amend the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act will be introduced in the upcoming session of Parliament. The proposal seeks to raise the sanctioned strength of judges from the current 34 (including the Chief Justice of India) to 38.
The move is aimed at addressing the growing backlog of cases and improving the efficiency of the judicial system. However, the increase will come into effect only after Parliament passes the amendment.
Background: Growth in Number of Judges
The strength of the Supreme Court has been revised multiple times over the years to manage increasing caseloads:
- 1956: Strength fixed at 10 judges (excluding CJI)
- 1960: Increased to 13
- 1986: Raised to 25
- 2009: Increased to 30
- 2019: Expanded to 33 (excluding CJI), making total 34 including CJI
The latest proposal continues this trend of expansion in response to rising judicial demands.
