Union Cabinet approves decision to increase strength of Supreme Court from 34 to 38 judges

New Delhi, May 5: In a significant decision, the Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved a decision to increase the strength of the Supreme Court from 34 to 38 judges.

At present, the Supreme Court has an approved strength of 34 judges including the Chief Justice of India.

The government has now decided to introduce The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026 to increase the number of judges by four.

“The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today has approved the proposal for introducing The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026 in Parliament to amend The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956 for increasing the number of Judges of the Supreme Court of India by 4 from the present 33 to 37 (excluding the Chief Justice of India),” the government said in a statement.

It added that the increase in the number of Judges will allow the Supreme Court to function more efficiently and effectively, ensuring speedy justice. (Bar and Bench)