Chief Justice of India Surya Kant welcomed the Union Cabinet’s decision to expand the Supreme Court of India strength from 33 to 37 judges. He said the move is aimed at ensuring quicker disposal of cases and improving justice delivery across the country.
Chief Justice of India welcomed the Union government’s decision to raise the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court from 33 to 37 judges.
While commenting on the rationale for the move, the CJI said,
“The total volume of pending cases and the rate at which new matters are being filed have increased significantly,”
And added that the step is intended to help ensure quicker disposal of cases.
Pointing out that multiple important matters requiring a Constitutional Bench are already pending, CJI Kant stated,
“There is indeed a need for additional judges to ensure timely disposal of these cases.”
The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved a proposal to increase the number of Supreme Court judges from 33 to 37 (excluding the Chief Justice of India) to tackle growing pendency and improve the court’s overall functioning.
The government said in an official statement,
“The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister 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),”
According to the Centre, adding judges will enable the Supreme Court to operate more efficiently and effectively, thereby supporting faster delivery of justice.
It further noted that the “expenditure on salary of Judges and supporting staff and other facilities will be met from the Consolidated Fund of India.”
This approval includes the introduction of the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, which will amend the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, by increasing the court’s strength by four.
The last time the Supreme Court’s sanctioned strength was increased was in 2019, when a legal amendment enhanced it from 30 to 33 (excluding the CJI).
Historically, the Act originally capped the number of judges (excluding the Chief Justice) at 10, which was later raised to 13 in 1960 and then to 17 in 1977. At present, the Supreme Court has a strength of 32 judges, with at least four judges expected to retire in 2026.
Justice Rajesh Bindal retired in April, and Justices J K Maheshwari and Pankaj Mithal are scheduled to retire in June. Justice Sanjay Karol is set to retire in August, and Justice Satish Sharma in November this year.
The Constitution of India does not mandate a fixed number of Supreme Court judges.
Article 124(1) provides for the Chief Justice of India and leaves it to Parliament to determine the court’s strength through legislation allowing periodic adjustments as the caseload expands.