Union Cabinet Approves Increase in Supreme Court Judges Strength from 33 to 37 | Current Affairs

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved increasing the sanctioned strength of judges in the Supreme Court of India from 33 to 37 (excluding the Chief Justice of India). This move aims to reduce case backlog and improve judicial efficiency.

Background: India's Supreme Court has been dealing with a massive backlog of cases for many years. Increasing the number of judges is a key step to speed up justice delivery. The government will introduce the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill 2026 to amend the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act 1956.

Why in News: The Union Cabinet has approved increasing Supreme Court judge strength from 33 to 37 - the first such increase in many years - to tackle pending cases and improve judicial efficiency.

Key Points to Remember:

Decision by: Union Cabinet
Chaired by: PM Narendra Modi
Change: Supreme Court judges increased from 33 to 37 (excluding CJI)
Bill to be introduced: Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill 2026
Act being amended: Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act 1956
Constitutional provision: Article 124 of Indian Constitution
Current Chief Justice of India: Surya Kant
Supreme Court established: 26 January 1950
Supreme Court location: New Delhi
Significance: Aims to reduce case backlog and improve judicial efficiency

Related Static GK:

Article 124: Establishment and constitution of Supreme Court
Article 124(1): Supreme Court shall consist of CJI and other judges
First Chief Justice of India: H.J. Kania
India's Law Minister: Arjun Ram Meghwal