Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, May 17: President Droupadi Murmu has promulgated the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Ordinance, 2026, increasing the sanctioned strength of judges in the Supreme Court of India from 33 to 37, excluding the Chief Justice of India.

The decision is aimed at addressing the rising pendency of cases and improving the speed of justice delivery in the country’s highest judicial institution.

The development was announced by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal through a post on X, where he confirmed that the President had approved the ordinance to amend the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956.

According to the government, the expansion in judicial strength is intended to reduce delays in hearings and enhance the efficiency of case disposal, given the increasing workload on the apex court.

The ordinance follows a recent decision by the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which had approved a proposal to introduce the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026 in Parliament to add four additional judges.

The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956 has been amended multiple times over the decades to reflect changing judicial requirements. The last such revision took place in 2019, when the sanctioned strength was increased from 30 to 33 judges (excluding the Chief Justice of India).

With the latest ordinance, the total sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court will now effectively rise to 38 judges, including the Chief Justice of India.

Officials said the move is part of broader efforts to strengthen judicial infrastructure and improve access to timely justice across India amid a growing backlog of cases.