Lok Sabha passes Bill to increase Supreme Court judge strength to 38

The Lok Sabha on Monday passed the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, which increases the sanctioned strength of judges in the apex court from 34 to 38, including the Chief Justice of India. The Bill was passed by a voice vote and replaces an ordinance promulgated in May. According to the government, the increase is necessary to address a mounting backlog of cases; one report noted that as of January 1, there were 92,101 pending cases. The additional judges are intended to improve docket management and allow the Chief Justice of India to constitute Constitution Benches more regularly.

The passage of the Bill occurred amid significant disruptions in both Houses of Parliament. Opposition MPs raised concerns regarding police action against protesting students and alleged theft of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. In the Lok Sabha, the Bill was passed without debate due to these protests. In the Rajya Sabha, proceedings were adjourned shortly after convening as MPs held placards and demanded a statement from Home Minister Amit Shah.

Two other pieces of legislation were introduced during the session. The Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2026, proposes to incorporate the institute as a statutory body corporate to strengthen governance and academic autonomy. The Bankers’ Book Evidence Bill, 2026, seeks to replace a colonial era law by recognizing electronic, digital, virtual, and cloud based banking records as admissible evidence in court.

Outlets with different political leanings framed the legislative process differently. A center left source emphasized that the Supreme Court Bill was passed without any discussion and highlighted the specific demands of Opposition leaders. A center right source focused on the statistical necessity of the expansion, citing the number of cases pending for over two decades and mentioning Law Commission recommendations regarding regional benches.