New Delhi, May 6: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has praised the decision to increase the number of judges in India’s Supreme Court by four, following approval from the central cabinet. He described it as a significant cabinet decision aimed at strengthening the judicial infrastructure of the nation and ensuring swift justice for the people.
In a post on the social media platform ‘X’ on Wednesday, PM Modi stated, “This is an extremely important decision by the cabinet, which is related to reinforcing our nation’s judicial framework and ensuring quick justice for our citizens.”
The central cabinet has approved the proposal to introduce the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, which aims to raise the number of judges in the Supreme Court (excluding the Chief Justice of India) from the current 33 to 37. The cabinet meeting, chaired by PM Modi, took place on Tuesday.
An official statement following the cabinet meeting noted that the increase in the number of judges would enable the Supreme Court to function more efficiently and effectively, thereby ensuring timely justice. The expenses related to the salaries and other benefits for the judges and support staff will be covered by India’s consolidated fund.
Article 124(1) of the Constitution of India provides that there shall be a Supreme Court in India, consisting of a Chief Justice and not more than seven other judges unless a larger number is prescribed by Parliament. The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956 was enacted to increase the number of judges in the Supreme Court, with Section 2 of the Act initially setting the maximum number of judges (excluding the Chief Justice) at 10.
The number of judges in the Supreme Court was increased to 13 through the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 1960, and further to 17 by the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 1977. However, the cabinet had limited the number of judges (excluding the Chief Justice) to 15 until the end of 1979, when this cap was lifted at the request of the Chief Justice of India.
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 1986 raised the number of judges (excluding the Chief Justice) from 17 to 25, and subsequently, the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 2008 increased it from 25 to 30. The last amendment to the original act was made through the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 2019, which raised the number from 30 to 33 (excluding the Chief Justice of India).
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