NEW DELHI—India's Rajya Sabha on Thursday passed the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, clearing legislation to raise the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court by four judges in a move the government said would help reduce case backlogs and improve the efficiency of the country's highest court.
The Bill, approved by a voice vote in the upper house, replaces an ordinance promulgated earlier this year that had already increased the court's sanctioned strength. It amends the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, increasing the number of judges, excluding the Chief Justice of India, from 33 to 37, taking the court's total sanctioned strength to 38, including the chief justice.
Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal told the House the measure was intended to strengthen the judiciary's capacity to deal with its growing workload and facilitate faster disposal of cases. The government has said the expansion would enable the apex court to function more efficiently amid a continuing rise in litigation.
Proceedings in the Rajya Sabha were marked earlier in the day by opposition protests over unrelated political issues, but the legislation was taken up after the House resumed business. During the debate, some opposition members attempted to raise other matters before Deputy Chairman Harivansh directed discussions back to the Bill. It was subsequently passed by voice vote.
The Lok Sabha had approved the legislation earlier this week without debate amid disruptions in the lower house. Because the Rajya Sabha passed the Bill with changes linked to the ordinance-replacement process, it will return to the Lok Sabha for completion of the parliamentary procedure before being sent for presidential assent.
The proposal traces its origins to a Union Cabinet decision in May approving legislation to expand the Supreme Court's sanctioned strength. The government said at the time that additional judges would support the timely disposal of cases and improve access to justice.
The Supreme Court's sanctioned strength was last increased in 2019, when Parliament raised the number of judges, excluding the chief justice, from 30 to 33. The 2026 amendment represents the latest expansion as the judiciary seeks greater capacity to address its caseload.
With the Rajya Sabha's approval, the legislation has cleared another key parliamentary stage and awaits completion of the remaining legislative formalities before becoming law.
