President Draupadi Murmu approves an increase in the Supreme Court’s sanctioned judge strength to 38, according to multiple reports. The proposal follows a decision by the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which approves introducing the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026 in Parliament. The Law Ministry, through Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, says the President has given approval to the Cabinet’s decision to raise the number of Supreme Court judges from 34 to 38.
One report frames the move as aimed at addressing case pendency, and another describes it in terms of an ordinance that increases the sanctioned strength from 33 to 37, excluding the Chief Justice of India. Sources also note that while increasing the number of judges is expected to help, legal practitioners say it alone does not fully resolve the broader issue of backlog and pendency. Overall, the articles describe a presidential nod to expand the court’s sanctioned strength, with legislative steps following Cabinet approval.
