Question

The Union Cabinet in its meeting held on 5th May, 2026 has approved the proposal for increasing the number of judges of the Supreme Court of India

• A. by 4 from the present 34 to 38 (excluding the Chief Justice of India)
• B. by 4 from the present 33 to 37 (excluding the Chief Justice of India)
• C. by 3 from the present 33 to 36 (excluding the Chief Justice of India)
• D. by 4 from the present 35 to 39 (excluding the Chief Justice of India)

Hint:

Under Article 124(1), only Parliament can increase the strength of Supreme Court judges.
The current active statutory strength is 33 judges (excluding the CJI) as of the 2019 amendment.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Question:
The question asks for the correct numerical details regarding the Union Cabinet's proposal to increase the sanctioned strength of judges in the Supreme Court of India.
We need to check the baseline number of judges and the proposed expansion details.


Step 2: Key Principle / Approach:
Under Article 124(1) of the Constitution, Parliament has the power to prescribe the number of judges of the Supreme Court of India.


Step 3: Detailed Explanation:

• The strength of the Supreme Court is periodically updated by Parliament through the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Acts.

• The provisional answer key specifies Option (B) as correct, indicating a proposed expansion of the bench strength.

• Prior to the last major expansion, the strength of the Supreme Court was 30 judges (excluding the Chief Justice).

• In 2019, the number of judges was increased to 33 (excluding the Chief Justice), making the total strength 34 (including the Chief Justice).

• To address the massive backlog of cases and improve judicial efficiency, the cabinet proposed to increase the strength further.

• According to Option (B), the proposal is to increase the strength by 4, taking it from the present 33 to 37 (excluding the Chief Justice).

• This would bring the total sanctioned strength of the apex court, including the Chief Justice, to 38 judges.



Step 4: Final Answer:
The proposed increase is by 4 from the present 33 to 37 (excluding the Chief Justice), corresponding to Option (B).