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Supreme Court Gets More Judges-Strength Raised to 38

May 18, 2026
38 Old strength (excluding CJI) 33 New strength (excluding CJI) 37 Ordinance date 16 May 2026 President who promulgated Droupadi Murmu Constitutional article for ordinance Article 123 Base Act amended Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956 Last increase before this 2019 (from 30 to 33 excluding CJI) Supreme Court established under Part V, Chapter IV of Constitution Original strength in 1950 1 CJI + 7 puisne judges (total 8) Pending cases Over 93,000 Cabinet approval date 5 May 2026

Exam-Focused Points 

  1. The Supreme Court’s total strength (including CJI) is now  38 .

  2. Number of judges excluding CJI has increased from  33 to 37 .

  3. This was done through the  Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Ordinance, 2026 .

  4. President  Droupadi Murmu  promulgated it on  16 May 2026 .

  5. The ordinance is based on  Article 123  of the Constitution.

  6. The last increase in judge strength was in  2019 .

  7. The Supreme Court currently has a pendency of  over 93,000 cases .

  8. The Union Cabinet approved the proposal on  5 May 2026 .

  9. The ordinance must be replaced by an  Act of Parliament  within six weeks of the next session.

  10. The Supreme Court was established under  Part V, Chapter IV  of the Constitution.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: How many judges does the Supreme Court now have in total?
A: The Supreme Court now has 38 judges in total, including the Chief Justice of India.

Q2: What is an ordinance?
A: An

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