Parliament Clears Bill to Increase Supreme Court Judge Strength to 38

Parliament has successfully cleared a Bill to increase the sanctioned strength of Supreme Court judges from 34 to 38, including the Chief Justice of India. The Rajya Sabha passed the legislation on Wednesday, following its earlier approval in the Lok Sabha. Law Minister Kiren Rijiju informed the house that the move was initiated after the Chief Justice of India (CJI) wrote to the Prime Minister emphasizing the need for more judges to tackle the rising number of pending cases. This legislative milestone aims to strengthen the highest court’s capacity to deliver timely justice.

During the debate, the Law Minister highlighted that the increase in judge strength is a direct response to the massive backlog of cases currently burdening the judiciary. Some members, including India's first openly gay MP Guruswamy, urged the government to ensure better representation of women and queer individuals in the top court. However, the session was marked by a walkout from opposition members before the final vote was called. Senior lawyer and Congress MP Vivek Tankha questioned whether adding just four more judges would be sufficient to clear the current volume of litigation.

Amid the legislative activity, the government dismissed rumors regarding an extension of the Monsoon session. Kiren Rijiju clarified that there is currently no proposal to prolong the session or convene a special session for the Delimitation or Women’s Reservation Bills. This clarification comes as the Parliament continues to face an impasse over several other issues. The current session is expected to conclude as scheduled, with the government focusing on clearing the immediate legislative agenda before the house adjourns sine die.