Lok Sabha passes bill to increase SC judges without debate
What's the story
The Lok Sabha has passed the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026. The legislation seeks to increase the number of sanctioned judges in the Supreme Court from 33 to 37, excluding the Chief Justice of India. The bill was passed without debate as opposition members raised slogans over issues such as NEET paper leaks and alleged theft of donations from the Ram temple After the passage, the House was adjourned for the day.
Resolution rejection
Statutory resolution against ordinance rejected
A statutory resolution against the ordinance was also rejected by a voice vote.
After Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal's brief introductory remarks, the chair called on members to speak on this resolution.
However, due to continued sloganeering from opposition members, the bill was put to vote and cleared without any further discussion.
The government has argued that increasing the number of judges would help the Supreme Court function more efficiently and effectively.
Previous amendment
Last amendment in 2019
The bill will now be sent to the Rajya Sabha for consideration after being cleared by Lok Sabha without any debate or discussion on its merits.
The last time the sanctioned strength of judges was increased was from 30 to 33 judges, excluding the Chief Justice of India.
This was done by amending the original Act through the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 2019.