NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha on Monday passed the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, which seeks to increase the sanctioned strength of Supreme Court judges from the present 33 to 37 (excluding the Chief Justice of India).The bill, which will now be sent to the Rajya Sabha for consideration, was passed without a debate as opposition members continued raising slogans over the NEET paper leak and the alleged theft of donations from the Ram temple.After a brief introductory statement by Union law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, the Chair invited MPs to speak. However, with the sloganeering continuing, the bill was put to a voice vote and passed.Following the passage of the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, the House was adjourned for the day.On May 5, the Union Cabinet approved the introduction of the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026 in Parliament. The legislation seeks to amend the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, which provides for an increase in the number of Supreme Court judges, excluding the Chief Justice.

The government has argued that increasing the number of judges would enable the Supreme Court to function more efficiently and effectively, while ensuring the speedy delivery of justice.The sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court was last increased from 30 to 33 judges, excluding the Chief Justice of India, through the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 2019, which amended the original Act.(With PTI inputs)