Lok Sabha passes Supreme Court judges increase bill

The India — Lok Sabha passed the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, which increases the sanctioned strength of Supreme Court judges from 34 to 38, including the Chief Justice of India. The bill replaces an earlier ordinance and was passed without debate due to opposition protests over the NEET paper leak and alleged theft of Ram temple donations. A statutory resolution against the ordinance was rejected by voice vote. The bill now moves to the India — Rajya Sabha for consideration. The government argues the increase will help address case backlog and improve judicial efficiency.