The Lok Sabha, India's lower house of Parliament, has passed a bill that would increase the number of judges on the Supreme Court from 34 to 38, including the Chief Justice of India. The bill was cleared on Monday, according to Live Law.
The legislation now moves to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house, for further consideration. If passed there and signed into law, it would mark the latest expansion of the country's top court.
Live Law reports that the bill was passed amid opposition protests over other issues, including the NEET exam controversy and a dispute over a donation to a Ram temple. The New Indian Express noted that Parliament cleared several bills during this session despite the disruptions.
The Hindu has provided context on why Parliament is increasing the number of judges, though the specific reasons were not detailed in the reporting available. The expansion follows a previous increase that brought the strength to 34, as noted by News On AIR, which described the earlier change as raising the number from 33 to 37—a discrepancy that may reflect different counting methods or timelines in the reports.
The move comes as the Supreme Court continues to handle a large backlog of cases. Increasing the number of judges is generally seen as a measure to improve the court's capacity to hear and dispose of matters more quickly.
What to watch next: Whether the Rajya Sabha passes the bill in the current session and how quickly the government moves to make new appointments once the law takes effect.
