The Union government has introduced a Bill in the Lok Sabha to increase the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court of India from 34 to 38. The proposal responds to rising workload and pending cases in the higher judiciary.
The legislative move matters because the Supreme Court is the apex constitutional court, and its capacity affects the pace of constitutional adjudication, appeals, and the resolution of disputes that reach the national level. The proposal is therefore best seen as a judicial-capacity reform rather than a symbolic change.
Background and earlier position
The Union government has faced longstanding concerns about vacancies, case pendency, and delays in the higher judiciary. The larger issue is not only how many judges are sanctioned, but also how quickly vacancies are filled and how efficiently cases are managed.
What changed now
The Union government has formally introduced the Bill in the Lok Sabha. The immediate change sought is an increase in the sanctioned judicial strength of the Supreme Court, while the broader objective is to reduce backlog and improve judicial capacity.
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