New Delhi, Aug. 5 -- The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, with Union Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal saying the increase in the sanctioned strength of Supreme Court judges is a "demand of the time" to deal with rising pendency and the evolving nature of judicial matters.

Replying to the debate on the Bill, Meghwal said, "Keeping in view the increasing workload of the judiciary, the changing nature of judicial matters, and the new questions of emerging constitutional and legal interpretations, increasing the number of judges in the Supreme Court is a demand of the time and also a timely reform."

The Bill, which had already been passed by the Lok Sabha, was returned to t...