India, May 6 -- Acting on a formal request made earlier this year by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, the Union cabinet on Tuesday approved a proposal to increase the sanctioned strength of judges in the Supreme Court from 33 to 37, excluding the CJI, to address mounting pendency and strengthen the court's functioning.

The decision, taken at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, paves the way for the introduction of the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, in Parliament. The proposed legislation seeks to amend the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, at a time when more than 92,000 cases are pending before the apex court.

People aware of the development said the CJI had, in February, written...