NEW DELHI, July 20 -- Union law and justice minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Monday introduced a bill in the Lok Sabha to increase the number of Supreme Court judges, as the government seeks to ease case pendency in the apex court.

The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026 seeks parliament's approval to raise the headcount of judges in the apex court to 38, including the chief justice of India (CJI), from 34 currently.

In May, the Union Cabinet approved a proposal to increase the number of Supreme Court judges, after which the government cleared the appointment of five new judges on 1 June to help reduce pendency in the apex court, which primarily deals with complex questions of law.

Currently, the working strength of the ...