Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill

2 entries over 15 days, from 21 July 2026 to 4 August 2026.

01
21 July

Supreme Court Bill on judge strength

The Union government introduced the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha to increase the sanctioned strength of Supreme Court judges from 34 to 38.
The Bill seeks to replace the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Ordinance, 2026, which was promulgated in May.
As of January 1, the Supreme Court had 92,101 pending cases.
In 2025, the court registered 75,410 new cases while disposing of 65,615 matters, indicating that the rate of institution exceeds the rate of disposal.
The increase in judge strength aims to improve docket management, address older pending matters, and facilitate the more regular constitution of larger Benches for substantial questions of law.
The Financial Memorandum estimates an annual recurring expenditure of ₹10.56 crore for four additional judges and staff, with a one-time initial cost of ₹3.47 crore for infrastructure and vehicles.

02
4 August

Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026: Increases sanctioned strength of SC judges from 34 to 38 (including CJI).
Bankers’ Books Evidence Bill, 2026: Replaces 1891 law to include electronic, digital, virtual, and cloud-based banking records as admissible evidence.
Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2026: Repeals 1959 Act; establishes the institute as a statutory body corporate with the President as Visitor and a Board of Governors.
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026: Replaces 2006 Act; mandates CPSEs to route invoice settlements through TReDS to address liquidity.
MSME Sector Statistics: Contributes 31% to GDP, 36% to manufacturing output, and 41% to exports; outstanding credit rose from ₹10 lakh crore (2014-15) to over ₹38.35 lakh crore.
Parliamentary Procedure: Legislative business often faces disruptions due to Opposition protests; Business Advisory Committee (BAC) allocates time for bills; statutory resolutions can be rejected by voice vote.

Newest first. A story that ran for 15 days is exactly the kind the mains paper asks about as one question.

Discuss the significance of digitizing evidence in the banking sector, specifically in the context of the proposed legislative updates to the Bankers’ Books Evidence Act. 150 words · 4 August
Examine the role of the MSME sector in India's economic growth. How do legislative interventions, such as mandating invoice settlements through the Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS), help in mitigating liquidity challenges for small enterprises? 250 words · 4 August
Analyze the relationship between the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court and the management of judicial pendency in India. Discuss why increasing the number of judges is considered a necessary, albeit partial, solution to the backlog of cases. 150 words · 21 July
The persistent gap between the institution and disposal of cases in the Supreme Court poses significant challenges to the administration of justice. Critically examine the institutional and procedural reforms required beyond merely increasing the sanctioned strength of judges to ensure timely adjudication of constitutional and legal matters. 250 words · 21 July

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