President Murmu promulgates ordinance to increase Supreme Court judge strength by four

📌 Summary:

• President Droupadi Murmu on May 17, 2026 promulgated the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Ordinance, 2026, raising the SC judge strength from 33 to 37 (excluding CJI); total sanctioned strength now 38 including CJI
• Gazette dated May 16 states "Parliament is not in session" and the President is "satisfied that circumstances exist which render it necessary to take immediate action"
• Promulgated under Article 123 of the Constitution (President's ordinance-making power)
• Ordinance amends Section 2 of the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956 — replacing "thirty-three" with "thirty-seven"
• Comes ~2 weeks after the Union Cabinet approved the proposal; ends a 6-year gap (last amendment was 2019, raising strength from 31 to 34)
• Aimed at tackling SC pendency crisis: current backlog over 93,000 cases, projected to cross 1 lakh as the Court enters summer recess in June
• Procedural fate: must be placed before both Houses of Parliament; lapses if six weeks expire without resolution, or if both Houses disapprove; President may also withdraw it anytime
• Constitutional design: Article 124(1) — Parliament can by law increase SC judge strength

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS2 (Polity – Judiciary, Ordinance route, Article 123, separation of powers). Tests President's legislative powers, judicial reforms, pendency, MoP/collegium system.

📝 Prelims Facts:

• Article 123 — President's power to promulgate ordinances when either House is not in session; equal force as Acts of Parliament
• Article 124(1) — SC shall consist of CJI and not more than such number of judges as Parliament may by law prescribe
• Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956 — original strength 10; revised in 1960, 1977, 1986, 2008, 2019, 2026
• Previous strength: 34 (since 2019 amendment); new strength: 38
• Six-week rule: ordinance ceases unless approved by Parliament within 6 weeks of reassembly (Article 123(2))
• Pendency in SC: ~93,000 cases (May 2026)

🔑 Key Term: Ordinance (Article 123) — temporary law made by the President on the advice of the Cabinet when Parliament is not in session; has the same force as an Act but must be laid before Parliament within 6 weeks of reassembly or it lapses.