Will increasing the strength of the SC solve the pendency problem?
The Indian government has increased the Supreme Court's sanctioned judge strength from 34 to 38 to address a massive backlog of nearly 94,000 cases. Legal experts are debating whether increasing the number of judges is a sufficient solution to the systemic pendency problem.
Why it matters
Judicial efficiency is critical to the rule of law, and this policy change tests whether resource allocation can solve deep-seated institutional delays.
O n May 16, the President promulgated an ordinance increasing the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court from 34 to 38 judges. The move came just days after the Union Cabinet approved the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, stating that the addition of four judges would enable the top court to facilitate “speedy justice”. On May 27, the Supreme Court Collegium recommended the elevation of four High Court Chief Justices and senior advocate V. Mohana as judges of the top court. According to the National Judicial Data Grid, pendency before the SC currently stands at 93,966 cases. Is increasing the top court’s strength an effective way to reduce pendency? Prashant Reddy T. and Swapnil Tripathi discuss the question in a conversation moderated by Aaratrika Bhaumik .
The article presents a debate between experts on a policy issue, maintaining a neutral stance.
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