Bill to increase strength of SC judges passed in LS, House adjourned for the day
New Delhi, Aug 3
The Supreme Court Amendment Ordinance, 2026, was passed in the Lok Sabha through voice vote on Monday.
The House resumed its proceedings after a brief adjournment at noon, even as noisy protests by the Opposition members continued to disrupt parliamentary business.
Union Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal tabled the legislation in the House amid loud sloganeering from Opposition MPs, who continued to demand answers from Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the police action during the Jantar Mantar protests.
Despite repeated appeals by Krishna Prasad Tenneti, who was presiding over the proceedings, asking members to maintain order and allow the House to function, the protests continued. The Bill was however passed by a voice vote.
When the disruptions showed no signs of easing, the Chair eventually adjourned the Lok Sabha for the remainder of the day.
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Ordinance, 2026, seeks to replace the ordinance promulgated, earlier this year, to enhance the sanctioned strength of judges in the apex court in view of the growing pendency of cases and the increasing workload before the judiciary.
Under the proposed legislation, the sanctioned strength of judges in the Supreme Court would be increased from 33 to 37, excluding the Chief Justice of India, thereby taking the total strength of the court from 34 to 38 judges.
The Bill seeks to replace the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Ordinance, 2026, which was promulgated in May.
Meanwhile, legislative business continued earlier in the day before repeated disruptions overshadowed proceedings.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced the Bankers' Books Evidence Bill, 2026, which seeks to modernise the legal framework governing evidence relating to bankers' books by aligning it with contemporary digital banking practices. The proposed legislation also seeks to address matters connected with or incidental to the evolving digital financial ecosystem.
In another key legislative development, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Rao Inderjit Singh, introduced the Indian Statistical Institute Bill in the House.
The proposed legislation has already drawn strong resistance from sections of the academic community as well as students of the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI).
— IANS
Reader Comments
What's the point of passing important bills when the House is in such chaos? Opposition should let Parliament function instead of shouting all day. Some things are above politics - judicial reforms benefit everyone. Also, I hope the ISI Bill gets proper debate; our academic institutions need protection, not politicisation.
33 to 37 judges for a country of 140 crore? Still feels inadequate honestly. China has more judges per capita. But better late than never. The real issue is the appointment process - Collegium system takes ages. Also, why is the Opposition not raising the Jantar Mantar issue in proper manner instead of disrupting everything?
Good move but I wish there was more transparency in the ISI Bill. Our educational institutions' autonomy is crucial for innovation. The way ISI students are protesting, the government should listen to their concerns as well. As for the SC judges increase, it's long overdue. 😊
The way Parliament is being run these days is disappointing. Voice vote without proper debate? Even for a good bill like this, it sets a bad precedent. But let's be real - the SC is overburdened, and this increase was necessary. Let's hope judicial infrastructure gets upgraded too, not just numbers.
Common citizens never get to see these important changes discussed properly. The Jantar Mantar issue deserves attention, but blocking all parliamentary work isn't the answer. Also, happy to see the Bankers' Books Evidence Bill being modernised - digital banking needs updated laws. Hope all states cooperate on the judicial expansion!
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