Amid Opp protest, LS passes Bill to increase number of SC judges, Pg6

Key Highlights:

• The Lok Sabha passed the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, increasing the sanctioned strength of Supreme Court judges.
• The Bill raises the number of judges from 33 to 37, excluding the Chief Justice of India, making the total strength 38.
• This amendment aims to address the significant backlog of 92,101 cases pending in the Supreme Court as of January 1, 2026.
• The Bankers’ Book Evidence Bill, 2026, was also tabled, seeking to modernize the legal framework for bank records to include digital and cloud-based formats.
• The Rajya Sabha passed the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026, amidst parliamentary disruptions.

Detailed Insights:

• The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, amends the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, which governs the strength of the apex court.
• The increase in judge strength was initially promulgated through an Ordinance in May 2026, with the amendment taking retrospective effect from May 16, 2026.
• The last increase in the Supreme Court's sanctioned strength occurred in 2019, when it was raised from 31 to 34 judges (including the Chief Justice of India).
• The Bankers’ Book Evidence Bill, 2026, proposes to replace or amend the colonial-era Bankers’ Books Evidence Act, 1891, to accommodate contemporary banking technologies.
• The Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2026, was also introduced, aiming to modify the governance structure of the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), an institution of national importance.
• The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026, modifies the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006, which supports the growth and competitiveness of MSMEs.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Case Backlog: The accumulation of a large number of unresolved legal cases in courts, leading to delays in justice delivery.
• Ordinance: A law promulgated by the President of India when Parliament is not in session, having the same force as an Act of Parliament.
• Zero Hour: An informal parliamentary device in India where Members of Parliament can raise matters of urgent public importance without prior notice.
• Institution of National Importance: An educational or research institution recognized by an Act of Parliament for its pivotal role in developing highly skilled personnel or research capabilities.