Ordinance issued to increase number of Supreme Court judges from 34 to 38
New Delhi (PTI): The government has promulgated an ordinance to increase the strength of the Supreme Court from the present 34 judges to 38, including the Chief Justice of India.
The law ministry notified the ordinance on Saturday, which amended the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, to increase the sanctioned strength of the top court.
So far, the sanctioned strength of the top court was 34, including the Chief Justice of India (CJI). Now, the number of judges has been increased by four, taking the sanctioned strength to 38.
The top court will now have 37 judges, other than the CJI.
With the apex court having two vacancies at present, and the ordinance coming into force immediately, the Supreme Court Collegium will now have to recommend six names for appointment as judges in the top court.
A bill will be brought in the Monsoon Session of Parliament to convert the ordinance – an executive order – into a law passed by Parliament.
The Union Cabinet had cleared a draft bill on May 5 to increase the number of apex court judges.
The strength of the Supreme Court was last increased from 30 to 33 (excluding the CJI) in 2019.
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, as originally enacted in 1956, put the maximum number of judges (excluding the CJI) at 10.
This number was increased to 13 by the Supreme Court (Number of Judges), Amendment Act, 1960, and to 17 by another amendment to the law.
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 1986, augmented the strength of judges from 17 to 25, excluding the CJI.
A fresh amendment in 2009 further increased the strength from 25 to 30.
Article 124(3) of the Constitution lists the qualifications required to become a Supreme Court judge.
An Indian citizen who has either served as a high court judge for at least five years, or as an advocate for 10 years, or is a distinguished jurist, can be appointed to the top court.
The strength of the Supreme Court is increased based on the recommendations of the CJI, who writes to the Union law minister. After consulting the finance ministry, the Department of Justice under the law ministry moves the Cabinet with a draft bill.
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Nabin holds Odisha BJP core committee meeting, discusses strategies for next year's rural polls
Bhubaneswar (PTI): BJP national president Nitin Nabin Monday chaired a meeting of the party’s core committee in Odisha and discussed its strategies for the next year's rural polls and possible expansion of the council of ministers in the state, party sources said.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Deputy CMs KV Singh Deo and Pravati Parida, Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal and its national vice-president Baijayant Panda attended the closed-door meeting that began at 8.30 am at the party's state headquarters here.
BJP MPs Sambit Patra and Pratap Sarangi, and the party's Odisha in-charge Vijay Pal Singh Tomar, co-in-charge Lata Usendi and other senior leaders also participated in the meeting.
"The national president discussed the party's strategies for panchayat polls next year, possible expansion of the council of ministers, and appointments of party leaders in different boards and corporations, and other issues," a BJP source said.
After the meeting, Sarangi said, "The core committee also discussed the BJP's ideology and how to maintain it when the party is in power in the state."
Nabin, who arrived here on Sunday night on his first visit to Odisha after he became the party president, is also scheduled to hold a series of organisational meetings, training programmes, and strategic dialogues with senior party leaders and office-bearers in Bhubaneswar and Puri.
Samal said Nabin’s visit is considered politically significant as it will infuse energy among the grassroots-level workers and leaders.
During the day, Nabin is also scheduled to visit the Lord Jagannath temple in Puri. He will partake of the sacred 'Mahaprasad' at the residence of Puri Lok Sabha MP and BJP's national spokesperson, Sambit Patra.
Upon returning to Bhubaneswar, Nabin will meet state office bearers and frontal unit presidents at 4 pm. He will also chair a meeting with members of the council of ministers of Odisha, another BJP source said.
He is scheduled to return to Delhi on Monday evening, he added.
