The Constitution of India originally fixed the Supreme Court's strength at eight judges in 1950, including the Chief Justice and seven other judges. Parliament increased it to 11 in 1956, 14 in 1960, 18 in 1978, 26 in 1986, 31 in 2009, 34 in 2019 and 38 in 2026 to meet the rising caseload and improve judicial capacity.