In 1950, besides the chief justice of India, what was the number of other judges in the Supreme Court of India?
- A.Six
- B.Eight
- C.Seven
- D.Five
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is Seven. When the Supreme Court began in 1950, Article 124(1) provided for a Chief Justice of India and not more than seven other judges, eight in all, "until Parliament by law prescribes a larger number". Parliament has used that power several times as the Court's workload grew: to 11 judges in 1956, 14 in 1960, 18 in 1978, 26 in 1986, 31 in 2009 and 34 in 2019, and in May 2026 an ordinance raised the sanctioned strength to 38, the Chief Justice and 37 judges.
The wrong options are nearby numbers designed to catch half-remembered facts. Eight is the total including the Chief Justice, which is exactly why it tempts; six and five have no basis. Read the question carefully: "besides the Chief Justice" means the answer excludes the Chief Justice. Note also that the number of judges is fixed by an Act of Parliament, the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, and not by a constitutional amendment, which is why it can be changed relatively easily.
Read the full article: Supreme Court and High Courts of India: Notes, Articles and PYQs
Practice Questions
View allAccording to a provision in Article 124 of the Constitution of India, a Supreme Court judge can hold office till the age of ______ years.
- A.62
- B.60
- C.65
- D.67
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Article 124(2) says a judge of the Supreme Court shall hold office until he or she attains the age of 65 years.
Read the full explanation →A judge of the Supreme Court can be removed only on the grounds of ______.
- A.disrespect of the Constitution
- B.proven misbehaviour or incapacity
- C.murder charges
- D.lack of knowledge
Show answer
Under Article 124(4), a judge of the Supreme Court can be removed by an order of the President only after each House of Parliament, in the same session, presents an address supported by a majority of its total membership and by two-thirds of the members present and voting, on the…
Read the full explanation →Under which jurisdiction of the Supreme Court the dispute between the centre and states are included?
- A.Original Jurisdiction
- B.Appellate Jurisdiction
- C.Advisory Jurisdiction
- D.Residuary Jurisdiction
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Under Article 131, the Supreme Court alone can hear, as a court of first instance, disputes between the Government of India and one or more States, between the Government of India and a State on one side and other States on the other, or between two or more States.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following articles of the Indian Constitution mentions the Supreme Court as a court of record?
- A.Article 129
- B.Article 123
- C.Article 127
- D.Article 125
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It declares that the Supreme Court shall be a court of record and shall have all the powers of such a court, including the power to punish for contempt of itself.
Read the full explanation →Which Article of the Indian Constitution empowers the Supreme Court to review its own judgements or orders?
- A.Article 138
- B.Article 135
- C.Article 136
- D.Article 137
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It gives the Supreme Court the power to review any judgment it has pronounced or any order it has made, subject to the provisions of any law made by Parliament and the rules made by the Court under Article 145.
Read the full explanation →