UPSC Prelims 2014 GS Paper I · Q75 of 100 Polity & Governance easy

The power to increase the number of judges in the Supreme Court of India is vested in

  1. (a) the President of India
  2. (b) the Parliament ✓ UPSC's answer
  3. (c) the Chief Justice of India
  4. (d) the Law Commission

Why the answer is (b)

• Article 124(1) fixes the Supreme Court's strength at the Chief Justice plus such number of judges as Parliament may by law prescribe; Parliament raised it through the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act from 7 in 1950 to 34 in 2019 — option (b).

• The President (a) appoints judges but cannot change their number; the CJI (c) and Law Commission (d) can only recommend.

• Hence option (b).

Why the other options are wrong

(a) the President of India
The President appoints judges but Parliament fixes their number.
(c) the Chief Justice of India
The CJI can only recommend an increase.
(d) the Law Commission
The Law Commission only advises.

Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2014, held on 24 August 2014. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.

Reading the answer is not the same as getting it right under a clock. Practise this question with UPSC's negative marking, and anything you miss goes into an error notebook until you get it right twice.

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