SUPREME COURT OF INDIA / UNION JUDICIARY : Constitution of India

 SET: CV-P IV : SUPREME COURT OF INDIA / UNION JUDICIARY : Constitution of India (21112025) [Article 124 to Article 147 ] 

Topic : Notes on Union Judiciary/Supreme Court of India [Article 124 to Article 147 of Constitution of India) for General Studies Paper (Prepared on 21.11.2025) 

For Study purpose only 

NB: For any doubts clarification, please refer to the recommended text books 

TOPIC:Union Judiciary/Supreme Court of India : Constitution of India for 

UPSC(CSE)(Prelims) Exams. ,2026 

QUESTIONS 

Question: Which article of the Constitution of India states that ‘There shall be a Supreme Court of India ‘ ? 

Ans : Article 124 

Question : When was the Supreme Court inaugurated, in the Chamber of Princes in the old Parliament building where the Federal Court of India sat for 12 years from 1932 to 1950 ? 

Ans : 28.1.1950 

Question : Supreme Court building,located in Tilak Road, New Delhi, built in 1958 AD, projects which image ?

Ans : Scales of Justice 

Question: The Supreme Court of India came into existence on 26th January, 1950. The original Constitution of 1950 envisaged a Supreme Court with a Chief Justice and how many puisne judges ? 

Ans : 7 puisne judges 

Question: Who can increase the number of judges in the Supreme Court ? Ans : Parliament of India 

Question: Who is the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India ? Ans : Justice Harilal Jekisundas Kania 

Sl.No.	Year	No. of judges
1	1950	Chief Justice + 7 puisne judges
2	1956	Chief Justice + 10 puisne judges
3	1960	Chief Justice + 13 puisne judges
4	1978	Chief Justice + 17 puisne judges
5	1986	Chief Justice + 25 puisne judges
6	2009	Chief Justice + 30 puisne judges
7	2019  (current  strength)	Chief Justice + 33 puisne judges

Question: What is the Constitution Bench ? Why Constitution Bench will be set? Ans : Number of Judges sitting 5 and more Judges ( is called as Constitution Bench) to decide any conflicting decisions between benches of the Supreme Court or any substantial questions concerning the interpretation of the Constitution. 

Question: At present how many judges are there in the Supreme Court of India ? Ans :Chief Justice of India + 32 puisne judges 

Question: Who appoints Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India ? Ans : President by warrant under his/her hand and seal 

Question: What is the retirement age of the Supreme Court of India? 

Ans : 65 years

Question: A judge of the Supreme Court of India , may submit his/her resignation letter addressed to whom ? 

Ans : President of India 

Question: According to which Article of Constitution of India, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India will be appointed by the President of India ? 

Ans : Article 124 (2) of Constitution of India

Sl.No.	Name of the  Chief Justice of Supreme Court of India	From	To
1	Harlal J Kania	26.1.1950	6.11.1951
2	M Patanjali Sastri	7.11.1951	3.1.1954
3	Mehar Chand Mahajan	4.1.1954	22.12.1954
4	B.K.Mukherje	23.12.1954	31.1.1956
5	S.R.Das	1.2.1956	30.9.1959
6	Bhuvaneshwar Prasad Sinha	1.10.1959	31.1.1964
7	P.B.Gajendragadkar	1.2.1964	15.3.1966
8	A.K.Sarkar	16.3.1966	29.6.1966
9	K.Subba Rao	30.6.1966	11.4.1967
10	K.N.Wanchoo	124.1967	24.2.1968
11	M.Hiddayatullah	25.2.1968	16.12.1970
12	J.C.Shah	17.12.1970	21.1.1971
13	S.M.Sikri	22.1.1971	27.1.1973
14	A.N.Ray	26.4.1973	21.2.1977
15	Mirza Hameeduddin Baig	29.1.1977	21.2.78
16	Y.V.Chandrachud	22.2.1978	20.12.1986
17	Prafullachandra Natvarlal Bhagwati	12.7.1985	20.12.1986
18	R.S.Pathak	21.12.1986	18.6.1989
19	E.S.Venkatarmaiah	19.6.1989	17.12.1089
20	S.Mukherjee	18.12.1989	25.9.1990
21	Raghunath Mishra	26.9.1990	24.11.1991
22	K.N.Singh	25.11.1991	12.12.1991

23	M.H.Kania	13.12.1991	17.11.1992
24	L.M.Sharma	18.11.1992	11.2.1993
25	M.N.Venkatachalaiah	12.2.1993	24.10.1994
26	A.M.Ahmadi	25.10.1994	24.3.1997
27	J.S.Verma	25.3.1997	17.1.1998
28	M.M.Punchchi	18.1.1998	9.10.1996
29	A.S.Anand	10.10.1998	30.10.2001
30	S.P.Bharucha	1.11.2001	5.5.2002
31	B.N.Kirpal	6.5.2002	7.11.2002
32	G.B.Patnaik	8.11.2002	18.12.2002
33	V.N.Khare	19.12.2002	1.5.2004
34	S.Rajendra Babu	2.5.2004	31.5.2005
35	R.C.Lahoti	1.6..2005	31.10.2005
36	Y.K.;Shabharwal	1.11.2005	13.1.2007
37	K.G.Balakrishnan	14.1.2007	11.5.2010
38	S.H.Kapadia	12.5.2010	28.9.2012
39	Altamas Kabir	29.9.2012	18.7.2013
40	P.Sathasivam	19.7.2013	26.4.2014
41	R.M.Lodha	27.4.2014	27.9.2014
42	H.L.Dattu	28.9.2014	2.12.2015
43	T.S.Thakur	3.12.2015	3.1.2017
44	Jagdish Singh Khekar	4.1.2017	27.8.2017
45	Dipak Mishra	28.8.2017	2.10.2018
46	Ranjan Gogoi	3.10.2018	17.11.2019
47	Sharad Arvind Bobde	18.11.2019	23.4.2021
48	N.V.Ramana	24.8.2021	26.8.2022
49	Uday Umesh Lalaith	27.8.2022	8.11.2022
50	D.Y.Chandrachud	9.11.2022	10.11.2024

51	Sanjiv Khanna	11.11.24	13.5.2025
52	Bhushan Ramakrishna Gavai	14.5.2025	23.11.2025
53	Justice Surya Kanth	24.11.2025

Question: How can a Judge of the Supreme Court of India be removed ? Ans : A Judge of the Supreme Court shall not be removed from his office except by an order of the President passed after an address by each House of Parliament supported by a majority of the total membership of that House and by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members of that House present and voting has been presented to the President in the same session for such removal on the ground of proved misbehaviour or incapacity. 

Question: Whether a Judge of the Supreme Court of India can practice in any court after retirement ? 

Ans : No person who has held office as a Judge of the Supreme Court shall plead or act in any court or before any authority within the territory of India 

Question: Which Article of the Constitution of India deals with NJAC ? Ans : Article 124 A 

Question : The Supreme Court of India has how many types of jurisdictions ? 

Ans : They are : Original, Appellate,writ and Advisory jurisdictions viz.:- 

1) Original jurisdiction: Under Article 131. Original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. 

2) Appellate jurisdiction: Under Article 132. Appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court in appeals from High Courts in certain cases 3) Appellate jurisdiction: Under Article 133. Appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court in appeals from High Courts in regard to civil matters 4) Appellate jurisdiction : Under Article 134. Appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court in regard to criminal matters 

5) [Writ Jurisdiction(Art.32)] Under Article 139. Conferment on the Supreme Court of powers to issue certain writs 

6) Advisory Jurisdiction:Under Article 143. Power of the President to consult the Supreme Court. 

Question: President of India refer a matter to the Supreme Court of India for its advice under which Article of Constitution of India ? 

Ans : Under Article 143 of Constitution of India 

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Question: Under Original jurisdiction ,which disputes can be referred to the Supreme Court of India ? (Article 131) 

Ans : 1)Disputes between Government of India and one or more State Government ; 

2)Disputes between Government of India and state or states on one side  ; and one or more states on the other side or between two or more states on legal rights 

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Question: The Supreme Court is the highest court of appeal from all in India in respect of which of the following ?(Under Article 136)  

Ans : 

1)Interpretation of Constitution :(under Article 132) regarding civil, criminal or otherwise 

2)Under Article 133: All civil cases irrespective of all constitutional issues  3)Under Article 134 : It deals with all cases regarding criminal matters Ans : All the above

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Question: Under which Article of the Constitution of India Supreme Court of India is empowered to grant Special Leave under certain cases ? 

Ans : Article 136 

Explanation: The Supreme Court may, in its discretion, grant special leave to appeal from any judgment, decree, determination, sentence or order in any cause or matter passed or made by any court or tribunal in the territory of India. 

But Nothing in clause (1) of Article 136, shall apply to any judgment, determination, sentence or order passed or made by any court or tribunal constituted by or under any law relating to the Armed Forces. 

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