New Delhi, Jan 13 (IANS): Acting swiftly on the recommendation made by the Supreme Court Collegium, the Centre on Monday cleared the appointment of Patna High Court's Chief Justice Krishnan Vinod Chandran to the apex court.

In a post on X, Union Minister for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal announced that the President, after consultation with the Chief Justice of India (CJI), was pleased to appoint Justice Chandran as a Supreme Court judge.

"In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (2) of Article 124 of the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint Shri Justice Krishnan Vinod Chandran, Chief Justice, Patna High Court, to be a Judge of the Supreme Court of India with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office," said a notification issued by the Union Ministry of Law and Justice.

Last week, the Supreme Court Collegium recommended the name of Patna Chief Justice Chandran for elevation as a judge of the apex court.

"While recommending his name, the Collegium has taken into consideration the fact that there is no representation on the Bench of the Supreme Court from the High Court of Kerala," said a statement released by SC Collegium.

Justice Chandran was appointed as a judge of the Kerala High Court in November 2011 and was elevated to the Chief Justice of the Patna High Court on March 29, 2023.

"He has served as a Judge of the High Court for more than 11 years and as a Chief Justice of a big High Court for more than a year. During his long tenure as a Judge and Chief Justice of the High Court, Mr Justice Chandran has acquired significant experience in diverse fields of law,” the SC Collegium said.

In its meeting, the apex court Collegium deliberated on and discussed the names of Chief Justices and senior puisne judges of the High Courts eligible for appointment to the Supreme Court.

Born on April 25, 1963, Justice Chandran stands at serial no. 13 in the combined all-India seniority of High Court Judges. He obtained a law degree from Thiruvananthapuram’s Kerala Law Academy Law College and started practice in 1991. Before elevation, he served as Special Government Pleader (Taxes) of the Kerala government from 2007 to 2011.