Daijiworld Media Network- New Delhi
New Delhi, May 24: In a momentous development for the Indian judiciary, Justice B V Nagarathna, who is in line to become the first woman Chief Justice of India (CJI), is all set to join the prestigious Supreme Court collegium from May 25. She replaces Justice Abhay S Oka, who recently retired.
Justice Nagarathna, currently the fifth senior-most judge in the apex court, will now become part of the elite five-member collegium — a decision-making body tasked with key appointments and transfers in the higher judiciary. Her tenure in the collegium will continue until her retirement as the CJI on October 29, 2027.
With this change, the collegium now comprises Chief Justice B R Gavai, and Justices Surya Kant, Vikram Nath, J K Maheshwari, and B V Nagarathna.
According to sources within the apex court, Chief Justice Gavai is expected to convene his first collegium meeting on Monday, focusing on filling judicial vacancies in the Supreme Court as well as making key recommendations for appointments in several high courts. Presently, three vacancies exist in the top court.
The collegium system, which was established through a landmark Supreme Court judgement in 1993, plays a vital role in recommending the appointment, transfer, and elevation of judges across the judiciary. While the Centre can return recommendations for reconsideration, it is bound to accept them if the collegium reiterates its decisions — although exceptions have occasionally emerged in practice.
Justice Nagarathna, born on October 30, 1962, is the daughter of former Chief Justice of India, E S Venkataramiah. She enrolled as an advocate in Bangalore on October 28, 1987, and built a robust career focusing on constitutional, commercial, insurance, and service laws.
She was appointed as an Additional Judge of the Karnataka High Court on February 18, 2008, and became a permanent judge on February 17, 2010. She was elevated to the Supreme Court in August 2021.
Justice Nagarathna is expected to take over as the Chief Justice of India on September 23, 2027, making history as the first woman to hold the highest judicial post in the country. Though her tenure as CJI may last just over a month, it marks a significant milestone in the journey towards gender representation in India's judiciary.