New Delhi, Mar 24 (IANS): Chief Justice S.A. Bobde has recommended to the Centre to appoint Justice N.V. Ramana as the next Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

Chief Justice Bobde will retire on April 23.

Justice Ramana was appointed to the Supreme Court on February 17, 2014. Justice Ramana will take over as the Chief Justice on April 24.

According to a source familiar with the development, Chief Justice Bobde sent a letter to the Centre confirming Justice Ramana as the next Chief Justice.

Justice Ramana will have a tenure of over 16 months as the Chief Justice.

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had sent a letter to Justice Bobde seeking his recommendation. The government had asked the incumbent Chief Justice to recommend his successor.

As per the Memorandum of Procedure governing the appointment of members of the higher judiciary, "appointment to the office of the Chief Justice of India should be of the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court considered fit to hold the office".