Justice K. Vinod Chandran was sworn in as a judge of the Supreme Court on Thursday, with Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna administering the oath of office.

Earlier this week, the Centre cleared Justice Chandran’s appointment to the apex court based on the recommendation of the Supreme Court Collegium.

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal announced on the social media platform X that the President, after consulting the CJI, was pleased to appoint Justice K Vinod Chandran, Chief Justice of the Patna High Court, as a judge of the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court Collegium had recommended Justice Chandran’s elevation, noting that the Bench of the Supreme Court currently lacks representation from the High Court of Kerala.

“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,” read a statement released by the Collegium.

Justice Chandran was appointed as a judge of the Kerala High Court in November 2011 and elevated to the position of 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 the Chief Justice of a major High Court for more than a year. During his tenure, Justice Chandran has gained significant experience across diverse fields of law,” the SC Collegium noted in its statement.

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

Born on April 25, 1963, Justice Chandran ranks 13th in the combined all-India seniority of High Court judges.

An alumnus of Kerala Law Academy Law College, Thiruvananthapuram, he began practicing law in 1991. Before his elevation, he served as the Special Government Pleader (Taxes) for the Kerala government from 2007 to 2011.

(Inputs from IANS)