New Delhi/ Thiruvananthapuram: Patna High Court Chief Justice K Vinod Chandran was sworn in as a judge of the Supreme Court on Thursday. Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna administered the oath of office, marking an increase in the working strength of the apex court to 33 out of the sanctioned 34 judges, including the CJI, reported PTI.

The Union government had approved the Supreme Court collegium’s recommendation to elevate Justice Chandran on January 13. The five-judge collegium, led by Chief Justice Khanna and comprising Justices B R Gavai, Surya Kant, Hrishikesh Roy, and Abhay Oka, had finalized the decision during a meeting on January 7.

Justice Chandran, who began his judicial career as a judge of the Kerala High Court on November 8, 2011, was appointed Chief Justice of the Patna High Court on March 29, 2023. He has over 11 years of experience as a high court judge and more than a year as a chief justice, gaining expertise in diverse legal domains.

The collegium highlighted that Justice Chandran ranks first in seniority among judges from the Kerala High Court and 13th in the all-India seniority list of high court judges. It also noted the Kerala High Court's lack of representation in the Supreme Court, further solidifying his nomination.