New Delhi: The Centre has approved all nine names recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium for appointment to the top court, which includes three women judges.
The names have been sent to the President for approval. As per reports, the judges are likely to take oath on August 31.
The Collegium had recommended the names of Chief Justice AS Oka and Justice BV Nagarathna of the Karnataka High Court, Chief Justice Hima Kohli of the Telangana High Court, Chief Justice Vikram Nath of the Gujarat High Court, Sikkim Chief Justice JK Maheshwari, Justice CT Ravikumar of the Kerala High Court, Justice MM Sundresh of the Madras High Court, Justice Bela M Trivedi of the Gujarat High Court and senior Advocate PS Narasimha.
Justice BV Nagarathna, of the Karnataka High Court, is in line to become the first woman Chief Justice of India - a milestone in the nation's history.
Among the judges for the Supreme Court elevation, PS Narasimha is also in line to become the Chief Justice, becoming the third lawyer from the bar to become the top judge.
Justice SM Sikri was the first lawyer to be elevated directly to the Supreme Court bench in March 1964. He became the Chief Justice of India in 1971.
Justice UU Lalit, who was elevated directly from a lawyer to a Supreme Court judge, is set to become Chief Justice after NV Ramana retires next year in August.
The Supreme Court, which has 25 judges against a sanctioned strength of 34, will be left with only one vacancy after the new judges are sworn in.
It is probably the first time that nine names have been recommended for the Supreme Court and all have been approved by the government.
The names include eight judges and one lawyer from the Supreme Court Bar.