New Delhi/ Thiruvananthapuram: The Supreme Court collegium, led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, has recommended the appointment of Patna High Court Chief Justice K Vinod Chandran as a judge of the apex court. The decision was made during a collegium meeting held on Tuesday.

Justice Chandran, who began his judicial career as a Kerala High Court judge on November 8, 2011, has served as the Chief Justice of the Patna High Court since March 29, 2023.

If the Centre approves the recommendation, the Supreme Court's strength will increase to 33 judges, just one short of its sanctioned capacity of 34, reported PTI. The vacancy arose after Justice C T Ravikumar retired on January 3.

Highlighting Justice Chandran's extensive experience, the collegium resolution stated, "He has served as a high court judge for over 11 years and as chief justice of a major high court for more than a year, gaining significant expertise in diverse fields of law."

The collegium emphasised that Justice Chandran stands at the top of the seniority list among judges from the Kerala High Court and is 13th in the combined all-India seniority list of high court judges. Noting the absence of Kerala High Court representation in the Supreme Court, the collegium unanimously recommended his elevation.

Other collegium recommendations
- Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya of the Bombay High Court has been recommended for transfer to the Delhi High Court.
- Justice Vibhu Bakhru continues as Acting Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court following the elevation of Justice Manmohan to the Supreme Court.
- Telangana High Court Chief Justice Alok Aradhe is proposed to be transferred to the Bombay High Court.
- Justices Kardak Ete and Mridul Kumar Kalita, additional judges of the Gauhati High Court, have been approved for elevation as permanent judges.