The Ministry of Law and Justice under the Central Government officially announced the appointment of Justice Prasanna Bhalachandra Varale as a judge of the Supreme Court of India on Wednesday.

Currently holding the position of Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court, Justice Varale’s appointment is made under the powers granted by clause (2) of Article 124 of the Constitution of India.

The notification stated that the President, in exercising these powers, is pleased to appoint Justice Prasarma Bhalachandra Varale as a Supreme Court Judge, effective from the date he assumes the responsibilities of the office.

“In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (2) of Article 124 of the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint Shri Justice Prasarma Bhalachandra Varale, Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court, to be a Judge of the Supreme Court of India, with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office,” a law ministry notification read.

Union Law Minister posted on X, formerly Twitter, “In exercise of the powers conferred by the Constitution of India, Hon’ble President, after consultation with Hon’ble Chief Justice of India, is pleased to appoint Sh Justice Prasanna Bhalachandra Varale, Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court as Judge of Supreme Court of India.”

Who is Prasanna Bhalachandra Varale?

Justice Varale was born on 23 June 1962 at Nipani in Karnataka. He graduated in Arts and Law from Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University. He enrolled as an Advocate in 1985.

He was appointed as an Additional Judge of the Bombay High Court in July 2008 and became a permanent judge three years later.

Varale served as a judge in the Bombay High Court for a tenure of 14 years and was subsequently appointed as the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court in October 2022.

Distinguished as the sole Chief Justice among High Courts hailing from the Scheduled Caste, he proudly asserts his birth in a family “blessed by Dr. B R Ambedkar.”

An Indian Express report quoted Varale as saying, “I was fortunate to be born in a family that was blessed by Dr B R Ambedkar. I am in this noble institution all because of the great scholar and political thinker. Otherwise, a small person from a remote area (referring to his grandfather) could not have even dreamt of going to Aurangabad, and then his future generations taking up the legal profession and adorning the seat of a judge of the High Court.”

Justice Varale is notably recognised for proactively initiating suo-moto cases in the public interest.

He has consistently held the Maharashtra and Karnataka governments accountable for their actions, frequently questioning their conduct, Mint reported.

Under his leadership, the Karnataka High Court demonstrated a commitment to addressing various issues by leveraging news reports, posing challenging inquiries to the administration, and imposing penalties on officials found at fault.