The Union Ministry of Law and Justice on Friday cleared the appointment of Justice Indira Banerjee as a judge of the Supreme Court. With this appointment, the top court now has three women judges for the first time in history – Justice R Banumathi, Justice Indu Malhotra and Justice Indira Banerjee – NDTV reported.

Banerjee, 60, who was the chief justice of the Madras High Court, is only the eighth woman to be elevated to the Supreme Court. The Centre has also cleared the appointment of Odisha High Court Chief Justice Vineet Saran and Uttarakhand High Court Chief Justice KM Joseph to the top court.

Jammu and Kashmir High Court

The Centre has also appointed Justice Gita Mittal, the acting chief justice of the Delhi High Court, as the chief justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court. She is the first woman judge to ever head it.

The development came just a day after Sindhu Sharma became the first woman judge of the High Court.

Justice Rajendra Menon, the chief justice of the Patna High Court, will now take over as the chief justice of the Delhi High Court, and Justice Kalpesh Satyendra Jhaveri, a judge of the Rajasthan High Court, will replace Vineet Saran. Justice Vijaya K Tahilramani will replace Indira Banerjee at the Madras High Court.