New Delhi: The Centre on Wednesday cleared the name of Karnataka High Court Chief Justice, Justice Prasanna B Varale, for elevation as a Supreme Court judge. He will be sworn in as a judge of the Supreme Court on Thursday.

Justice Varale, 61, is a graduate of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University

Justice Varale’s name was first recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on January 19.

In the resolution, Justice Varale was described as a judge of unimpeachable conduct and integrity with 23 years of legal practice, and standing sixth in the combined all-India seniority list of High Court judges.

With the Centre clearing Justice Varale’s name, he will be the third Dalit judge of the top court. The other two are Justice BR Gavai, who will become Chief Justice of India in May 2025, and Justice CT Ravikumar.

Justice Varale, 61, is a graduate of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University in Maharashtra’s Aurangabad, and has practised law for over two decades. He was sworn in as the Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court in October 2022.

With his induction, the Supreme Court will once again function at its fully sanctioned strength of 34 judges. The latest vacancy arose after the retirement of Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul in December last year.