BV Nagarathna, a Karnataka High Court judge, was born on October 30, 1962 in Nagarathna, a native of Pandavapura taluk, Mandya district, Karnataka. Her father, former Chief Justice ES Venkataramiah, is a former member of the Supreme Court. In 1989, Venkataramiah became the first Chief Justice of India (CJI) from Karnataka.
Coming a full circle, in 2027, Bangalore Venkataramiah Nagarathna, his 60-year-old daughter, has the potential to become the Chief Justice of India. She would be the first woman to hold the position, although for a mere 36 days. This would be the first father-daughter duo to occupy the post.
A Stickler For Law & Order
In 1987, Justice Nagarathna became a member of the Karnataka Bar Council and served as a judge for 13 years. During the time, she rendered several important decisions while practicing constitutional and commercial law. She joined the Karnataka High Court in 2008 as an additional judge, and two years later, she was nominated as a permanent judge. After Nagarathna meets the High Court judges’ retirement age, she is expected to retire on October 29, 2024.
She has consistently advocated for press freedom in India, especially for broadcast media, and has even directed the federal government to look into the potential of regulating the media in light of the spread of false information. She has also rendered decisions in significant matters pertaining to education policy, including preserving educational institutions’ autonomy and ensuring that all students have fair access to high-quality education.
Career Highlights
In 2019, she ruled that because a temple in Karnataka is not a ‘commercial establishment,’ its staff is not entitled to gratuity under the Payments of Gratuity Act. Nagarathna demanded responsibility and gave the state administration instructions to set up the migrant transit facilities in May 2020. Judge Nagarathna distinguished herself as the sole female member of a five-judge constitution court during the first two working days of 2023 by issuing the only opposing opinion. Regarding appeals against the Centre’s demonetisation strategy, she referred to the Centre’s November 8, 2016, announcement as ‘illegal’ and including procedural errors. She decided that while the demonetisation of all ₹500 and ₹1000 notes was a ‘well-intentioned’ move, it was tainted by the aforementioned issues.
In her capacity as chair of the Karnataka Judicial Academy, she proposed a trial judges’ training curriculum on legislation pertaining to gender, children, and the environment. In addition, she made sure that sanitary pad vending machines were placed close to restrooms on the High Court grounds so that staff, litigants, and women advocates could use them. She was a member of the building committee for the High Court. Thus, she has been guided by a streak of reformism throughout her judgeship.
Nagarathna’s abilities will be put to the test over the next four and a half years in ways that could be crucial to the development of India’s higher judiciary. She will serve as a SC judge until October 29, 2027, and after September 23, 2027, she could serve as the first female CJI for more than a month.
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