New Delhi, Jan 25 (IANS): Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud on Thursday administered the oath of office to Justice Prasanna B. Varale as a judge of the Supreme Court.

With the swearing-in of Justice Varale, the Supreme Court is set to function with a full strength of 34 judges, including the CJI.

The Centre on Wednesday issued a notification appointing Karnataka High Court's Chief Justice P.B. Varale as a judge of the apex court.

The name was cleared by the Centre within a period of five days after CJI Chandrachud-led Supreme Court Collegium on January 19 recommended the name of Chief Justice Varale for elevation as a judge of the top court.

"While recommending his name, the Collegium has taken into consideration the fact that among the high court judges, he is the senior-most judge belonging to a Scheduled Caste and the only Chief Justice belonging to a Scheduled Caste among the Chief Justices of high courts across the country," the SC Collegium had said in a statement uploaded on the website of the apex court.

Justice Varale was appointed as a Judge of the Bombay High Court in July 2008 and was elevated as the Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court on October 15, 2022.

Before his elevation to the bench, he practised at the bar for over 23 years in civil, criminal, labour, and administrative law matters in the district and sessions court and in constitutional matters at the Aurangabad Bench of the Bombay High Court.

The Collegium had decided to fill up the sole vacancy in the Supreme court by recommending his name after Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul retired on December 25.