Ranjana Desai (Indian Former Supreme Court Judge) Age, Biography, F.

Quick Info

Profession	Former Supreme Court Judge
Nationality	Indian
Date of Birth	30/10/1949
Age	76 years
Birthplace	Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Latest News about Ranjana Desai

28/10/2025

Ranjana Prakash Desai was appointed chairperson of India’s 8th Central Pay Commission by the Union Cabinet, making her the first woman to lead a Central Pay Commission in the country. The commission was set up to review salaries, allowances, and pensions for central government employees and pensioners, and was given an 18-month mandate to submit its recommendations.

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Bio/Wiki

Full Name	Ranjana Prakash Desai

Physical Stats & More

Eye Color	Black
Hair Color	Salt & Pepper

Educational Qualification(s)

School	Balmohan Vidyamandir, Shivaji Park, Mumbai, Maharashtra
College/University	Elphinstone College, Mumbai Government Law College, Mumbai
Degrees	Bachelor of Arts (BA) from Elphinstone College, Mumbai (1970) Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the Government Law College, Mumbai (1973)

Personal Life

Religion	Hinduism
Marital Status	Married

Family

Father	Shamrao Samant (criminal lawyer)
Mother	Sharayu (homemaker)
Siblings	2 sisters: Rekha Pandya (doctor), Kirti Gupte
Spouse	Prakash Desai (doctor)
Children	Son - Mike Desai (lawyer)

Career

Major Designations	Judge of the Bombay High Court (1996–2011) Judge of the Supreme Court of India (2011-2014) Government Pleader (1979) Special Public Prosecutor for preventive detention matters (1986) Chairperson of the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity Chairperson of the Advance Ruling Authority (Income Tax) Chairperson of the Delimitation Commission of India (2020) Chairperson of the Press Council of India Head of the Uttarakhand committee for a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Head of the Search Committee for Lokpal Head of the 8th Pay Commission Head of the Gujarat panel on Uniform Civil Code (2025)
Achievements	Bar Council Gold Medal (1973) Fifth woman to be a Supreme Court judge in India Chairperson of the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity Chairperson of the Advance Ruling Authority (Income Tax) Chairperson of the Delimitation Commission of India Chairperson of the Press Council of India Head of the Uttarakhand committee for a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) First woman to be appointed Chairperson of a Central Pay Commission in India
Notable Cases/Contributions	Directed the government to stop the Hajj subsidy by 2022 Part of the three-judge group that announced NOTA option in elections Took initiative as a prosecutor along with Justice JN Patel in 1993 to set up the special court at Arthur Road to try the serial bomb blasts case Formed an all-women bench with Justice Gyan Sudha Misra in April 2013

Some Lesser Known Facts

1. Her mother, Sharayu Desai, graduated in Western Philosophy from Wilson College in Bombay.
2. Initially, Ranjana wanted to be a lawyer, but her father suggested she attend the London School of Economics instead.
3. She received her first case while working in a small room on the 4th floor of the Yusuf Building in Fort, Bombay.
4. Her father was very protective about her career, yet her mother supported her in pursuing law.
5. VR Manohar, then Advocate General of Maharashtra, encouraged her not to resign despite not getting a promotion.
6. She piloted significant legal changes such as the introduction of NOTA in elections, enhancing voter choice.
7. She enrolled as an advocate on 30/07/1973 and worked as a junior to Justice Pratap and her father Shri S.G. Samant.

Ranjana Desai Former Supreme Court Judge Indian Mumbai, Maharashtra, India