Who is Justice B Sudershan Reddy: A Vanguard for Education and Judicial Independence?

New Delhi, Aug 19 (NationPress) The Supreme Court’s Justice (Retd) B. Sudershan Reddy, who is the Opposition’s candidate for the upcoming Vice Presidential election, boasts a remarkable legal career distinguished by a progressive and socially-aware approach to justice, access to education, and judicial independence.

Throughout his tenure at the apex court from January 2007 to July 2011, and during his time as Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court and a Judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, Justice Reddy placed significant emphasis on access to education and judicial independence.

He voiced strong opposition to policies that restrict access to higher education, especially for marginalized communities.

Justice Reddy criticized practices such as reserving all seats in institutions like the Army College of Medical Sciences exclusively for children of Army personnel, even if they qualified for the entrance examination.

He warned that denying quality higher education to a significant portion of youth from disadvantaged backgrounds could lead to a 'social emergency' with severe repercussions.

Justice Reddy was appointed as a permanent Judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court on May 2, 1995, and was elevated to Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court on December 5, 2005, advocating for judicial independence.

In a case regarding the disclosure of Supreme Court judges' assets under the Right to Information Act (RTI), Justice Reddy referred the issue to a larger bench, raising critical questions about the balance between transparency and judicial independence.

Born on July 8, 1946, in Rangareddy district, Andhra Pradesh, Justice Reddy completed his B.A., LL.B. and registered as an Advocate in Hyderabad with the Bar Council of Andhra Pradesh on December 27, 1971, practicing in Writ and Civil matters.

He served as Government Pleader in the High Court from 1988 to 1990 and was Additional Standing Counsel for the Central government for six months in 1990.

While in legal practice, he was also a Legal Adviser and Standing Counsel for Osmania University.

Justice Reddy is recognized for enhancing the guidelines on public interest litigation (PIL). In one of his rulings, he stated that High Court judges should not initiate suo motu investigations based solely on anonymous letters or petitions alleging misconduct.

Post-retirement in 2022, the Supreme Court appointed Justice Reddy as an oversight authority for the implementation of the Comprehensive Environmental Plan for Mining Impact Zone linked to mining activities in Karnataka.

The upcoming Vice Presidential election on September 9 has been labeled by Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge as an 'ideological battle', with Justice Reddy likely facing a loss against NDA candidate C.P. Radhakrishnan due to the ruling coalition’s numerical advantage.

“We will submit the nomination on August 21,” Kharge announced at a media briefing, indicating that a strategy meeting for Opposition parties will occur at the Central Hall of Parliament.

The Vice Presidential election was prompted by the mid-term resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar, who left the position on July 21 for health-related reasons.