Who is Justice MS Ratna Sri Ramachandra Rao? The New Chief Justice of Tripura HC

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Justice M.S. Ratna Sri Ramachandra Rao is the ninth Chief Justice of the Tripura High Court.
- His appointment follows a recommendation from the Supreme Court Collegium.
- Governor Indra Sena Reddy Nallu administered the oath.
- Justice Rao has an extensive judicial background.
- The Tripura High Court was formed in March 2013.
Agartala, July 22 (NationPress) Justice M.S. Ratna Sri Ramachandra Rao took his oath as the ninth Chief Justice of the Tripura High Court on Tuesday. This significant appointment was made following the Supreme Court Collegium's recommendation in May and received the Union government's approval on July 14.
The oath was administered by Governor Indra Sena Reddy Nallu during a modest ceremony held in the Durbar Hall of Raj Bhavan.
Attendees included Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, various cabinet members, esteemed dignitaries, and senior civil and security officials.
Justice Rao, who previously served as the Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court, succeeds Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh, who has been transferred to the Telangana High Court.
The Tripura High Court was established in March 2013, alongside the full-fledged High Courts in Meghalaya and Manipur. Prior to this, all northeastern states, except Sikkim, were managed under the Gauhati High Court.
Born on August 7, 1966, in Hyderabad, Justice Rao earned a B.Sc. (Hons.) in Mathematics from Bhavans New Science College, Osmania University, where he excelled academically. He graduated with an LL.B. from the same university in 1989, earning the CVSS Acharyulu Gold Medal for achieving the highest marks in his final year.
He became an advocate on September 7, 1989, and secured an LL.M. from the University of Cambridge, UK, in 1991. Notably, Justice Rao's father, Justice M. Jagannadha Rao, was a former Judge of the Supreme Court of India (1997-2000) and a former Chairman of the Law Commission of India.
Justice Rao's grandfather also served as a Judge of the High Court of Andhra Pradesh from 1960-1961. He was appointed as an Additional Judge of the High Court of Andhra Pradesh on June 29, 2012, and took on the role of Judge of the High Court on December 4, 2013.
He briefly served as the acting Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court and was a Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court until May 29, 2023.
On May 30, 2023, he was sworn in as the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court after his elevation from the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Justice Rao was appointed Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court on September 21, 2024, and took the oath on September 25, 2024.