Senior advocate Indu Malhotra on Friday took oath of office as Supreme Court judge, becoming the first woman lawyer to enter the top judiciary directly.

Justice Malhotra was sworn in amid raging controversy over the Narendra Modi government returning recommendation on Justice K.M. Joseph. Sixty one-year old Malhotra’s name, cleared by the government, was one of the two recommended by the collegium to be elevated to the apex court bench.

She was administered the oath of office by Chief Justice Dipak Misra. With her swearing in, the strength of the top court judges rose to 25 — still six short of the actual sanctioned strength of 31.

It is for the first time that the apex court has two women judges — the other being Justice R. Banumathi.

Malhotra is the seventh woman judge in the top court since Independence as only six women judges have made it to the Supreme Court so far. Other women judges were elevated to the apex court from high courts.

Justice Fathima Beevi was the first woman judge of the Supreme Court. The second woman judge in the Supreme Court was Justice Sujata V Manohar, who started her career as a judge from the Bombay High Court and rose to become the chief justice of Kerala High Court.

She was followed by Justice Ruma Pal, Justice Gyan Sudha Misra, Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai and Justice Banumathi.

On Thursday, a Law Ministry communique had said: “In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (2) of article 124 of the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint Ms Indu Malhotra, to be judge of the Supreme Court of India with effect from the date she assumes charge of her office.”

Her name was approved by the SC collegium on January 10, with a resolution of the apex court saying, “In our considered opinion, at present, Indu Malhotra, Senior Advocate is eminently suitable for being appointed as a Judge in the Supreme Court.”

While Malhotra’s name was recommended by the collegium for elevation along with that of Uttarakhand High Court Chief Justice K M Joseph, the Centre has sought reconsideration of the proposal for the latter.

Malhotra was born in Bangalore and after her schooling from Carmel Convent School in New Delhi, she did her B.A. (Hons.) in Political Science from Lady Shri Ram College. She obtained her law degree from the Faculty of Law in Delhi University.

(With inputs from agencies)