The Central government on Tuesday notified the appointment of Sikkim High Court Justice Meenakshi Madan Rai as the next Chief Justice of the Patna High Court.

Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal took to X to convey the development.

Her appointment follows the recommendation made by the Supreme Court Collegium at its meeting held on May 22.

Justice Sangam Kumar Sahoo is currently serving as the Chief Justice of the Patna High Court. Justice Rai will take charge after his retirement on June 4.

Born on July 12, 1964, Justice Rai completed her schooling in Gangtok and Kurseong. She pursued Political Science (Honours) from Lady Shri Ram College in Delhi and later obtained her law degree from Delhi University's Campus Law Centre in 1989.

She enrolled with the Bar Council of Delhi in 1990 and practised before the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court.

In December 1990, she joined the Sikkim Judicial Service as Judicial Magistrate First Class-cum-Civil Judge, becoming the first woman from Sikkim to be appointed to the post.

During her judicial career, she served in several capacities including Chief Judicial Magistrate, District and Sessions Judge, Registrar General of the Sikkim High Court and Principal District and Sessions Judge.

Justice Rai was elevated as a permanent judge of the Sikkim High Court on April 15, 2015. She was the first woman from Sikkim to be elevated to the High Court Bench.

She has also served as the acting Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court on several occasions.