Background

♤ Recently, the President nominated the former Chief Justice of India, Ranjan Gogoi to the Rajya Sabha.

♤ The President has used his powers under Article 80 (1)(a) to nominate 12 persons having special knowledge or practical experience in respect of such matters as the following: Literature, science, art and social service.

♤ Ranjan Gogoi was nominated to the Rajya Sabha within six months of his retirement as the 46th Chief Justice of India

Previous Instances of such appointments-

♤ Justice Ranganath Mishra- He was appointed to the Rajya Sabha six years after he demitted office as CJI.

♤ Justice Baharul Islam- He was a Rajya Sabha member and then became a High Court judge, then Supreme Court judge and finally became a Rajya Sabha member again.

♤ Justice Kawdoor Sadananda Hegde- He served as a member of the Rajya Sabha prior to his joining the Madras High Court. He was sworn into the Supreme Court in 1967.

♤ There has been a number of reactions and counter- reactions to it. A public interest litigation has also been filed in the

Supreme Court against this move.