October 31, 2025

NEW DELHI: Justice Ranjana Desai, who retired from the Supreme Court in 2014, hasn’t sat back to relax. At 76, she is the powerhouse heading six big commissions across India! From electricity disputes to the uniform civil code, and even pay revisions for central government employees, she is the go-to expert. Known for her sharp legal mind and honesty, Justice Desai was part of the famous bench that confirmed the death sentence for Ajmal Kasab, a terrorist in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. She also played a key role in a 2012 case, where the bench, led by Justice Aftab Alam, rejected the CBI's plea to cancel bail for Amit Shah, moving the trial from Ahmedabad to Mumbai. Soon after retiring on October 29, 2014, she started her new journey. Just over a month later, she became chairperson of the appellate tribunal for electricity, a post she held till November 30, 2017. Then she took charge of the Advance Ruling Authority for Income Tax till October 29, 2019. In 2018, Justice Desai led the eight-member Lokpal search committee, and in August 2023, she was asked to head the newly formed committee again. After the government scrapped Article 370, she was appointed in March 2020 to chair the delimitation commission for Jammu & Kashmir. The commission wrapped up its work by May 2022, helping hold assembly elections there. Her work didn’t stop! The Uttarakhand government made her lead a team to draft the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) for the state in May 2022. Just a month later, the Union government chose her as the chairperson of the Press Council of India (PCI). Following her report on Uttarakhand’s UCC, Gujarat appointed her in February 2024 to head a five-member committee to decide if UCC is needed there. Despite managing the PCI, the Union government also named her chairperson of the Eighth Central Pay Commission. This vital commission has 18 months to suggest pay scale changes, pay revisions, and pension improvements for all central government employees. Clearly, Justice Ranjana Desai is a legal star who keeps shining bright, juggling multiple important roles with skill and dedication. India’s future laws and policies are in capable hands!

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Tags: Justice ranjana desai, Commissions, Uniform civil code, Central government employees, Delimitation commission, Press council of india,