Appointment and oath
V. Mohana, a senior advocate from Coimbatore district, was sworn in as a judge of the Supreme Court on Monday. The Supreme Court collegium headed by the Chief Justice had recommended her name, and the Union government issued the appointment order on Sunday.
Early encouragement and family background
According to accounts of her journey, Mohana’s mother, Kaveri Ammal, recognised her speaking skills and interest in debates at a young age and encouraged her to pursue law. Mohana was born in Pollachi, Coimbatore, in a large family of 13 children, where hard work, discipline and education were emphasised.
Education and struggle
Her father, Venkita Subramani Iyer, served in the Army and later worked as an entomologist with the Tamil Nadu government, shaping the family’s disciplined outlook. Mohana received national-level scholarships from Class 10 through her undergraduate studies and joined the first batch of the integrated five-year B.A. LL.B. programme at Coimbatore Law College in 1983, when facilities were limited. She stayed in a women’s hostel and took tuition to meet expenses, graduating in 1988.
Legal career and recognition
Mohana began her practice in Coimbatore, working long hours, and moved to Delhi in 1992. After training under advocate Indu Malhotra, she worked with senior advocates including C.S. Vaidyanathan, Kapil Sibal, K.K. Venugopal, P. Chidambaram and Arun Jaitley, and was designated a senior advocate in the Supreme Court in 2015.
A notable milestone
She becomes the second woman, after Indu Malhotra, to be elevated directly from the Bar to the Supreme Court bench. Mohana has appeared in significant matters including senior citizens’ property rights and the Karnataka hijab ban case, the report noted.
