New Delhi: Justice Gopal Ballav Pattanaik, senior most judge of the Supreme Court, has been appointed the Chief Justice of India with effect from November 8.

Justice Pattanaik will succeed Chief Justice B N Kirpal, who retires on November 8.

Justice Pattanaik will have a short tenure of one-and-half months as Chief Justice of India and would retire on December 19, 2002.

Born on December 19, 1937, Justice Pattanaik did his graduation in science before attaining his bachelor's degree in Law.

He was enrolled as an advocate on February 28, 1962 and practised civil, criminal, constitutional and company cases in the Orissa High Court and Supreme Court.

He was appointed, as a Judge of the Orissa High Court on June 1, 1983 and on May 19, 1995 became the Chief Justice of Patna High Court. He was appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court on September 11, 1995.

PTI