Markandey Katju

Ex-Justice Markandey Katju


Chairman, Press Council of India
In office 5 October 2011 – 5 October 2014
Judge, Supreme Court of India
In office 10 April 2006 – 19 September 2011
Chief Justice, Delhi High Court
In office 12 October 2005 – 10 April 2006
Chief Justice, Madras High Court
In office 28 November 2004 – 10 October 2005
Personal details
Born	(1946-09-20) 20 September 1946 (age 70)
Spouse(s)	Rupa
Parents	Shiva Nath Katju
Religion	Atheist

Justice Markandey Katju is the former Chairman, Press Council of India. Prior to his appointment as Chairman, Press Council of India, he served as a Judge at the Supreme Court of India. Before being elevated as a judge to the Supreme Court, he had earlier served as the Chief Justice of Delhi High Court, Madras High Court, and as acting Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court.

Markandey Katju was born on 20 September 1946 in Lucknow, British India, in a Kashmiri Pandit family. He topped the merit list of the Allahabad University's LL.B. examination in 1967. He was awarded Honoris Causa a Doctor of Philosophy from Lal Bahadur Shastri Sanskrit University, New Delhi, for his book Mimansa Rules of Interpretation, and a Doctorate of Law from Amity University. He is an Honorary Professor of Law at the National Law University, Delhi and Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia National Law University, Lucknow. Katju's background is related to law and politics. His father was S. N. Katju, formerly a Judge of the Allahabad High Court. His grandfather Dr. Kailash Nath Katju, was one of India's leading lawyers and participated in the country's freedom movement. Dr. K. N. Katju was the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, the Governor of West Bengal and Odisha, as well as the Union Law, Home and Defence Minister. Katju's uncle was B.N. Katju, the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court. The academic Tilottama Mukherji Tharoor, first wife of Shashi Tharoor, is a cousin to Katju. Her mother was the sister of Katju's father.