Indu Malhotra has become the first woman lawyer to be directly appointed as a Supreme Court judge. CJI Dipak Mishra administered her the oath of office this morning. Her appointment comes amid a politically-orchestrated row over the government's rejection of Uttarakhand Chief Justice KM Joseph's elevation. Ms. Malhotra was one of the two people recommended by the SC collegium to be elevated to the top court bench. She is 61. She is the seventh woman judge in the top court since Independence. Only six women judges have made it to the Supreme Court so far. Other women judges were elevated to the Supreme Court from high courts. The law ministry's approval to Ms. Malhotra's name on Wednesday came after the collegium, headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, recommended Justice Joseph and Ms. Malhotra's name for the top court in January. Indu Malhotra has been a prominent senior advocate regularly appearing in educational matters connected to medical and engineering colleges. She was one of the members of the Vishaka Committee on sexual harassment at workplaces. She was also part of a 10-member committee formed by the top court to deal with complaints of sexual harassment within the court. She was the second woman to be designated as a senior advocate in the Supreme Court in 2007 after a gap of over 30 years. The first woman judge of the top court was Justice Fathima Beevi who was appointed in 1989, 39 years after the Supreme Court was set up in 1950.