Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, who headed the Uttarakhand and Gujarat Uniform Civil Code committees, has been named as the new chairperson of the 8th Pay Commission by the Centre.

The retired judge was confirmed as the chief of the 8th Pay Commission on Tuesday, on the same when the Cabinet issues its nod for the pay panel's formation.

Justice Desai joined the legal profession on July 30, 1973 after completing her Bachelor of Laws from the Government Law College, Bombay.

During her initial years, she worked under Justice Pratap, as his junior when he was at the bar. She got the opportunity to appear in several civil and criminal matters while working as a junior. She also worked with her father S.G. Samant who was an eminent criminal lawyer.

In 1979, she was appointed as Government Pleader and in 1986, she climbed up the ladder to serve as Special Public Prosecutor for preventive detention matters.

Justice Desai got appointed as the Government Pleader, Appellate Side, High Court of Bombay on Nov 1, 1995, from there she was promoted to the Bench of Bombay High Court on April 15, 1996. At the last leg of her judicial career, she was elevated as a Judge of Supreme Court of India on Sept. 13, 2011. After serving as a justice in the apex court, she retired on Oct. 29, 2014.