Who was the first woman lawyer in India to be directly appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court of India from the bar, without first serving as a judge in any lower court or High Court?

Introduction / Context:
This question checks awareness about important firsts in the history of the Supreme Court of India and the progress of women in the legal profession. Knowing who became the first woman lawyer directly elevated from the bar to the Supreme Court helps you follow major institutional milestones and improves current affairs based general knowledge for exams.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- The question is about a woman lawyer in India.
- She was directly appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court of India.
- She was elevated from the bar and not from a High Court judgeship.
- The options list well known women lawyers and public figures connected with law and public life.

Concept / Approach:
To answer, you need to recall which woman senior advocate was the first to be appointed straight from legal practice to the Supreme Court bench. Earlier women judges of the Supreme Court, such as Justice M Fathima Beevi, came through the judicial service and High Courts. The special feature here is direct elevation from the bar, which is rare and notable.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify women in the options who are senior advocates with strong Supreme Court practice. Step 2: Remember that Indu Malhotra was a senior advocate in the Supreme Court and was widely covered in the news when she took oath as a judge of the Supreme Court. Step 3: Recall that the media highlighted her appointment as the first woman lawyer directly elevated from the bar to the Supreme Court bench. Step 4: Confirm that others in the list, such as Vrinda Grover, Menaka Guruswamy, and Meenakshi Arora, are renowned advocates but have not been appointed as Supreme Court judges. Step 5: Therefore the only option that fits the historic description in the question is Indu Malhotra.

Verification / Alternative Check:
Another way to verify is to remember that before this appointment, women judges in the Supreme Court were former High Court judges. News reports clearly described Justice Indu Malhotra as the first woman lawyer to be directly appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court of India from the bar, confirming that she is the correct choice.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Vrinda Grover is a prominent human rights lawyer but has not served as a Supreme Court judge.
Menaka Guruswamy is a well known constitutional lawyer but has not been appointed to the Supreme Court bench.
Meenakshi Arora is a senior advocate of the Supreme Court, yet she has not been made a Supreme Court judge.
Kiran Bedi is a former IPS officer and administrator, not a Supreme Court judge or practising senior advocate of the Supreme Court.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to confuse the first woman judge of the Supreme Court with the first woman lawyer directly elevated from the bar. Justice M Fathima Beevi was the first woman judge of the Supreme Court, but she was not directly appointed from the bar. Another error is to choose any famous woman lawyer without focusing on the specific condition of direct elevation from legal practice.

Final Answer:
The correct answer is Indu Malhotra, the first woman lawyer in India to be directly appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court of India from the bar.