Justice Surya Kant on Monday took oath as the 53rd Chief Justice of India at a formal ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office in Hindi at 10 am, marking the beginning of his nearly 15-month tenure. He will hold the post until February 9, 2027.
Justice Kant succeeds Justice Bhushan R. Gavai, who retired on November 23 after serving a little over six months as CJI. Following tradition, Justice Gavai had recommended Justice Kant’s name as his successor in late October, after which the President officially appointed him.
The swearing-in ceremony was attended by some of the highest-ranking leaders in the country, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vice-President CP Radhakrishnan, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah. Several former and sitting Supreme Court judges, chief justices from neighbouring countries, legal luminaries, and dignitaries from political and administrative fields were also present. Delegations from Nepal, Bhutan, Mauritius, Malaysia, Brazil, Sri Lanka and Kenya were among the international attendees.
Justice Surya Kant has made it clear that tackling the massive backlog of cases in the judicial system will be one of his top priorities. Speaking to reporters shortly before assuming office, he said reducing pendency and expanding mediation pathways will be central to his approach.
“With nearly 90,000 cases pending in the Supreme Court, clearing older matters is essential. Mediation can be a game changer,” he said, adding that he aims to encourage alternative dispute resolution mechanisms and activate more Constitution Benches to handle key legal questions stuck for years.
Born on February 10, 1962, in Hisar, Haryana, Justice Surya Kant grew up in a middle-class household. He earned his law degree from Maharishi Dayanand University in 1984 and later topped his Master’s programme in law at Kurukshetra University in 2011.
His legal career progressed rapidly. At just 38, he became the youngest Advocate General of Haryana in 2000. He was appointed as a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2004 and later served as Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court before being elevated to the Supreme Court on May 24, 2019.
Over the years, Justice Kant has been part of several significant rulings involving free speech, gender equality, the environment, democracy, corruption laws and the historic Article 370 case.
His elevation continues the long-standing tradition of appointing the senior-most judge as the Chief Justice of India – a practice that has been broken only twice since Independence.
As the new CJI, Justice Surya Kant takes charge at a time when expectations are high and judicial reforms are being widely discussed. His tenure will be closely watched as he steps into one of the most influential roles in the country’s constitutional framework.