Justice Surya Kant: 53rd Chief Justice of India (CJI)

On 24 November 2025, Justice Surya Kant was administered the oath of office as the 53rd Chief Justice of India by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Appointment and Tenure

• Appointed by: The President of India under Article 124(2)

• Tenure: Around 14 months (will retire on 9 February 2027)

• Historic First: For the first time, Chief Justices from seven countries attended a CJI’s oath ceremony — Bhutan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mauritius, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Brazil.

Personal Background

• Born: 10 February 1962, Hisar, Haryana

• Education: Law degree from Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak (1984)

• Notable: First Chief Justice of India from Haryana

Key Judgements

• Article 370: Part of the five-judge bench that upheld the abrogation of Article 370

• Women’s Reservation in Bar Associations: Directed 1/3 representation for women in bar bodies

• Aligarh Muslim University Minority Status: Member of the bench delivering a crucial ruling

• Bihar SIR Case: Directed the Election Commission of India to publish the list of 65 lakh deleted voters to ensure electoral transparency

Chief Justice of India: Key Facts

• Under Article 124(2), the President appoints judges of the Supreme Court including the CJI.

• Traditionally, the senior-most judge is appointed as CJI (a convention, not a legal rule).

Eligibility for CJI

A person must be:
• A citizen of India
• A judge of a High Court for at least 5 years, or
• An advocate in a High Court for 10 years, or
• In the President’s opinion, a distinguished jurist

Removal of the CJI

The CJI can only be removed by the President after a motion passed by both Houses of Parliament with a special majority.

Important Facts About the Supreme Court of India

• Motto: Yato Dharmas Tato Jaya (Where there is righteousness, there is victory)

• First Chief Justice of British India: Sir Maurice Linford Gwyer (1937–1943)

• First CJI of Independent India: Justice H. J. Kania (14 Aug 1947 – 26 Jan 1950)

• Longest-serving CJI: Justice Y. V. Chandrachud (22 Feb 1978 – 11 Jul 1985)

• Shortest-serving CJI: Justice Kamal Narain Singh — 17 days (25 Nov–12 Dec 1991)

• First Chief Justice from Scheduled Castes: Justice K. G. Balakrishnan

• First Muslim CJI: Justice Mohammad Hidayatullah (1968–1970)

• First Woman Judge of the Supreme Court: Justice M. Fathima Beevi (6 Oct 1989 – 29 Apr 1992)