Justice Surya Kant was sworn in as the 53rd Chief Justice of India (CJI) in a ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Monday. President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office to the new Chief Justice, who pledged to uphold the Constitution in a ceremony conducted in Hindi.
The event was attended by a host of senior leaders, including Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In a gesture of courtesy, the outgoing Chief Justice, Justice Gavai, who demitted office on Sunday, warmly embraced his successor. Demonstrating a seamless transition, Justice Gavai ensured the official vehicle was immediately available for the new CJI’s use.
Chief Justice Kant, born in Hisar, Haryana, brings a wealth of experience to the top judicial post. He commenced his legal career at the Hisar District Court and was later appointed as the youngest Advocate General of Haryana. After being elevated as a Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2004, he served as the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court before his appointment to the Supreme Court in 2019.
His tenure at the Supreme Court has been marked by involvement in several landmark cases. Justice Kant was part of the constitutional benches that adjudicated on the abrogation of Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and the historic ruling that struck down the electoral bonds scheme as unconstitutional. He has also been associated with significant hearings concerning the Pegasus spyware case and the suspension of the sedition law.
With a tenure lasting a little over a year, as he is set to retire on February 9, 2027, the new Chief Justice has identified tackling the massive backlog of cases, which number nearly 90,000, as his immediate and foremost priority. The judiciary and the nation will be watching closely as he leads the Supreme Court in its crucial functions.
