Justice Surya Kant is set to become the 53rd Chief Justice of India (CJI) following the recommendation of incumbent CJI Bhushan R. Gavai to the Union Government. The Law Ministry stated on Thursday that Justice Kant will take his oath of office on November 24, a day after Justice Gavai retires.
Justice Kant, currently the senior-most judge on the Supreme Court bench, was the expected successor. The recommendation process began when the Law Ministry, in line with established convention, requested CJI Gavai’s suggestion for the next eligible senior-most judge to take up the top judicial post.
Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal posted on X, “In exercise of the powers conferred by the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint Shri Justice Surya Kant, Judge of the Supreme Court of India as the Chief Justice of India with effect from 24th November, 2025. I convey my heartiest congratulations and best wishes to him.”
CJI Bhushan R. Gavai, who became the 52nd Chief Justice of India in May 2025, is scheduled to retire on November 23. Justice Surya Kant will assume office immediately upon this retirement. His tenure as the head of the Indian judiciary is expected to last for approximately 14 months, until his own scheduled retirement on February 9, 2027, news agency IANS reported.
According to the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) governing judicial appointments, the senior-most Supreme Court judge deemed fit for the role is to be appointed as the CJI.
About Justice Surya Kant
Justice Kant, born on February 10, 1962, hails from a middle-class family in Haryana. He completed his graduation from Government Post Graduate College, Hisar, in 1981, and obtained his law degree from Maharishi Dayanand University, Rohtak, in 1984.
His legal career began at the District Court in Hisar in 1984 before he moved to Chandigarh in 1985 to practise at the Punjab and Haryana High Court, as detailed on the Supreme Court’s official website. Justice Kant primarily specialised in constitutional, service, and civil matters, representing a variety of institutions including several universities, banks, corporations, and the High Court itself.
Justice Surya Kant’s Rise To Supreme Court
Justice Kant holds the distinction of having served as the youngest Advocate General of Haryana, an appointment he received on July 7, 2000. He was subsequently designated as a Senior Advocate in March 2001 and continued in the Advocate General role until his elevation to a permanent judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on January 9, 2004.
He went on to hold several key positions, including serving as a member of the Governing Body of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) for two consecutive terms (February 2007 to February 2011). Prior to his Supreme Court tenure, he assumed charge as the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court on October 5, 2018. Justice Surya Kant was elevated to the Supreme Court of India on May 24, 2019.
