Justice Surya Kant appointed as 53rd Chief Justice of India
Justice Surya Kant, the second senior-most judge of the Supreme Court, has been appointed as the 53rd Chief Justice of India. His tenure will begin on November 24, following the retirement of the incumbent Chief Justice, Justice B.R. Gavai, on November 23.
The appointment was confirmed by Union Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, who announced, “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 November 24, 2025.” The minister also extended his congratulations and best wishes to Justice Kant on his elevation.
In accordance with established convention, Justice Gavai had earlier recommended Justice Kant’s name to the government as his successor. Justice Kant will serve as Chief Justice until February 9, 2027.
Born on February 10, 1962, in Petwar village in the Narnaud region of Hisar, Haryana, Justice Kant is the youngest of five siblings. His father was a Sanskrit teacher and his mother a homemaker. Educated in local village schools, he graduated from the Government Post Graduate College, Hisar, in 1981 and earned his LL.B. from Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, in 1984. Many years later, while serving as a High Court judge, he completed his LL.M. from Kurukshetra University in 2011.
Justice Kant began his legal practice at the Hisar District Court in 1984 before moving to Chandigarh a year later, where he built a successful practice before the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Known for his meticulous preparation, he specialised in constitutional, service, and civil law, and represented several universities, corporations, and public bodies.
In July 2000, at just 38, he was appointed Advocate General of Haryana, becoming the youngest person to hold the post. He was designated a Senior Advocate the following year.
His judicial career began in January 2004, when he was appointed a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. During his time at the High Court, Justice Kant authored several significant judgments. These included recognising conjugal rights for prison inmates as part of their dignity and family life, directing the sanitisation of the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters in Sirsa after the 2017 violence following Gurmeet Ram Rahim’s conviction, and issuing comprehensive orders for coordinated anti-drug measures across Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh.
In October 2018, he was appointed Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, where he earned respect for his administrative clarity and openness with the Bar. He often emphasised that the district judiciary is the true mirror of the justice system.
Justice Kant was elevated to the Supreme Court in May 2019, alongside Justice B.R. Gavai, and has since authored over 300 judgments across constitutional, criminal, and administrative law.
He has served on several landmark benches, including the Article 370 abrogation case; the Section 6A Citizenship Act verdict; the reference affirming Aligarh Muslim University’s minority status, where he penned a notable dissent; the bench that granted bail to former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal while upholding the legality of his arrest; the five-judge bench examining the governor–president bill assent timeline, with a verdict expected soon; and the forthcoming review of the PMLA ruling concerning the Enforcement Directorate’s powers.
Outside the courtroom, Justice Kant has played a key role in legal aid and institutional reform. He has served two terms on the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) and currently serves as its Executive Chairman.
In July 2025, he launched the Veer Parivar Sahayata Yojana, a national initiative to provide free legal assistance to soldiers, veterans, and their families—a programme he described as “a fulfilment of constitutional duty.”
Justice Surya Kant’s 14-month tenure as Chief Justice is expected to focus on digitisation and procedural reform, the strengthening of district judicial infrastructure, and the hearing of several major constitutional cases.
