At a ceremony held this morning at 10:00 am in the Ganatantra Mandap of Rashtrapati Bhavan, Justice Surya Kant was sworn in as the 53rd Chief Justice of India. He took the oath of office in the presence of the President of India, succeeding Justice B.R. Gavai.

Appointed on October 30 as the next Chief Justice of India, Justice Kant will serve a tenure of nearly 15 months, retiring on February 9, 2027, upon turning 65. Born on February 10, 1962, in Haryana’s Hisar district to a middle-class family, Justice Surya Kant’s journey from a small-town lawyer to the country’s highest judicial position has been marked by perseverance and distinguished legal acumen.

His Supreme Court tenure includes key decisions related to:

• The abrogation of Article 370 and the removal of Jammu & Kashmir’s special status.
• The Pegasus spyware case, where he was part of the bench that appointed an independent committee to investigate allegations of unlawful surveillance.
• Keeping the colonial-era sedition law in abeyance, with directions that no new FIRs be registered while the government reviews the provision.
• Electoral transparency, including prompting the Election Commission to release details on 65 lakh voters excluded from Bihar’s draft rolls during the Special Intensive Revision.
• Gender justice and grassroots democracy, exemplified by reinstating a woman sarpanch removed unfairly from office and calling out systemic gender bias.
• Reserving one-third seats for women in bar associations, including the Supreme Court Bar Association.