NEW DELHI, Nov 24: Justice Surya Kant, known for his role in several landmark judgments, was sworn in on Monday as the 53rd Chief Justice of India (CJI) at a ceremony held in Rashtrapati Bhavan. President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office, with Justice Kant making a notable departure from recent tradition by taking the oath in Hindi and invoking the name of God.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who attended the ceremony, congratulated the new CJI and conveyed his best wishes for the tenure ahead. “Best wishes to him for his tenure ahead,” PM Modi wrote on X after the event. Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan, Union ministers, Haryana Chief Minister Naib Singh Saini, and dignitaries from the judiciaries of Bhutan, Kenya, Malaysia, Brazil, Mauritius, Nepal, and Sri Lanka were also present.
Justice Kant will serve a tenure of approximately 14 months, demitting office on February 9, 2027. His appointment was approved by the Centre following the recommendation of then CJI Bhushan R. Gavai.
Born on February 10, 1962, in Haryana, Justice Kant began his legal career in Hisar before shifting to the Punjab and Haryana High Court. He became the youngest Advocate General of Haryana in 2000 and was designated a senior advocate in 2001. Elevated as a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2004, he later served as Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court before his appointment to the Supreme Court in 2019.
Justice Kant has also been actively involved in legal service institutions, having served on the Governing Body of NALSA and currently holding positions in committees of the Indian Law Institute. Since November 2024, he has chaired the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee.
