Justice Surya Kant appointed as next Chief Justice of India; to assume office on November 24

Digital Desk

Justice Surya Kant, the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court, has been appointed as the next Chief Justice of India (CJI). He will take charge on November 24, a day after the retirement of the incumbent CJI BR Gava.

The appointment was announced by Union Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal, who 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 November 24, 2025. I convey my heartiest congratulations and best wishes to him.”

CJI Gavai had earlier, on October 27, recommended Justice Surya Kant’s name to the Centre as his successor. This followed the Union government’s letter dated October 23, seeking the recommendation in accordance with established convention.

Justice Surya Kant’s tenure as CJI will last until February 9, 2027, giving him a term of roughly 14 months. Supreme Court judges retire at the age of 65.

Early life and career

Born on February 10, 1962, in Petwad village, Hisar (Haryana), Justice Surya Kant completed his graduation from State Postgraduate College, Hisar, in 1981, and earned his law degree from Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, in 1984.

He began his legal practice at the Hisar District Court in 1984 and moved to the Punjab and Haryana High Court a year later. Designated a senior advocate in March 2001, he went on to serve as the Advocate General of Haryana before being appointed a permanent judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on January 9, 2004. He was elevated to the Supreme Court on May 24, 2019.

Justice Surya Kant will be the first person from Haryana to become the Chief Justice of India.

Humble beginnings

Coming from a modest background, Justice Surya Kant grew up in a small village where his father worked as a schoolteacher. He attended a local school that didn’t even have benches and helped his family with agricultural work. Remarkably, he saw a city for the first time when he travelled to Hansi to appear for his 10th-grade board exams.

Landmark judgments

During his judicial career, Justice Surya Kant has been part of several significant Constitution Benches and has contributed to over 1,000 judgments spanning constitutional, human rights, and administrative law. Notable cases include:

Upholding the 2023 abrogation of Article 370.
Part of the Punjab and Haryana High Court bench (2017) that ordered a complete clean-up of Dera Sacha Sauda after the violence linked to Gurmeet Ram Rahim’s conviction.
Member of the bench that suspended the colonial-era sedition law, directing that no new FIRs be registered under it until the government’s review.
Ordered one-third reservation for women in bar associations, including the Supreme Court Bar Association.
Part of the seven-judge bench that overturned the 1967 Aligarh Muslim University decision, allowing a review of the university’s minority status.
Member of the bench in the Pegasus spyware case, which formed a committee of cyber experts to probe allegations of illegal surveillance.
Directed the Election Commission to publish details of 6.5 million names deleted during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists in Bihar, reinforcing transparency in the electoral process