Justice Surya Kant took oath as the 53rd Chief Justice of India on Monday, officially beginning his term as the country’s top judge. He will serve for almost 15 months and remain in office until February 9, 2027, which is when he turns 65.

The oath ceremony was held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, where President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office. Many important leaders attended the event, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, along with other dignitaries. Justice Surya Kant replaces Justice Bhushan R. Gavai, who retired. After taking oath, he greeted the former CJI and the two shared a warm hug.

Justice Surya Kant was appointed as the next Chief Justice of India under Article 124(2) of the Constitution, based on the recommendation of the outgoing Chief Justice. Speaking before the ceremony, he said that his biggest priority will be reducing the large number of pending cases in courts across the country. He said he will work together with all High Courts to understand the reasons behind delays and find solutions to ensure faster hearings in lower courts and the Supreme Court.

Early life and career

Justice Surya Kant was born on February 10, 1962, in Haryana. He began his legal career in Hisar in 1984 and later shifted to Chandigarh, where he practised at the Punjab and Haryana High Court. During his career, he handled important cases related to constitutional matters, civil disputes, and service matters. He represented many organisations, including government bodies, universities, banks, and corporations.

In July 2000, he became the youngest Advocate General of Haryana. In 2001, he was designated a senior advocate, and on January 9, 2004, he was appointed a permanent judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. He then served as the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court beginning in October 2018, and was later elevated to the Supreme Court on May 24, 2019. Since November 2024, he has also worked as the Chairman of the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee.

Major judgments

In the past few years, the Supreme Court has taken up several important and impactful matters. It handled the case concerning the abrogation of Article 370 and also looked into serious allegations around the Pegasus spyware controversy. It has also put the old colonial sedition law on hold and instructed that no new cases should be filed under it until it is reviewed.

Apart from this the Supreme Court also questioned the Election Commission after nearly 65 lakh voters were reportedly removed from Bihar’s voter list, seeking clarity and accountability. It ordered a detailed inquiry into the security lapse during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Punjab visit in 2022.

Alongside these, the court upheld the One Rank-One Pension (OROP) scheme for defence personnel, supporting the long-standing demand of veterans. A seven-judge bench also revisited history by overturning the 1967 judgment concerning the status of Aligarh Muslim University.

In another progressive move, the court directed that women must be given one-third reservation in bar associations across the country, including the Supreme Court Bar Association. It also stood up against gender discrimination by reinstating a woman sarpanch who had been unfairly removed from her position.