NEW DELHI, Oct 27: Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai has officially recommended Justice Surya Kant as his successor, paving the way for his appointment as the 53rd Chief Justice of India (CJI).
Justice Surya Kant, currently the second senior-most judge of the Supreme Court, is expected to take charge on November 24, a day after CJI Gavai’s retirement. According to sources, the recommendation has been forwarded to the Union Law Ministry in line with established judicial procedures.
Justice Surya Kant, elevated to the Supreme Court on May 24, 2019, will have a tenure of over a year as CJI, retiring on February 9, 2027. Born on February 10, 1962, in Hisar, Haryana, he hails from a middle class family and has served over two decades on the bench, contributing significantly to India’s legal and constitutional jurisprudence.
A Distinguished Judicial Career
Justice Surya Kant’s tenure in the judiciary is marked by a series of landmark judgments across diverse domains — including constitutional rights, democracy, environment, gender equality, and corruption.
He was part of the bench that kept the colonial-era sedition law in abeyance, ruling that no new FIRs should be registered under it until the government completed its review. He also pushed for transparency in the electoral process by directing the Election Commission to publish details of 65 lakh names excluded from Bihar’s draft voter rolls.
Justice Surya Kant has also been credited with advancing gender representation in the legal community, directing that one-third of seats in bar associations including the Supreme Court Bar Association be reserved for women.
Key Judicial Contributions
Upheld the One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme as constitutionally valid.
Part of the seven judge bench that overruled the 1967 Aligarh Muslim University judgment, reopening the issue of the university’s minority status.
Served on the Pegasus spyware case bench, stating that the government cannot seek a “free pass” on grounds of national security.
Appointed a five member committee, led by former Justice Indu Malhotra, to probe the 2022 security breach during PM Narendra Modi’s Punjab visit.
Justice Surya Kant’s appointment will follow the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP), which stipulates that the senior most Supreme Court judge, deemed fit for the role, be appointed as the next CJI.
His elevation is expected to mark a continuation of the Supreme Court’s emphasis on judicial independence, constitutional morality, and democratic accountability.