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The current Chief Justice of India is Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai, appointed on November 11, 2024.
Who appoints the Chief Justice of India?
The Chief Justice of India is appointed by the President of India, based on the recommendation of the outgoing CJI and other senior judges.
Who was the first woman Chief Justice of India?
India is yet to get the first woman Chief Justice of India. The first chief justice of any high court is Leila Seth.
Who is the 52nd Chief Justice of India?
Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai is the 52nd Chief Justice of India.
When did Justice B.R. Gavai take the oath of office?
Justice B.R. Gavai will took the oath of office on 14 May 2025.
List of Chief Justice of India, Appointment Process, Tenure
Chief Justice of India Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai will serve as the 52nd CJI. He succeeded CJI Sanjeev Khanna. Find the list of Chief Justices of India!
Deeksha Dixit15 May, 2025
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Chief Justice of India, B.R. Gavai, took oath of office on 14th May 2025, appointed as the 52nd Chief Justice of India (CJI). He brings with him decades of experience and an outstanding legal career. CJI B.R. Gavai will serve for the next six months and will retire on November 30.
This position carries a lot of responsibility as the CJI leads the nation’s judicial system, interprets laws, and upholds justice and democracy. For UPSC aspirants, understanding the role, selection process, and tenure of the Chief Justice of India is essential. Read on to learn about it, along with the list of all CJIs from 1950 to 2025.
CJI Justice B.R. Gavai: 52nd Chief Justice of India
Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai, born on November 24, 1960, in Amravati, Maharashtra, is the 52nd Chief Justice of India. He began his legal career in 1985 under the Bar. Raja S. Bhonsale, later practicing at the Bombay High Court and Nagpur Bench.
Over four decades, he has served as Government Pleader, Public Prosecutor, High Court Judge, and since 2019, a Supreme Court Judge. He has contributed to 700+ Benches and 300 judgments, including key constitutional rulings. Internationally, he has represented India and lectured at Columbia and Harvard. He retires on November 23, 2025.
New CJI Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai
Date of Birth (DoB)
24 November 1960
Place of Birth
Amravati, Maharashtra
Joined Bar
16 March 1985
Early Legal Training
Worked with Bar. Raja S. Bhonsale (1985–1987)
Independent Practice
Bombay High Court (1987–1990); Nagpur Bench (1990 onward)
Specialization
Constitutional & Administrative Law
Counsel Roles
Standing Counsel for Nagpur & Amravati Municipal Corporations, Amravati University
Government Roles
Asst. Govt. Pleader & Addl. Public Prosecutor (1992–1993); Govt. Pleader & Public Prosecutor (2000)
High Court Judge (Additional)
14 November 2003
High Court Judge (Permanent)
12 November 2005
Supreme Court Judge
From 24 May 2019
Chief Justice of India (CJI)
52nd Chief Justice of India
Term as SC Judge
24 May 2019 – 23 November 2025
Benches Participated
~700 Benches across diverse legal subjects
Judgments Authored
~300, including Constitution Bench rulings
Key Legal Areas
Constitutional, Civil, Criminal, Commercial, Arbitration, Environmental Law
Date of Retirement (DoR)
23 November 2025
Chief Justice of India List (1950-2025)
Since the establishment of the Supreme Court in 1950, India has had a distinguished line of 52 Chief Justices who have contributed to shaping the country's judicial landscape. Here is the complete list of Chief Justice of India from 1950 to 2025:
List of Chief Justice of India
S No.
Name
Date of Appointment
Date of Retirement
Term
1
Justice Harilal Jekisundas Kania
26/01/1950
06/11/1951
1 year 9 months 11 days
2
Justice M. Patanjali Sastri
07/11/1951
03/01/1954
2 years 1 month 27 days
3
Justice Mehr Chand Mahajan
04/01/1954
22/12/1954
11 months 18 days
4
Justice Bijan Kumar Mukherjea
23/12/1954
31/01/1956
1 year 1 month 8 days
5
Justice Sudhi Ranjan Das
01/02/1956
30/09/1959
3 years 7 months 29 days
6
Justice Bhuvneshwar Prasad Sinha
01/10/1959
31/01/1964
4 years 3 months
7
Justice P.B. Gajendragadkar
01/02/1964
15/03/1966
2 years 1 month 14 days
8
Justice A.K. Sarkar
16/03/1966
29/06/1966
3 months 13 days
9
Justice K. Subba Rao
30/06/1966
11/04/1967
9 months 12 days
10
Justice K.N. Wanchoo
12/04/1967
24/02/1968
10 months 12 days
11
Justice M. Hidayatullah
25/02/1968
16/12/1970
2 years 9 months 21 days
12
Justice J.C. Shah
17/12/1970
21/01/1971
1 month 4 days
13
Justice S.M. Sikri
22/01/1971
25/04/1973
2 years 3 months 3 days
14
Justice A.N. Ray
26/04/1973
28/01/1977
3 years 9 months 2 days
15
Justice M. Hameedullah Beg
29/01/1977
21/02/1978
1 year 23 days
16
Justice Y.V. Chandrachud
22/02/1978
11/07/1985
7 years 4 months 19 days
17
Justice P.N. Bhagwati
12/07/1985
20/12/1986
1 year 5 months 8 days
18
Justice R.S. Pathak
21/12/1986
18/06/1989
2 years 5 months 28 days
19
Justice E.S. Venkataramiah
19/06/1989
17/12/1989
6 months 29 days
20
Justice Sabyasachi Mukherjee
18/12/1989
25/09/1990
9 months 7 days
21
Justice Ranganath Misra
25/09/1990
24/11/1991
1 year 2 months
22
Justice K.N. Singh
25/11/1991
12/12/1991
17 days
23
Justice M.H. Kania
13/12/1991
17/11/1992
11 months 4 days
24
Justice L.M. Sharma
18/11/1992
11/02/1993
2 months 24 days
25
Justice M.N. Venkatachaliah
12/02/1993
24/10/1994
1 year 8 months 12 days
26
Justice A.M. Ahmadi
25/10/1994
24/03/1997
2 years 5 months
27
Justice J.S. Verma
25/03/1997
17/01/1998
9 months 23 days
28
Justice M.M. Punchhi
18/01/1998
09/10/1998
8 months 22 days
29
Dr. Justice A.S. Anand
10/10/1998
31/10/2001
3 years 21 days
30
Justice S.P. Bharucha
01/11/2001
05/05/2002
6 months 4 days
31
Justice B.N. Kirpal
06/05/2002
07/11/2002
6 months 1 day
32
Justice G.B. Pattanaik
08/11/2002
18/12/2002
1 month 10 days
33
Justice V.N. Khare
19/12/2002
01/05/2004
1 year 4 months 13 days
34
Justice S. Rajendra Babu
02/05/2004
31/05/2004
29 days
35
Justice R.C. Lahoti
01/06/2004
31/10/2005
1 year 5 months
36
Justice Y.K. Sabharwal
01/11/2005
13/01/2007
1 year 2 months 13 days
37
Justice K.G. Balakrishnan
14/01/2007
12/05/2010
3 years 3 months
38
Justice S.H. Kapadia
12/05/2010
28/09/2012
2 years 4 months 16 days
39
Justice Altamas Kabir
29/09/2012
18/07/2013
9 months 19 days
40
Justice P. Sathasivam
19/07/2013
26/04/2014
9 months 7 days
41
Justice R. M. Lodha
27/04/2014
27/09/2014
5 months
42
Justice H.L. Dattu
28/09/2014
02/12/2015
1 year 2 months 5 days
43
Justice Justice T. S. Thakur
03/12/2015
03/01/2017
1 year 1 month
44
Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar
04/01/2017
27/08/2017
7 months 23 days
45
Justice Dipak Misra
28/08/2017
02/10/2018
1 year 1 month 5 days
46
Justice Ranjan Gogoi
03/10/2018
17/11/2019
1 year 1 month 14 days
47
Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde
18/11/2019
23/04/2021
1 year 5 months 5 days
48
Justice Nuthalapati Venkata Ramana
24/04/2021
26/08/2022
1 year 4 months 2 days
49
Justice UU Lalit
27/08/2022
08/11/2022
2 months 12 days
50
Justice DY Chandrachud
09/11/2022
10/11/2024
2 years 1 day
51
Justice Sanjiv Khanna
11/11/2024
13/05/2025
6 months 2 days
52
Justice B.R. Gavai
14/05/2025
23/11/2025
6 months and 10 days
Chief Justice of India Appointment Procedure
The process for appointing the Chief Justice of India is guided by Article 124(2) of the Constitution, which ensures that the appointment is made with careful consideration of judicial expertise and seniority.
Seniority-Based Selection: Traditionally, the Chief Justice of India is appointed from among the senior-most judges of the Supreme Court. Seniority is determined by the date of appointment to the Supreme Court.
Role of the Outgoing CJI: The Union Minister of Law and Justice seeks the recommendation of the outgoing Chief Justice for the appointment of the next CJI.
Role of the Collegium: If there is any doubt about the fitness of the seniormost judge for the position, Article 124(2) mandates consultation with other senior judges of the Supreme Court.
Appointment by President: Upon receiving the recommendation from the Chief Justice, the Union Minister of Law and Justice submits it to the Prime Minister, who then advises the President of India on the appointment.
Finally, the President appoints the Chief Justice of India and administers the oath of office to him/her. This procedure aims to uphold the independence and impartiality of the judiciary.
Term and Oath of Chief Justice of India
The tenure and oath of the Chief Justice of India are common questions among aspirants:
What is the Tenure of CJI?
The CJI serves until reaching the retirement age of 65, without a fixed term. This means the tenure of the CJI lasts from their appointment to the Supreme Court until their retirement age. For example, the current Chief Justice, Sanjiv Khanna, will retire on May 13, 2025, after serving for a short period of about six months.
Who Gives Oath to the Chief Justice of India?
The oath of CJI is administered by the President of India as mentioned in Article 124 of the Indian Constitution: “Every person appointed to be a Judge of the Supreme Court shall, before he enters upon his office, make and subscribe before the President, or some person appointed in that behalf by him, an oath or affirmation according to the form set out for the purpose in the Third Schedule.” The oath states their allegiance to the Constitution, their commitment to justice, and a promise to work without fear or favoritism, marking the beginning of their term in office.
Role & Responsibilities of Chief Justice of India
The Chief Justice of India holds a crucial role in shaping India's legal system:
Judicial Leadership: As the head of the judiciary, the Chief Justice of India plays a central role in decision-making in constitutional and significant cases.
Administrative Duties: The CJI manages the Supreme Court’s administration, including the allotment of cases, setting up constitutional benches, and overseeing judicial appointments.
Appointment of Judges: The Chief Justice of India plays a key role in the appointment of other judges to the Supreme Court and High Courts. They recommend judges based on seniority and merit.
Ensuring Judicial Independence: This means ensuring that the courts are free from interference by the government or any other outside forces so that judges can make decisions based solely on the law.
Advising the President: The CJI also has an advisory role in matters like the appointment of judges to higher courts or decisions on the dissolution of the Parliament. They may be consulted by the President of India on important legal matters.
Guardian of the Constitution: As the head of the judiciary, the CJI is responsible for upholding and protecting the Constitution of India. They ensure that laws passed by the government do not violate the Constitution
These responsibilities make the Chief Justice of India an indispensable figure in upholding the integrity and independence of the judiciary, ensuring the rule of law, and protecting the Constitution of India.
Interesting Facts About Chief Justice of India
Here are some interesting facts about the previous Chief Justice of India:
Who is the First Chief Justice of India
Justice Harilal Jekisundas Kania took office as the first Chief Justice of India in 1950. His term marked the transition of India’s judiciary into an independent system post-independence. Kania’s tenure laid the foundation for the functioning of the Supreme Court, guiding it through the initial stages of India’s constitutional democracy.
Longest Serving Chief Justice of India
Justice Yeshwant Vishnu Chandrachud holds the record as the longest-serving Chief Justice of India, with a term from 1978 to 1985. Chandrachud was known for his firm stance on judicial independence and his role in significant judgments that have continued to shape the judiciary.
Shortest Serving Chief Justice of India
Justice Kamal Narain Singh served as the CJI for only 17 days in November 1991, making his term the shortest. Despite his brief term, Singh is remembered for his contributions to the judiciary before and after his tenure as the CJI.
For UPSC aspirants eager to learn more about the judicial system and CJI's role, explore the PW UPSC Courses to gain insights and preparation support for the upcoming exam!
