Justice Surya Kant was sworn in on Monday as the 53rd Chief Justice of India, with President Droupadi Murmu administering the oath at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
He succeeds Justice B.R. Gavai, who demitted office on Sunday. Justice Kant’s elevation was made under Article 124(2) of the Constitution, following the recommendation of former CJI Gavai. With the oath ceremony completed, he has formally assumed charge as the head of the judiciary.
Born on February 10, 1962, in Haryana, Justice Kant began practising law in Hisar in 1984 before shifting to the Punjab and Haryana High Court, where he handled constitutional, civil and service matters and represented various public institutions. He became Haryana’s youngest Advocate General in 2000, was designated a senior advocate the following year and was appointed a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2004.
He later served as Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court and was elevated to the Supreme Court in May 2019. Since November 2024, he has also chaired the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee.
Speaking ahead of the oath, Justice Kant identified reducing judicial pendency as his primary focus. He said he would engage with High Courts to assess bottlenecks in district and subordinate courts and push for targeted solutions.
He also announced that Constitution Benches of five, seven and nine judges would be set up “in the next few weeks” to address long-pending constitutional matters.
Justice Kant emphasised the expansion of mediation and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms to reduce the load on courts. He said community mediation, in particular, should be strengthened to help resolve disputes among states and between state governments and the Centre.
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