CHANDIGARH:  President Droupadi Murmu has appointed Justice Surya Kant, the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court, as the 53rd Chief Justice of India (CJI). Justice Kant will assume office on November 24, succeeding incumbent CJI Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai, who retires on November 23.

Justice Surya Kant

This appointment marks the first time a jurist from Haryana will lead the nation’s apex court, underscoring a judiciary that increasingly reflects India’s diverse regional fabric.The announcement was confirmed through an official warrant issued by the President, exercising powers under the Constitution of India. Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal shared the news on X, stating: “In exercise of the powers conferred by the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint Justice Surya Kant, Judge of the Supreme Court of India as the Chief Justice of India with effect from 24th November, 2025. I convey my heartiest congratulations and best wishes to him.”The process adhered to the long-standing convention where the outgoing CJI recommends the next senior-most judge as successor. On October 27, CJI Gavai forwarded Justice Kant’s name to the Centre following a formal request from Meghwal. With a tenure of approximately 14 months—until his retirement on February 9, 2027, upon turning 65—Justice Kant steps into the role amid pressing challenges, including a staggering backlog of over 50 million cases across Indian courts and ongoing debates on judicial reforms, vacancies, and access to justice.Born on February 10, 1962, into a modest middle-class family in Petwar, a nondescript village in Haryana’s Hisar district, Justice Kant’s ascent embodies the quintessence of meritocracy in India’s legal system. Petwar, located in the Narnaund tehsil, is typical of the region’s rural pockets—marked by wide dirt roads, community wells, and a strong emphasis on education as a ladder out of agrarian toil.

Justice Kant’s father was a Sanskrit teacher, imparting moral and intellectual values in a household where resources were scarce but aspirations boundless. His mother, a homemaker, nurtured a home steeped in simplicity.

 Unlike many peers who hail from legal dynasties, Justice Kant became the first lawyer in his family, a fact that CJI Gavai highlighted in a recent interview, noting: “Like me, Justice Kant also belongs to the class in society that has seen struggles at every stage in life, which makes me confident that he would be best suited to understand the pain and sufferings of those who need the judiciary to protect their rights.”His early education unfolded in a village school in Petwar that epitomized rural hardship: classrooms without benches, where students sat on the floor amid flickering oil lamps. Undeterred, he graduated from Hisar’s Government Post Graduate College in 1981, a institution founded in 1927 that has long served as an educational beacon for the district’s youth. He then pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Law from Maharishi Dayanand University in Rohtak, completing it in 1984 with distinction. Remarkably, while already a sitting judge at the Punjab and Haryana High Court, he topped his Master’s in Law from Kurukshetra University’s Directorate of Distance Education in 2011, earning first-class first honors—a testament to his lifelong commitment to learning.Justice Kant’s legal odyssey began humbly in 1984 at the District Court in Hisar, where he handled grassroots cases amid the dust and bustle of local disputes. A year later, in 1985, he relocated to Chandigarh to practice at the Punjab and Haryana High Court, specializing in constitutional, service, and civil law. 

There, he built a formidable reputation, representing universities, banks, corporations, and even the High Court itself. His breakthrough came in 2000 at age 38, when he was appointed Advocate General of Haryana—the youngest ever to hold the post—serving until 2004. Designated a Senior Advocate in 2001, he was elevated as a permanent judge to the Punjab and Haryana High Court on January 9, 2004.Over 14 years on that bench, Justice Kant authored progressive rulings on prison reforms, including the landmark Jasvir Singh judgment directing Punjab to form a Jail Reforms Committee for conjugal and family visits to inmates, emphasizing rehabilitation over mere punishment. He also championed gender justice, human rights, and education access. In 2018, he became Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, and on May 24, 2019, he ascended to the Supreme Court on the recommendation of a collegium led by then-CJI Ranjan Gogoi.

At the Supreme Court, Justice Kant has co-authored pathbreaking decisions that have shaped contemporary India. He was on the bench upholding the 2019 abrogation of Article 370, which revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, and the 2024 ruling striking down the electoral bonds scheme as violative of the right to information under Article 19(1)(a). In a majority opinion, he validated Section 6A of the Citizenship Act as part of the Assam Accord, balancing migration concerns with constitutional protections.His jurisprudence often weaves individual rights with societal duties. In the India’s Got Latent case, he famously remarked, “There is nothing like a fundamental right on a platter,” urging citizens to fulfill civic responsibilities. He upheld the One Rank One Pension scheme for armed forces veterans, reinforcing equity in military benefits. 

In the Pegasus spyware probe, his bench appointed an expert panel, rejecting “national security” as a blanket shield for surveillance. During the COVID-19 crisis, he advocated prisoner releases to decongest jails, prioritizing health over retribution. Other notable interventions include safeguarding public water bodies from encroachment and scrutinizing the Delhi Police Commissioner’s appointment process.A member of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) since 2007 for two terms, Justice Kant will assume its ex-officio chairmanship from November 12, amplifying efforts for free legal aid to the marginalized. His involvement with the Indian Law Institute and participation in national-international conferences further highlight his scholarly bent.As Haryana’s first CJI, Justice Kant’s elevation resonates deeply in Hisar, where locals view it as validation of the district’s untapped potential.

 During a recent visit to Maharishi Dayanand University, he reflected humbly,  “My journey is a reminder that hard work, not privilege, unlocks doors.”