Justice Surya Kant Sworn in as 53rd CJI in Historic Ceremony
- By Thetripurapost Desk, New Delhi
- Nov 24, 2025
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Justice Surya Kant on Monday formally assumed office as the 53rd Chief Justice of India after being administered the oath by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The ceremony turned into a rare blend of personal warmth and historic diplomatic presence, as Surya Kant bowed to touch the feet of his elder siblings immediately after the oath, drawing an emotional response from his family members who had traveled to witness the occasion.
Soon after the ceremony, the new CJI met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other dignitaries and shared a warm embrace with outgoing CJI Justice B.R. Gavai. In an unprecedented development in India’s judicial history, Chief Justices and senior judges from seven nations—including Brazil, Bhutan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mauritius, Nepal and Sri Lanka—attended the swearing-in, marking the largest foreign judicial delegation ever hosted for a CJI’s assumption of office.
Justice Gavai also set a symbolic precedent by leaving his official Supreme Court vehicle at Rashtrapati Bhavan for his successor as he demitted office on November 23.
Justice Surya Kant’s tenure as CJI will run until February 9, 2027, spanning approximately 14 months. With his elevation, he now heads the Supreme Court Collegium, which oversees appointments to the judiciary and transfers of high court judges. The five-member collegium now comprises the CJI, along with Justices Vikram Nath, B.V. Nagarathna, J.K. Maheshwari and M.M. Sundresh. When Justice Maheshwari retires in June 2026, Justice P.S. Narasimha will join, and after Surya Kant’s retirement, Justice J.B. Pardiwala will take his place.
Hailing from Petwad village, Surya Kant’s father was a noted Sanskrit scholar and teacher, while his mother was a homemaker. The youngest among five siblings, he studied in his village until Class 10 before moving to the city for higher studies. His wife, Savita Suryakant, is a retired college principal, and the couple has two daughters pursuing their education. Family members recall that during his marriage in 1987, Surya Kant firmly refused dowry, stating even a single spoon would not be accepted.
Justice Surya Kant has served on several major constitutional benches and delivered more than 1,000 judgments. His notable contributions include upholding the decision on the abrogation of Article 370, suspending the sedition law pending government review, and mandating one-third reservation for women in all bar associations. He also served on the bench that struck down the 1967 Aligarh Muslim University minority ruling, shaping the legal framework for fresh reconsideration of the institution’s status.
He played a key role in the Pegasus case, advocating limits to executive power under the guise of national security, and ordered the Election Commission to disclose details of 6.5 million names removed from the Bihar voter rolls after a Special Intensive Revision process.
Deeply connected to his roots, Justice Surya Kant visits his village every year to felicitate school toppers. Family members say he never misses stopping by the ancestral pond and enjoys traditional dishes like bathua, millet roti and curry whenever he returns home.