New Delhi, Nov 24: Justice Surya Kant, who has been part of several landmark verdicts, including on abrogation of Article 370 removing Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and Bihar electoral rolls revision, took oath as the 53rd Chief Justice of India on Monday.
He succeeds Justice B R Gavai.
President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath to Justice Kant at a brief ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
He took the oath in Hindi in the name of God.
Justice Kant was appointed as the next CJI on October 30 and will remain in the post for nearly 15 months. He will demit office on February 9, 2027 on attaining the age of 65 years.
Vice President C P Radhakrishnan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were among the senior leaders who attended the ceremony.
Later, in a post on X, Modi shared pictures of the swearing in ceremony.
“Attended the oath taking ceremony of Justice Surya Kant as the Chief Justice of India. Best wishes to him for his tenure ahead,” the prime minister wrote.
A customary group photograph was also clicked with President Murmu, Vice President Radhakrishnan, Prime Minister Modi, CJI Kant, former CJI Gavai and Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal posing for the camera.
Former vice president Jagdeep Dhankhar was also present and was among those who greeted the new CJI on assuming office.
Justice Gavai, who demitted office of the CJI on Sunday, hugged his successor.
Born on February 10, 1962 in Hisar district of Haryana to a middle-class family, Justice Kant went from being a small-town lawyer to the country’s highest judicial office, where he has been part of several verdicts and orders of national importance and constitutional matters. He also has the distinction of standing ‘first class first’ in his Master’s degree in law from Kurukshetra University.
