Justice Surya Kant will take oath as the 53rd Chief Justice of India (CJI) on Monday, succeeding Justice B.R. Gavai, who demitted office on Sunday.
Justice Kant, who has been part of several landmark verdicts and orders, will remain in the post for nearly 15 months and will demit office on February 9, 2027, on attaining the age of 65 years.
President Droupadi Murmu will administer the oath of office to Justice Kant. The President had appointed him to the country's highest judicial office on October 30, following the recommendation of the incumbent CJI.
In an unusual moment, more than a dozen judges and chief justices from six countries will attend the swearing-in, according to a report by the Bar and Bench.
Born in a middle-class family in the Hissar district of Haryana on February 10, 1962, Justice Kant has had a distinguished judicial and legal career. He served as the Advocate General of Haryana before becoming a Supreme Court judge on May 24, 2019.
Justice Kant also holds key institutional roles—he serves as the Visitor of the National University of Study and Research in Law, Ranchi, and is the ex officio Executive Chairman of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA).
He was part of a slew of landmark verdicts on abrogation of Article 370, free speech, democracy, corruption, environment and gender equality. He was also part of the historic bench that kept the colonial-era sedition law in abeyance.
In an interaction with the media on Saturday, ahead of assuming charge, Justice Kant said that reducing pendency in the Supreme Court and other courts across the country would be his foremost priority.
He also claimed that one of his first steps as the Chief Justice of India would be to engage with all High Courts to identify problems affecting the functioning of district and subordinate courts.
"Mediation will also be implemented effectively to reduce the burden of millions of cases," Justice Kant said.
