PM Modi Attends Justice Surya Kant's Swearing-In as 53rd Chief Justice of India: A Profile of the New CJI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the oath-taking ceremony of Justice Surya Kant as the 53rd Chief Justice of India on Monday at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The ceremony was graced by Vice President CP Radhakrishnan, Union ministers, and various dignitaries.

Following the swearing-in, PM Modi extended his congratulations on social media platform 'X', stating: "Attended the oath-taking ceremony of Justice Surya Kant as the Chief Justice of India. Best wishes to him for his tenure ahead."

President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office to Justice Surya Kant at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. In a notable departure from recent custom, Justice Kant took his oath in Hindi, invoking the name of God.

The ceremony witnessed attendance from numerous distinguished guests, including Haryana Chief Minister Naib Singh Saini, Supreme Court judges, and Chief Justices and judges from several countries including Bhutan, Kenya, Malaysia, Brazil, Mauritius, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.

Justice Kant will serve as Chief Justice for approximately 14 months, with his tenure concluding on February 9, 2027. His appointment was officially cleared by the Centre on October 30, following the recommendation of then CJI Bhushan R Gavai.

The Union Law and Justice Ministry's notification stated: "In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (2) of Article 124 of the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint Shri Justice Surya Kant, Judge of the Supreme Court of India, to be the Chief Justice of India with effect from November 24, 2025."

Born on February 10, 1962, into a middle-class family in Haryana, Justice Kant graduated from Government Post Graduate College, Hisar in 1981 and received his law degree from Maharishi Dayanand University, Rohtak in 1984.

His legal career began in Hisar before he moved to Chandigarh in 1985 to practice at the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Throughout his career, he has handled diverse constitutional, service, and civil matters, representing various institutions including universities, boards, corporations, and banks.

Justice Kant became the youngest Advocate General of Haryana on July 7, 2000, and was designated a senior advocate in March 2001. He was appointed as a permanent judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on January 9, 2004.

Prior to his Supreme Court elevation on May 24, 2019, Justice Kant served as Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court from October 5, 2018. His extensive legal service includes membership in the Governing Body of the National Legal Services Authority for two consecutive terms between 2007 and 2011.

Currently, he serves on several committees of the Indian Law Institute, a deemed university under the Supreme Court of India. Since November 2024, he has chaired the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee.