Justice Surya Kant (left), the second senior-most Supreme Court Judge after the incumbent CJI B.R. Gavai, is set to become the 53rd CJI following Chief Justice Gavai’s retirement on November 24. Photo: Special Arrangement
Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai on Monday (October 27, 2025) recommended Justice Surya Kant, the senior most judge of the Supreme Court, as his successor to office and the 53rd Chief Justice of India.
The government had in the previous week written to Chief Justice Gavai seeking his recommendation.
However, the CJI was on an official visit to Bhutan. Chief Justice Gavai gave his recommendation immediately on his return and met Justice Kant with the recommendation letter on Monday (October 27, 2025), the first working day of the court after the Deepavali holidays.
Chief Justice Gavai is scheduled to retire on November 24.
Under the Memorandum of Procedure for appointment of Chief Justice of India and Supreme Court Judges, the Law Ministry seeks the recommendation of the outgoing Chief Justice about the next appointment, following which the latter replies to the government. The letter from the government kickstarts the appointment process for the next Chief Justice of India.
Justice Kant has been a part of several impactful decisions of the apex court, including the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution which removed the special status to the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir. Justice Kant was also part of the Bench which held the electoral bonds scheme unconstitutional. He was a member of the Benches which heard the Pegasus spyware case and suspension of the sedition law.
He was born on February 10, 1962, at Hisar in Haryana. After completing his graduation from his hometown, Justice Kant earned his Bachelor’s degree in Law in 1984 from Maharishi Dayanand University, Rohtak. He started his legal practice at the Hisar district court and shifted to Chandigarh in 1985 to practice in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
He was the youngest Advocate General of Haryana on July 7, 2000, and designated as senior advocate in March 2001. He was elevated as a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on January 9, 2004. Justice Kant was appointed as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh in October, 2018.
He was appointed as a Supreme Court judge on May 24, 2019. He is due to retire on February 9, 2027.
Published – October 27, 2025 11:13 am IST
