Justice Surya Kant sworn in as CJI; takes oath in Hindi at Rashtrapati Bhavan
Hyderabad: Justice Surya Kant sworn in as the Chief Justice of India after President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath at Rashtrapati Bhavan. He chose to take the oath in Hindi and invoked the name of God, marking a shift from recent practice.
The ceremony drew a wide range of dignitaries. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan attended the event. Several Union ministers, Haryana Chief Minister Naib Singh Saini and Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy were also present. In addition, judicial delegations from Bhutan, Kenya, Malaysia, Brazil, Mauritius, Nepal and Sri Lanka joined the gathering.
Justice Surya Kant became the 53rd CJI. His tenure will last about 14 months and end on February 9, 2027. Earlier, the Centre cleared his elevation on October 30 after then CJI Bhushan R. Gavai recommended him.
Justice Surya Kant sworn in after long legal career
The Law and Justice Ministry issued the appointment under Article 124(2) of the Constitution. Justice Surya Kant was born on February 10, 1962, in Haryana. He graduated from Government Post Graduate College, Hisar, in 1981 and earned his law degree from Maharishi Dayanand University in 1984.
He began his practice in Hisar in 1984. A year later, he moved to Chandigarh to appear before the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Over time, he handled constitutional, service and civil matters. He also represented universities, boards, corporations and banks.
He became Haryana’s youngest Advocate General in July 2000. Later, he received the senior advocate designation in March 2001. On January 9, 2004, he joined the Punjab and Haryana High Court bench as a permanent judge.
Justice Surya Kant sworn in after holding key judicial roles
He went on to serve as Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court from October 2018 until May 2019. Later, he was elevated to the Supreme Court. He also worked with the National Legal Services Authority as a member of its governing body from 2007 to 2011. Moreover, he remains active on committees of the Indian Law Institute.
Since November 2024, he has chaired the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee. This role added administrative depth to his judicial work and strengthened his experience ahead of the CJI post.