He is the second Chief Justice of India from the Scheduled Caste (SC) community, following Justice K. G. Balakrishnan, who served between 2007 and 2010
Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai was sworn in as the 52nd Chief Justice of India (CJI) on Wednesday, with President Droupadi Murmu administering the oath of office at ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Notably, Justice Gavai is the first Buddhist to hold this esteemed position.
The event was attended by prominent dignitaries, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, and several other Union Cabinet ministers.
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and former President of India Ram Nath Kovind also remain present in the oath ceremony
Justice Gavai succeeds former CJI Sanjiv Khanna, who retired a day earlier, paving the way for his successor. His tenure as Chief Justice of India is expected to last for approximately six months.
The swearing-in ceremony witnessed the presence of distinguished legal and political personalities, including sitting Supreme Court and High Court judges, retired Chief Justices, and former Supreme Court judges. Several leading legal experts, government officials, and political figures also attended the event.
Justice Gavai is the second Chief Justice of India from the Scheduled Caste (SC) community, following Justice K. G. Balakrishnan, who served between 2007 and 2010.
The Government of India has recently issued an official notification confirming Justice Gavai’s appointment as CJI. Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal shared the announcement on the social media platform X, highlighting that the appointment was made under the authority granted by the Constitution of India. Justice Gavai, who was previously serving as a Supreme Court judge, will officially assume his new responsibilities on May 14, 2025.
On April 20, 2025, then-Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna formally recommended Justice Gavai as his successor, forwarding the proposal to the Ministry of Law as part of the appointment process.
Justice Gavai’s tenure as Chief Justice will conclude with his retirement in November 2025. Born on November 24, 1960, in Amravati, he enrolled at the Bar on March 16, 1985, and initially worked under the late Raja S. Bhonsale, former Advocate General and Judge of the High Court, until 1987.
He later practiced independently at the Bombay High Court from 1987 to 1990, before focusing his legal career at the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court. His expertise spans Constitutional and Administrative Law. Over the years, he has served as Standing Counsel for several municipal corporations and institutions, including the Municipal Corporations of Nagpur and Amravati and Amravati University. Additionally, he has regularly represented autonomous bodies and corporations such as SICOM and DCVL.
In August 1992, he was appointed as Assistant Government Pleader and Additional Public Prosecutor at the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court, a role he held until July 1993. He was later designated as Government Pleader and Public Prosecutor for the Nagpur Bench in January 2000.
Justice Gavai was elevated as an Additional Judge of the Bombay High Court on November 14, 2003, before securing a permanent position on November 12, 2005. Throughout his tenure, he presided over a diverse range of cases at Mumbai’s principal seat as well as benches in Nagpur, Aurangabad, and Panaji.
On May 24, 2019, he was appointed as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India. His judicial career is set to conclude with his retirement on November 23, 2025.
As senior lawyers and fellow Supreme Court judges were in all praise of his judgeship, the Chief Justice of India, Sanjiv Khanna, on his final day in office, sat on his bench with a sense of relief and gratitude, marking the end of his tenure as the nation’s top judge on Tuesday.
Speaking at a farewell ceremony organized by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), Justice Khanna reflected on his journey with humility and clarity. “Now, at 65, as I prepare to retire, I do so with gratitude, reflection, and yes, a sense of satisfaction. Age will see me off as a judge,” he said. “I can say this much, I am equally eager to get rid of the judge in me,” he added.
The Chief Justice described seeing his robe hung for the final time this morning as a moment of “bliss” and stated that, as opposed to others who often feel bitter-sweet on their retirement, he simply felt happy “This morning, as the robe was hung for the final time, the weight of responsibility lifted from my shoulder, and quite honestly, I felt a sense of bliss. This is certainly an emotional moment. I’ve attended many farewells. A sentiment commonly expressed on such occasions is that of “mixed feelings” — a bittersweet moment. Let me confess — I have no mixed feelings. I am simply happy”, the CJI said in his speech.
