The government has officially appointed Justice Surya Kant as the 53rd Chief Justice of India (CJI). The announcement was made by the Law Ministry on Thursday, October 30, 2025. Justice Kant will succeed Chief Justice Bhushan Gavai, whose tenure ends on November 23rd. He will formally take his oath on November 24th.

Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal confirmed the appointment in a social media post, congratulating Justice Kant. He stated that President Droupadi Murmu approved the appointment, exercising the powers conferred by the Constitution of India. Justice Kant's term is expected to last until February 9, 2027, when he will reach the age of 65.

Justice Kant's journey to becoming the CJI is an inspiring one. Born on February 10, 1962, in Petwar, a small village in Haryana's Hisar district, he comes from a modest background. He attended a village school where students sat on the floor until Class VIII. He graduated from Government Post Graduate College, Hisar, in 1981 and obtained his law degree (LLB) from Maharishi Dayanand University, Rohtak, in 1984.

He began his legal career in the District Court of Hisar in 1984 before moving to Chandigarh in 1985 to practice at the Punjab and Haryana High Court. In 2000, at the age of 38, he was appointed the youngest Advocate General of Haryana, a record in the state's legal history. A year later, he was designated as a Senior Advocate.

Justice Kant was appointed as a Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on January 9, 2004. He continued his academic pursuits, earning a Master's degree in Law from Kurukshetra University in 2011, graduating first in his class. In October 2018, he was appointed Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court. He was elevated to the Supreme Court on May 24, 2019.

He has also contributed significantly to improving access to justice for the underprivileged, serving two consecutive terms on the Governing Body of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) from 2007 to 2011. Since May 14, 2025, he has been the Executive Chairman of NALSA and is also a member of several committees of the Indian Law Institute.

Justice Surya Kant's appointment as the 53rd Chief Justice of India marks a significant moment for the nation's judiciary. He will be the first CJI from Haryana. His extensive experience, academic achievements, and commitment to social justice position him well to lead the Supreme Court.