Justice Surya Kant, a senior judge of the Supreme Court, has been appointed as the 53rd Chief Justice of India. He will assume office on November 24, 2025, succeeding Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, and will serve until February 9, 2027.
Chief Justice BR Gavai had on Monday recommended the name of Justice Surya Kant, the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court, as his successor to lead the judiciary.
The appointment was announced by Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on X, who posted, “In exercise of the powers conferred by the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint Shri Justice Surya Kant, Judge of the Supreme Court of India, as the Chief Justice of India with effect from 24th November, 2025.” He extended his “heartiest congratulations and best wishes” to the incoming CJI.
Justice Kant, who hails from Haryana, has served as Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court and earlier as a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court before being elevated to the Supreme Court in May 2019. Known for his sharp judicial reasoning and strong emphasis on social justice, he has been part of several Constitution Bench matters and key rulings on governance, environmental issues, and constitutional interpretation.
As CJI, Justice Kant will preside over the Supreme Court for a tenure of over 14 months, during which several major constitutional matters, including those related to electoral reforms, criminal justice, and digital privacy, are likely to come up for hearing.
Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, the current head of the judiciary, is scheduled to demit office on November 23, 2025.
