New Delhi: Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai took oath as the 52nd Chief Justice of India on Tuesday. The ceremony, held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, saw President Droupadi Murmu administering the oath, with Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and a host of other dignitaries in attendance.
He succeeds Justice Sanjiv Khanna, whose term concluded on 13 May. As per the seniority tradition of the Supreme Court, Justice Gavai – next in line – was nominated by his predecessor.
His tenure, however, will be brief – just six months. But it’s historically significant. Justice Gavai is only the second Dalit to become Chief Justice of India, after K.G. Balakrishnan in 2007. More notably, he is the first from the Buddhist community to hold the top judicial post.
Born on 24 November 1960 in Amravati, Maharashtra, Gavai began practising law in 1985. He initially trained under the late Raja S. Bhonsale, a former Advocate General and High Court judge, before starting his own practice in 1987 at the Bombay High Court.
Between 1987 and 1990, he continued his practice at the Bombay High Court, later serving as Assistant Government Pleader and Additional Public Prosecutor at the Nagpur Bench from August 1992 to July 1993. He was appointed an additional judge of the Bombay High Court on 14 November 2003 and became a permanent judge on 12 November 2005.
Justice Gavai was elevated to the Supreme Court on 24 May 2019. His retirement is scheduled for 23 November 2025.
In his time on the bench, he has been part of several landmark rulings. He upheld the Modi government’s controversial 2016 demonetisation move and was also on the bench that struck down the electoral bonds scheme, calling it unconstitutional.
Next in line on the seniority list is Justice Surya Kant, who is expected to be named the 53rd Chief Justice following Gavai’s retirement.
Shri Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai sworn in as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India at Rashtrapati Bhavan. pic.twitter.com/yo9qpCjNRK
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) May 14, 2025
