Justice Surya Kant took oath as the 53rd Chief Justice of India on Monday, with President Droupadi Murmu administering the oath of office at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Shortly after the ceremony, he shared a warm hug with his predecessor, Justice Bhushan R Gavai.
His elevation follows the established convention of appointing the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court as CJI. Justice Gavai retired on Sunday after formally recommending Justice Surya Kant as his successor.
#WATCH | Delhi: CJI Surya Kant shares a hug with his predecessor, former CJI BR Gavai, as they greet each other. Justice Surya Kant took oath as the 53rd Chief Justice of India today.
(Video: DD News) pic.x.com/kUPRhjZzGC
— ANI (@ANI) November 24, 2025
Justice Surya Kant’s journey from Hisar to the Supreme Court
Born on February 10, 1962, in a middle-class family in Haryana, Justice Surya Kant began practising law in Hisar in 1984 before shifting to Chandigarh. Over the years, he handled a wide range of constitutional, civil and service matters, representing universities, banks, public bodies and even the High Court.
In 2000, he became Haryana’s youngest Advocate General, was designated senior advocate in 2001, and was elevated as a permanent judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in January 2004. He later served as Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court before being appointed to the Supreme Court in May 2019. Since 2024, he has been Chairperson of the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee.
What Justice Surya Kant plans to address first as CJI
Speaking to journalists ahead of taking charge, Justice Surya Kant had on Saturday said reducing pendency would be his foremost priority. He said one of his first steps would be to work closely with High Courts to resolve issues affecting district and subordinate courts.
Justice Kant added that within the next few weeks, Constitution Benches of varying strength—five, seven and nine judges—will be formed to deal with important cases awaiting adjudication.
He emphasised strengthening mediation to reduce caseloads. “Mediation will also be implemented effectively to reduce the burden of millions of cases,” he said, adding that community mediation must also be encouraged to resolve disputes between states and between the Centre and states. “A conducive environment must be created for this,” he said.
On using AI to deal with backlogs, he was cautious: “It has advantages, but people also have some concerns. It can be used in procedural matters. However, everyone wants their case to be decided by a judge.”
According to the National Judicial Data Grid, 5.29 crore cases remain pending across courts as of July, including 4.65 crore in district courts, 63.30 lakh in High Courts and 86,742 before the Supreme Court.