The North News
New Delhi, November 24
President Droupadi Murmu has appointed Justice Surya Kant, a sitting judge of the Supreme Court, as the next Chief Justice of India (CJI). His appointment will take effect from 24 November. Justice Surya Kant will succeed Chief Justice Bhushan R. Gavai, who is set to retire on November 23.
A formal notification confirming the appointment was issued by the Department of Justice, Government of India. President Murmu has also signed the official Warrant of Appointment, marking Justice Surya Kant’s elevation to the country’s highest judicial office.
Born on 10 February 1962 in Petwar village of Haryana’s Hisar district, Justice Kant obtained his law degree from Maharishi Dayanand University, Rohtak, in 1984 and began his legal practice in Hisar the same year. A year later, he moved to the Punjab and Haryana High Court in Chandigarh, where he specialised in constitutional, service, and civil law.
In July 2000, Justice Kant became the youngest Advocate General of Haryana, a role he held until his elevation as a permanent judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in January 2004. During his judicial career, he served on the Governing Body of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) from 2007 to 2011, and in 2011 earned a Master’s degree in Law with First Class First distinction.
Appointed Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court in October 2018, he was elevated to the Supreme Court of India in May 2019. Since May 2025, he has been serving as the Executive Chairman of NALSA, and is also a member of several committees of the Indian Law Institute.
With a judicial career spanning four decades, Justice Surya Kant has presided over thousands of cases, delivering landmark judgments across constitutional and human rights matters. Colleagues describe his approach as a blend of judicial rigour, academic depth, and compassion for the underprivileged.
The President’s Secretariat said Justice Kant’s bio-data and photograph will be released along with the official press communiqué announcing his appointment.
