His judicial career at the supreme court has been marked by several landmark rulings.
From Hisar to Supreme Court: Justice Surya Kant Sworn In as 53rd CJI, Sets Stage for Major Judicial Reforms
On Monday, 24th November 2025, Justice Surya Kant was sworn in as the 53rd Chief Justice of India. India. He succeeded Justice B.R. Gavai. The oath was administered by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan in a ceremony. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, top Union ministers, foreign dignitaries, and several former constitutional functionaries attended this ceremony. Justice Kant’s serving period as CJI is until February 9, 2027, a tenure of nearly 15 months before demitting office upon turning 65.
His Judicial Journey
He was born on February 10, 1962, in the Hisar district of Haryana. Haryana. Justice Kant’s journey from a small-town lawyer to India’s top judge reflects decades of deep engagement and hard work with constitutional, service, and civil law. He earned his law degree from Maharishi Dayanand University in 1984. He began his career at the Hisar District Court before moving to the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 1985. His smooth journey continued as he became the youngest Advocate General of Haryana in 2000. He was designated a senior advocate in 2001, and he was elevated as a permanent High Court judge in 2004.
Justice Kant served as the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court in 2018 and then was elevated to the Supreme Court in 2019. His judicial career at the supreme court has been marked by several landmark rulings. He was also part of the bench that upheld the abrogation of Article 370, kept the colonial-era sedition law in abeyance, upheld the One Rank-One Pension (OROP) scheme, and pushed for stronger electoral transparency that included nudging the Election Commission to disclose details of 65 lakh excluded voters in Bihar.
He has also presided over cases that involve cyber surveillance, gender equality, corruption in the NCR real estate sector, national security oversight, and the constitutional powers of governors. His judgements have highlighted that the state cannot claim a “free pass under the guise of national security”, reflecting a strong rights-based approach.
Justice Surya Kant’s 15-month tenure is expected to shape India’s legal landscape, with key constitutional and social matters awaiting adjudication, ranging from federalism and electoral reforms to civil liberties and judicial accountability.
