Justice Surya Kant set to take oath as 53rd Chief Justice of India on Monday

Guwahati: Justice Surya Kant, widely recognised for his contributions to major constitutional rulings, will assume charge as the 53rd Chief Justice of India (CJI) on Monday, November 24.

He will take over from Justice B.R. Gavai, who retires on Sunday evening. The Union government appointed him as the next CJI on October 30.

Justice Kant will serve a tenure of nearly 15 months and will demit office on February 9, 2027, when he turns 65.

During his years at the Supreme Court, Justice Kant has played a crucial role in several high-profile judgments, including the decisions linked to the abrogation of Article 370, free speech protections, and citizenship matters.

The Constitution Bench, on which he also served, recently examined the President’s reference on the powers of Governors and the President in handling state assembly bills, and it is expected to deliver a pending verdict with major implications for multiple states.

Justice Kant was part of the bench that effectively paused the colonial-era sedition provision, instructing that police must refrain from filing new FIRs until the Union government completes its review of the law.

Born on February 10, 1962, in Hisar, Haryana, Justice Kant began his legal career as a small-town practitioner and went on to become a leading figure in India’s constitutional judiciary.

He completed his Master’s degree in Law from Kurukshetra University in 2011, securing ‘first class first’.

Before joining the Supreme Court, he served as Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court from October 5, 2018.

During his tenure at the Punjab and Haryana High Court, he delivered several noteworthy rulings, including ordering the reinstatement of a woman sarpanch unlawfully removed from her post and highlighting the gender bias involved in the case.

He also directed that bar associations, including the Supreme Court Bar Association, reserve one-third of their seats for women.

Justice Kant upheld the constitutionality of the One Rank–One Pension (OROP) scheme for defence personnel and continues to hear petitions from women officers in the armed forces seeking equal opportunities in permanent commission.

He also sat on the seven-judge bench that overturned the 1967 Aligarh Muslim University decision, clearing the path for a fresh examination of the institution’s minority status.

Justice Kant previously heard the Pegasus spyware case as well, as part of a bench that appointed an expert panel to investigate allegations of illegal surveillance and ruled that the state cannot seek a “free pass under the guise of national security”.