Justice BR Gavai Appointed 52nd Chief Justice of India by President Murmu
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
In a constitutional development of significant import, the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, has formally appointed Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai as the 52nd Chief Justice of India (CJI). His appointment, effective from 14 May 2025, follows the recommendation made by the outgoing Chief Justice, Sanjiv Khanna, in accordance with established convention.
Justice Gavai will assume the role upon Justice Khanna&rsquo;s demitting of office on 13 May. As per the terms of his appointment and the constitutional retirement age, Justice Gavai is expected to hold the office until 23 November 2025, marking a tenure of just over six months.
Notably, Justice Gavai becomes only the second Chief Justice of India from the Scheduled Caste community, the first being Justice K. G. Balakrishnan, who served in the role until May 2010. His elevation represents a moment of historic resonance for the Indian judiciary, as it underscores a continuing, albeit gradual, move towards greater representational diversity at the highest echelons of judicial office.
Born on 24 November 1960 in Amravati, Maharashtra, Justice Gavai commenced his legal career in 1985. He initially apprenticed under the late Raja S. Bhonsale&mdash;then Advocate General of Maharashtra and later a High Court judge&mdash;before beginning independent practice at the Bombay High Court in 1987. He specialised in constitutional and administrative law, representing a broad spectrum of public institutions including municipal corporations, universities, and state-run corporations such as SICOM and DCVL.
His public service career took formal shape in 1992 when he was appointed Assistant Government Pleader and Additional Public Prosecutor at the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court. By 2000, he rose to the position of Government Pleader and Public Prosecutor at the same bench.
Justice Gavai&rsquo;s judicial career began in earnest with his appointment as an Additional Judge of the Bombay High Court on 14 November 2003. He was made a permanent judge in 2005 and served at the High Court's principal seat in Mumbai as well as at its benches in Nagpur, Aurangabad, and Panaji. His elevation to the Supreme Court came on 24 May 2019.
In the Supreme Court, Justice Gavai has been a part of several significant benches and has contributed notably to jurisprudence in constitutional, civil, and administrative law. His seniority on the bench made him the natural successor to CJI Khanna, and his name was formally proposed by the outgoing Chief Justice on 16 April, in keeping with the time-honoured practice of recommending the next senior-most judge of the apex court for the role.
Justice Gavai&rsquo;s brief tenure is not expected to hinder his capacity to leave an imprint on the functioning of the Supreme Court, particularly in areas concerning judicial administration and access to justice. Legal observers will be watching closely to see how he navigates the complex interplay between the judiciary and other constitutional institutions during his term.
&nbsp;

Appointed Chief Justice of India BR  Gavai

Only the second Dalit CJI, Gavai brings decades of public law and judicial experience

Justice BR Gavai to Take Oath as 52nd CJI on May 14

Only the second Dalit CJI, Gavai brings decades of public law and judicial experience

April 29, 2025 | 21:42 IST