New CJI Surya Kant Begins 15-Month Tenure With Key Rulings
New CJI Surya Kant Begins 15-Month Tenure With Key Rulings
Justice Surya Kant sworn in as 53rd Chief Justice of India, taking charge for about 15 months with landmark judgments on Article 370, free speech, and Bihar's electoral revisions.
Justice Surya Kant was sworn in as the 53rd Chief Justice of India on Monday, with the oath administered by President Droupadi Murmu at a ceremony attended by Vice President CP Radhakrishnan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He will remain in charge for about 15 months, until he demits the office on February 9, 2027, upon reaching the age of 65 years.
Coming from a middle-class family in Haryana’s Hisar, Kant began his professional journey as a small-town lawyer before climbing to the apex court. Over his tenure at the Supreme Court, he has been part of more than 300 benches and contributed to a range of significant judgments.
Key verdicts he has been associated with include the historic abrogation of Article 370, which led to the removal of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status; a case on Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar’s voter list where he urged the Election Commission to disclose details of 65 lakh voters excluded from the draft rolls; and a notable freedom of speech ruling that cautioned against treating free expression as a license to flout social norms. The last decision involved a challenge to remarks by prominent podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia and comedians from the show India’s Got Latent, where the bench pulled up the performers for derogatory remarks.
Cover image source: Justice Surya Kant to take oath as CJI, start his 15-month tenure today 🔗
