Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai was sworn in on Wednesday as the 52nd Chief Justice of India (CJI), succeeding Justice Sanjiv Khanna, who retired on Tuesday after a six-month tenure.
The swearing-in ceremony took place at Rashtrapati Bhavan, where President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office to Justice Gavai.
With his elevation, Justice Gavai has become only the second Chief Justice of India from the Dalit community, following Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, who served as CJI from 2007 to 2010. His term is scheduled to run until November 23, 2025.
Born on November 24, 1960, Justice Gavai entered the legal profession in 1985 and began independent practice at the Bombay High Court in 1987, later moving to its Nagpur Bench. He was appointed a judge of the Bombay High Court in November 2003 and elevated to the Supreme Court in May 2019.
According to the Supreme Court’s website, in the past six years, Justice Gavai has been part of around 700 Benches, handling a wide array of matters spanning constitutional and administrative law, civil and criminal law, commercial disputes, arbitration, electricity law, education, and environmental issues. He has authored nearly 300 judgments, including those of Constitution Benches, reinforcing the rule of law and protecting the fundamental, human, and legal rights of citizens.
Justice Gavai comes from a distinguished public service background. His father, Ramakrishna Suryabhan Gavai, was a respected Ambedkarite leader, founder of the Republican Party of India (RPI), and served as a Member of Parliament from Amravati. He also held gubernatorial posts in Bihar, Sikkim, and Kerala between 2006 and 2011 under the Congress-led UPA government.
Justice Gavai’s appointment to the top judicial post is being widely seen as a significant step forward for social inclusion and representation in India’s higher judiciary.
(With IANS inputs)