In a landmark moment for the Indian judiciary, Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai was sworn in as the 52nd Chief Justice of India on Tuesday. The oath of office was administered by President Droupadi Murmu at a solemn ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Justice Gavai’s appointment is historically significant — he becomes the first Buddhist and only the second Dalit to rise to the nation’s highest judicial post, following Justice KG Balakrishnan who served as CJI from 2007 to 2010. His tenure will extend until November 23, 2025.
The swearing-in was attended by a host of dignitaries, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, and Union Ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, JP Nadda, S. Jaishankar, Piyush Goyal, and Arjun Ram Meghwal. Former CJI Sanjiv Khanna and former President Ram Nath Kovind were also present.
Several sitting Supreme Court judges, including Justices Surya Kant, A.G. Masih, P.S. Narasimha, B.V. Nagarathna, and Bela Trivedi, witnessed the historic occasion.
Justice Gavai was elevated to the Supreme Court from the Bombay High Court on May 24, 2019. His journey from a modest background to the helm of the judiciary stands as a testament to India’s democratic and inclusive ethos.
