Justice B R Gavai Sworn In As 52nd Chief Justice of India
Justice B R Gavai Sworn In As 52nd Chief Justice of India
New Delhi, May 14, 2025: Justice Bhushan Ramakrishna Gavai was sworn in as the 52nd Chief Justice of India (CJI) on Wednesday, in a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan and administered by President Droupadi Murmu. Justice Gavai succeeds Justice Sanjiv Khanna, who retired on May 13.
With his appointment, Justice Gavai becomes the first Buddhist and only the second person from the Scheduled Caste community to hold the country’s top judicial post, after Justice K G Balakrishnan. His tenure will span a little over six months, concluding with his retirement on November 23, 2025, when he turns 65.
Justice Gavai has often acknowledged the transformative role of affirmative action in his journey. Speaking at a public event in April 2024, he credited Dr B R Ambedkar’s legacy and policies for making it possible for someone from a modest background like his—educated in a municipal school in a semi-slum area—to rise to the highest position in the judiciary.
Elevated to the Supreme Court on May 24, 2019, Justice Gavai has been part of several landmark constitutional benches. Notably, he was among the judges who unanimously upheld the abrogation of Article 370 in December 2023, ending the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. He was also part of the bench that annulled the Centre’s electoral bonds scheme, calling for transparency in political funding.
Born on November 24, 1960, in Amravati, Maharashtra, Justice Gavai began his legal career in 1985 and practised extensively in constitutional and administrative law. He was appointed as an Additional Judge of the Bombay High Court in 2003 and became a permanent judge in 2005.
Over the years, Justice Gavai has served as standing counsel for several municipal bodies and educational institutions, including the Nagpur and Amravati Municipal Corporations and Amravati University.
Justice Gavai’s elevation marks a significant milestone in the judiciary’s diversity and representation, reinforcing the ideals of equality and opportunity enshrined in the Indian Constitution.
