Source: Government of India
Source: Government of India (4)
Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai is set to be 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 will take place at Rashtrapati Bhavan, where President Droupadi Murmu will administer the oath of office to Justice Gavai.
With his elevation, Justice Gavai will 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.
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)