Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai has been officially appointed on Tuesday, April 29, as the next Chief Justice of India (CJI) by President Droupadi Murmu. His oath will take place on May 14, according to an official notification.
Justice Gavai will become the 52nd CJI and will be the second-ever Dalit to hold the elusive post. The first-ever Dalit to hold the CJI post was K G Balakrishnan, who had a tenure of over three years from January 2007 to May 2010.
Justice Gavai, who will take charge from May 14 and replace current CJI Sanjiv Khanna, will hold the post for a period of six months as he will retire on November 23, 2025.
As per laid down procedure, his name was recommended by CJI Khanna on April 16 to the central government. Notably, Justice Gavai is the senior-most Supreme Court judge after the incumbent CJI Khanna.
