Justice Surya Kant as Chief Justice of India

Justice Surya Kant was sworn in as the 53rd Chief Justice of India on November 24, 2025, by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi. His swearing-in came shortly after advising on the presidential reference regarding timelines imposed by the Supreme Court on State Governors concerning State Bills.

Judicial Approach and Contributions

• Justice Kant is known for his preference for resolving disputes through negotiation rather than confrontation.
• He played a key role in resolving the farmers' agitation by facilitating dialogue between the farmers and the government.
• His tenure is expected to be scrutinized for handling the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) case, which has expanded to 12 states, impacting 51 crore people.

Focus on Legal Reforms and Pending Cases

• Reducing the pendency of over 90,000 cases in the Supreme Court is a top priority during his tenure, which lasts until February 2, 2027.
• Justice Kant has expressed concern over the frequent return of influential parties to the Supreme Court with miscellaneous applications, adding to case backlogs.

Future Challenges and Expectations

• Justice Kant is anticipated to address issues such as the allegations of judicial misuse of influence and hate speech by sitting judges.
• There is also an expectation for the Kant Collegium to consider the inclusion of more women judges in the Supreme Court.

Background and Early Career

• Born on February 10, 1962, in Hisar, Haryana, Justice Kant was the youngest Advocate General of Haryana in 2000.
• He became a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2004 and later served as Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court in 2018.