New Delhi, April 29: Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai has been officially appointed as the 52nd Chief Justice of India (CJI). His swearing-in ceremony is scheduled for May 14, 2025, according to a notification released on Tuesday.
President Droupadi Murmu approved the appointment following the recommendation made by incumbent Chief Justice DY Chandrachud’s successor, Justice Sanjiv Khanna, on April 16. The announcement was shared by Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on social media platform X, confirming Justice Gavai’s elevation to the country’s top judicial post.
"In exercise of the powers conferred by the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint Shri Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai, Judge of the Supreme Court of India, as the Chief Justice of India with effect from May 14, 2025," Meghwal posted.
Justice Gavai will serve a tenure of around six months, retiring on December 23, 2025, upon reaching the age of 65.
Notably, Justice Gavai will become only the second Chief Justice of India from the Scheduled Caste community, following Justice KG Balakrishnan, who held the position from 2007 to 2010.
A Glimpse into Justice Gavai's Journey
Born on November 24, 1960, in Amravati, Maharashtra, Justice Gavai began practicing law in 1985. He started his career under Raja S Bhonsale, a former Advocate General and High Court judge, before establishing an independent practice at the Bombay High Court in 1987.
Specializing in Constitutional and Administrative law, Justice Gavai represented various municipal and academic institutions such as the Nagpur and Amravati Municipal Corporations and Amravati University, along with public sector entities like SICOM and DCVL.
In 1992, he was appointed Assistant Government Pleader and Additional Public Prosecutor at the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court, later becoming the Government Pleader and Public Prosecutor in 2000.
Justice Gavai was appointed as an Additional Judge of the Bombay High Court in 2003 and confirmed as a permanent judge in 2005. Over his judicial career, he served at the High Court’s Mumbai principal seat and its benches in Nagpur, Aurangabad, and Panaji. He was elevated to the Supreme Court on May 24, 2019.
