Chief Justice of India
Head of highest judicial authority in India
Supreme Court Emblem
Incumbent Surya Kant (Judge) since 24 November 2025
Supreme Court
Type	Chief Justice
Status	Presiding Judge ofSupreme Court of India
Abbreviation	CJI
Residence	5, Krishna Menon Marg, Sunehri Bagh,New Delhi,India[1]
Seat	Supreme Court of India,New Delhi,India
Nominator	Outgoing Chief Justice of India, generally on the basis of Seniority
Appointer	President of India
Term length	Until the age of 65[2]
Constituting instrument	Constitution of India (under Article 124)
Formation	26 January 1950; 75 years ago (1950-01-26)
First holder	H. J. Kania (1950–1951)[3]
Succession	6th(on theIndian order of precedence)
Salary	₹280,000 (US$3,300) (per month)[4]
Website	sci.gov.in

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Thechief justice of India (CJI) is thechief judge of theSupreme Court of India and the highest-ranking officer of theIndian judiciary. TheConstitution of India grants power to thepresident of India to appoint, as recommended by the outgoing chief justice in consultation with other judges, (as envisaged in Article 124 (2) of the Constitution)^[5] the next chief justice, who will serve until they reach the age of 65 or are removed by the constitutional process ofimpeachment.

The CJI ranks 6th in theOrder of Precedence of India^[6] and as per convention, the successor suggested by the incumbent chief justice is most often the next most senior judge of the Supreme Court. However, this convention has been broken twice. In 1973, JusticeA. N. Ray was appointed, superseding three senior judges, and in 1977 when JusticeMirza Hameedullah Beg was appointed as Chief Justice, superseding JusticeHans Raj Khanna.

As head of the Supreme Court, the chief justice is responsible for the allocation of cases and appointment of constitutional benches that deal with important matters of law.^[7] In accordance with Article 145 of theConstitution of India and the Supreme Court Rules of Procedure of 1966, the chief justice has to allocate work to the other judges who are bound to refer the matter back to them (for re-allocation) in any case where they require it to be looked into by another group of experienced judges.

On the administrative side, the chief justice carries out functions of maintenance of the roster, appointment of court officials, and general and miscellaneous matters relating to the supervision and functioning of the Supreme Court. The chief justice is de facto chancellor ofNational Law School of India University andThe West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences.^[8]

The 52nd chief justice wasBhushan Gavai. Sworn in on 14 May, 2025, he became the firstBuddhist to hold this post.^[9]

Chief Justice of IndiaB. R. Gavai recommended JusticeSurya Kant as the nextchief justice of India on 27th October 2025.^[10]Justice Surya Kant, the second senior-most Supreme Court judge became the53rdchief justice of India on 24th November 2025 after the incumbent CJI B. R. Gavai's retirement.^[11]

As the incumbent chief justice approaches retirement, theMinistry of Law and Justice seeks a recommendation from the incumbent chief justice. Consultations with other judges might also take place. The recommendation is then presented to the prime minister, who will advice the president in the matter of appointment.^[12]

Article 124(4) of the Constitution of India lays down the procedure for the removal of a judge of the Supreme Court, which is applicable to chief justices as well. Once appointed, the chief justice remains in office until age 65. There is no fixed tenure provided in the constitution.^{[citation needed]} He can be removed only through a process of removal byParliament as follows:

A Judge of the Supreme Court shall not be removed from his office except by an order of the President passed after an address by each House of Parliament supported by a majority of the total membership of that House and by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members of that House present and voting has been presented to the President in the same session for such removal on the ground of proved misbehaviour or incapacity.

ThePresident (Discharge of Functions) Act, 1969 specifies the chief justice of India shall act as the president of India in the event of the offices of both the president and the vice president being vacant.^[14] WhenPresident Zakir Hussain died in office, Vice PresidentV. V. Giri acted as the president. Later, V. V. Giri resigned as the vice president, the chief justice, JusticeMohammad Hidayatullah became the acting president of India. As per the convention, the senior most judge of the Supreme Court become the acting chief justice. When the newly elected president took office a month later, Justice Hidayatullah reverted as the chief justice of India.

TheConstitution of India gives the power of deciding remuneration as well as other conditions of service of the chief justice to theParliament of India. Accordingly, such provisions have been laid down inThe Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Act, 1958.^[15][16] This remuneration was revised in 2006–2008 after theSixth Central Pay Commission's recommendation.^[17] According to the Seventh pay commission, in 2016, the salary was revised.^[18]

No.	Name (birth–death)	Image	Start of Term	End of Term	Length of Term	ParentHigh Court	Appointed by (President of India)	Date of appointment as Judge in		Previous offices as Chief Justice of High Court	Nominated as Judge in		Ref.
								Supreme Court	Parent High Court		Supreme Court by (CJI)	Parent High Court by (CJI)
1	Harilal Jekisundas Kania (1890–1951)		26 January 1950	6 November 1951†	1 year, 284 days	Bombay	Rajendra Prasad	28 January 1950	June 1933	--	--	--	[19]
2	Mandakolathur Patanjali Sastri (1889–1963)		7 November 1951	3 January 1954	2 years, 57 days	Madras		28 January 1950	15 March 1939	--	--	--	[20]
3	Mehr Chand Mahajan (1889–1967)		4 January 1954	22 December 1954	352 days	Lahore		28 January 1950	27 September 1943	--	--	--	[21]
4	Bijan Kumar Mukherjea (1891–1956)		23 December 1954	31 January 1956‡	1 year, 39 days	Calcutta		28 January 1950	8 July 1936	--	--	--	[22]
5	Sudhi Ranjan Das (1894–1977)		1 February 1956	30 September 1959	3 years, 241 days	Calcutta		28 January 1950	1942	2ndCJ ofPunjab HC	--	--	[23]
6	Bhuvaneshwar Prasad Sinha (1899–1986)		1 October 1959	31 January 1964	4 years, 122 days	Patna		3 December 1954	19 January 1943	CJ of Nagpur HC	M. C. Mahajan	--	[24]
7	Pralhad Balacharya Gajendragadkar (1901–1981)		1 February 1964	15 March 1966	2 years, 42 days	Bombay	Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan	17 January 1957	1945	--	S. R. Das	--	[25]
8	Amal Kumar Sarkar (1901–2001)		16 March 1966	29 June 1966	105 days	Calcutta		4 March 1957	25 January 1949	--		--	[26]
9	Koka Subba Rao (1902–1976)		30 June 1966	11 April 1967‡	285 days	Madras		31 January 1958	22 March 1948	CJ of Unified Andhra Pradesh HC		--	[27]
10	Kailas Nath Wanchoo (1903–1988)		12 April 1967	24 February 1968	318 days	Allahabad		11 August 1958	17 February 1947	2ndCJ ofRajasthan HC		--	[28]
11	Mohammed Hidayatullah (1905–1992)[a]		25 February 1968	16 December 1970	2 years, 294 days	Nagpur	Zakir Hussain	1 December 1958	27 June 1946	1stCJ ofMadhya Pradesh HC		--	[29]
12	Jayantilal Chhotalal Shah (1906–1991)		17 December 1970	21 January 1971	35 days	Bombay	V. V. Giri	12 October 1959	1 March 1949	--	B. P. Sinha	--	[30]
13	Sarv Mittra Sikri (1908–1992)		22 January 1971	25 April 1973	2 years, 93 days	Bar Council		3 February 1964	N/A	N/A	P. B. Gajendragadkar	N/A	[31]
14	Ajit Nath Ray (1912–2009)		26 April 1973	28 January 1977	3 years, 276 days	Calcutta		1 August 1969	23 December 1957	--	M. Hidayatullah	--	[32]
15	Mirza Hameedullah Beg (1913–1988)		29 January 1977	21 February 1978	1 year, 24 days	Allahabad	Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed	10 December 1971	11 June 1963	1stCJ ofHimachal Pradesh HC	S. M. Sikri	B. P. Sinha	[33]
16	Yeshwant Vishnu Chandrachud (1920–2008)		22 February 1978	11 July 1985	7 years, 139 days	Bombay	Neelam Sanjiva Reddy	28 August 1972	19 March 1961	--			[34]
17	Prafullachandra Natwarlal Bhagwati (1921–2017)		12 July 1985	20 December 1986	1 year, 161 days	Gujarat	Zail Singh	17 July 1973	21 July 1960	5thCJ ofGujarat HC	A. N. Ray		[35]
18	Raghunandan Swarup Pathak (1924–2007)		21 December 1986	18 June 1989‡	2 years, 179 days	Allahabad		20 February 1978	1 October 1962	2ndCJ ofHimachal Pradesh HC	M. H. Beg		[36]
19	Engalaguppe Seetharamiah Venkataramiah (1924–1997)		19 June 1989	17 December 1989	181 days	Karnataka	R. Venkataraman	8 March 1979	25 June 1970	--	Y. V. Chandrachud	M. Hidayatullah	[37]
20	Sabyasachi Mukharji (1927–1990)		18 December 1989	25 September 1990†	281 days	Calcutta		15 March 1983	31 July 1968	--			[38]
21	Ranganath Misra (1926–2012)		26 September 1990	24 November 1991	1 year, 59 days	Orissa			4 July 1969	10thCJ ofOrissa HC			[39]
22	Kamal Narain Singh (1926–2022)		25 November 1991	12 December 1991	17 days	Allahabad		10 March 1986	25 August 1970	--	P. N. Bhagwati		[40]
23	Madhukar Hiralal Kania (1927–2016)		13 December 1991	17 November 1992	340 days	Bombay		1 May 1987	4 November 1969	24thCJ ofBombay HC	R. S. Pathak		[41]
24	Lalit Mohan Sharma (1928–2008)		18 November 1992	11 February 1993	85 days	Patna	Shankar Dayal Sharma	5 October 1987	12 April 1973	--		S. M. Sikri	[42]
25	Manepalli Narayanarao Venkatachaliah (born 1929)		12 February 1993	24 October 1994	1 year, 254 days	Karnataka			6 November 1975	--		A. N. Ray	[43]
26	Aziz Mushabber Ahmadi (1932–2023)		25 October 1994	24 March 1997	2 years, 150 days	Gujarat		14 December 1988	2 September 1976	--			[44]
27	Jagdish Sharan Verma (1933–2013)		25 March 1997	17 January 1998	298 days	Madhya Pradesh		3 June 1989	12 September 1972	10thCJ ofMadhya Pradesh HC 16thCJ ofRajasthan HC		S. M. Sikri	[45]
28	Madan Mohan Punchhi (1933–2015)		18 January 1998	9 October 1998	264 days	Punjab and Haryana	K. R. Narayanan	6 October 1989	24 October 1979	--	E. S. Venkataramiah	Y. V. Chandrachud	[46]
29	Adarsh Sein Anand (1936–2017)		10 October 1998	31 October 2001	3 years, 21 days	Jammu and Kashmir		18 November 1991	26 May 1975	14thCJ ofJammu and Kashmir HC 24thCJ ofMadras HC	Ranganath Misra	A. N. Ray	[47]
30	Sam Piroj Bharucha (born 1937)		1 November 2001	5 May 2002	185 days	Bombay		1 July 1992	19 September 1977	13thCJ ofKarnataka HC	M. H. Kania	M. H. Beg	[48]
31	Bhupinder Nath Kirpal (born 1937)		6 May 2002	7 November 2002	185 days	Delhi		11 September 1995	20 November 1979	13thCJ ofGujarat HC	A. M. Ahmadi	Y. V. Chandrachud	[49]
32	Gopal Ballav Pattanaik (born 1937)		8 November 2002	18 December 2002	40 days	Orissa	A. P. J. Abdul Kalam		1 June 1983	27thCJ ofPatna HC			[50]
33	Vishweshwar Nath Khare (born 1939)		19 December 2002	1 May 2004	1 year, 134 days	Allahabad		21 March 1997	25 June 1983	29thCJ ofCalcutta HC			[51]
34	S. Rajendra Babu (born 1939)		2 May 2004	31 May 2004	29 days	Karnataka		25 September 1997	19 February 1988	--	J. S. Verma	R. S. Pathak	[52]
35	Ramesh Chandra Lahoti (1940–2022)		1 June 2004	31 October 2005	1 year, 152 days	Madhya Pradesh		9 December 1998	3 May 1988	--	A. S. Anand		[53]
36	Yogesh Kumar Sabharwal (1942–2015)		1 November 2005	13 January 2007	1 year, 73 days	Delhi		28 January 2000	17 November 1986	31stCJ ofBombay HC		P. N. Bhagwati	[54]
37	Konakuppakatil Gopinathan Balakrishnan (born 1945)		14 January 2007	11 May 2010	3 years, 117 days	Kerala		8 June 2000	26 September 1985	16thCJ ofGujarat HC 29thCJ ofMadras HC			[55]
38	Sarosh Homi Kapadia (1947–2016)		12 May 2010	28 September 2012	2 years, 139 days	Bombay	Pratibha Patil	18 December 2003	8 October 1991	2ndCJ ofUttarakhand HC	V. N. Khare	Ranganath Misra	[56]
39	Altamas Kabir (1948–2017)		29 September 2012	18 July 2013	292 days	Calcutta	Pranab Mukherjee	9 September 2005	6 August 1990	3rdCJ ofJharkhand HC	R. C. Lahoti	Sabyasachi Mukharji	[57]
40	Palanisamy Sathasivam (born 1949)		19 July 2013	26 April 2014	281 days	Madras		21 August 2007	8 August 1996	--	K. G. Balakrishnan	A. M. Ahmadi	[58]
41	Rajendra Mal Lodha (born 1949)		27 April 2014	27 September 2014	153 days	Rajasthan		17 December 2008	31 January 1994	33rdCJ ofPatna HC		M. N. Venkatachaliah	[59]
42	Handyala Lakshminarayanaswamy Dattu (born 1950)		28 September 2014	2 December 2015	1 year, 65 days	Karnataka			18 December 1995	6thCJ ofChhattisgarh HC 27thCJ ofKerala HC		A. M. Ahmadi	[60]
43	Tirath Singh Thakur (born 1952)		3 December 2015	3 January 2017	1 year, 31 days	Jammu and Kashmir		17 November 2009	16 February 1994	28thCJ ofPunjab and Haryana HC		M. N. Venkatachaliah	[61]
44	Jagdish Singh Khehar (born 1952)		4 January 2017	27 August 2017	235 days	Punjab and Haryana		11 September 2011	8 February 1999	7thCJ ofUttarakhand HC 25thCJ ofKarnataka HC	S. H. Kapadia	A. S. Anand	[62]
45	Dipak Misra (born 1953)		28 August 2017	2 October 2018	1 year, 35 days	Orissa	Ram Nath Kovind	10 October 2011	17 January 1996	36thCJ ofPatna HC 25thCJ ofDelhi HC		A. M. Ahmadi	[63]
46	Ranjan Gogoi (born 1954)		3 October 2018	17 November 2019	1 year, 45 days	Gauhati		23 April 2012	28 February 2001	30thCJ ofPunjab and Haryana HC		A. S. Anand	[64]
47	Sharad Arvind Bobde (born 1956)		18 November 2019[65]	23 April 2021	1 year, 156 days	Bombay		12 April 2013	29 March 2000	21stCJ ofMadhya Pradesh HC	Altamas Kabir		[66]
48	Nuthalapati Venkata Ramana (born 1957)		24 April 2021	26 August 2022	1 year, 124 days	Andhra Pradesh		17 February 2014	27 June 2000	27thCJ ofDelhi HC	P. Sathasivam		[67]
49	Uday Umesh Lalit (born 1957)		27 August 2022	8 November 2022	73 days	Bar Council	Droupadi Murmu	13 August 2014	N/A	N/A	R. M. Lodha	N/A	[68]
50	Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud (born 1959)		9 November 2022	10 November 2024	2 years, 1 day	Bombay		13 May 2016	29 March 2000	45thCJ ofAllahabad HC	T. S. Thakur	A. S. Anand	[69]
51	Sanjiv Khanna (born 1960)		11 November 2024	13 May 2025	183 days	Delhi		18 January 2019	24 June 2005	--	Ranjan Gogoi	R. C. Lahoti	[70]
52	Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai (born 1960)		14 May 2025	23 November 2025	193 days	Bombay		24 May 2019	14 November 2003	--		V. N. Khare	[71]
53	Surya Kant (born 1962)		24 November 2025	Incumbent	0 days	Punjab and Haryana			9 January 2004	23rdCJ ofHimachal Pradesh HC			[72][73]

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