New Delhi, May 14: Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai is set to take oath on Wednesday as the 52nd Chief Justice of India (CJI), succeeding Justice Sanjiv Khanna, who demitted office on May 13 after a brief tenure as the 51st CJI. The swearing-in ceremony will be held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, where President Droupadi Murmu will administer the oath of office.

Justice Gavai will become the second Chief Justice of India from the Dalit community, after Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, who served as CJI from 2007 to 2010. Justice Gavai will serve as the head of the judiciary until November 23, 2025, giving him a tenure of just over six months. ‘Overwhelmed, Successor Justice BR Gavai Will Uphold Supreme Court Values’: CJI Sanjiv Khanna Demits Office.

A respected jurist, Justice Gavai was born on November 24, 1960, and began his legal career when he enrolled at the Bar on March 16, 1985, at the age of 25. He practised law at the Bombay High Court independently from 1987 to 1990 and later at its Nagpur Bench. He was appointed as a judge of the Bombay High Court in November 2003 and was elevated to the Supreme Court in May 2019.

Justice Gavai comes from a distinguished background. His father, Ramakrishna Suryabhan Gavai, was a prominent Ambedkarite leader and founder of the Republican Party of India (RPI). Fondly known as Dadasaheb, the senior Gavai was also a member of the Lok Sabha from Amravati and served as the Governor of Bihar, Sikkim, and Kerala between 2006 and 2011 during the tenure of the Congress-led UPA government. He passed away in 2015, four years before his son’s elevation to the Supreme Court. CJI Sanjiv Khanna Retires Today; Senior Judge BR Gavai to Sworn In As Next Chief Justice of India.

Justice Gavai’s rise to the top of India’s judicial system is being viewed as a milestone for social representation in the higher judiciary. As CJI, he will lead the apex court through a critical period, with a docket that includes important constitutional matters, legal reforms, and high-profile cases that could shape the future of Indian jurisprudence.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 14, 2025 10:07 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).