Justice BR Gavai has officially sworn in as the new Chief Justice of India (CJI) on Wednesday morning. The oath cermony was taken in the presence of President Of India Droupadi Murmu. BT Gavai becomes the 52nd Chief justice of India succeeding justice Sanjiv Khanna. His tenuer will last just over six months, concluding on November 23, 2025.
The swearing-in ceremony was done in presence of PM Narendra Modi, Amit Shah Rajnath, S. Jaishankar, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Vice President VP Dhankhar, former CJI Sanjiv Khanna, former President Ram Nath Kovind, and Supreme Court Justices including Surya Kant and B.V. Nagarathna.
Justice BR Gavai is originally from Maharashtra and is inspired by the teachings of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar is the second CJI from the Scheduled Caste community, following Justice KG Balakrishnan, who retired in 2010. He is also the first Buddhist judge to hold the position. He was elevated to the Supreme Court from the Bombay High Court on May 24, 2019.
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He is the first Buddhist and only the second judge from the Scheduled Castes to serve as the nation's highest judicial officer.Justice Gavai has worked in law for more than 30 years, making significant contributions to constitutional, criminal, and civil law through his many rulings.