Chief Justice of India

Chief Justice of India (CJI)

• Introduction to the Chief Justice of India
• Constitutional Status and Appointment Authority
• Chief Justice of India Overview (Table)
• Appointment Process
• Convention of Seniority
• Tenure and Removal Procedure
• Impeachment under Article 124(4)
• Emoluments and Salary
• Powers and Judicial Functions
• Administrative Responsibilities
• Role as Acting President of India
• List of Chief Justices of India (1950–Present)

The Chief Justice of India (CJI) is the head of the Supreme Court of India and the highest-ranking officer of the Indian judiciary. As the guardian of constitutional interpretation and judicial administration, the CJI occupies a central role in India’s democratic framework. The office symbolizes judicial independence and authority, ensuring that the rule of law prevails over executive and legislative power.

The Constitution empowers the President of India to appoint the Chief Justice, based on a recommendation made by the outgoing CJI in consultation with senior Supreme Court judges. The Chief Justice ranks sixth in the Indian Order of Precedence and serves as the administrative and judicial leader of the Supreme Court. The incumbent and 53rd Chief Justice of India is Justice Surya Kant, appointed on 24 November 2025.

Here is the information regarding the Chief Justice of India (CJI) organized into a clear table format:

Chief Justice of India Overview

The CJI is the highest-ranking officer of the Indian federal judiciary and the chief executive of the Supreme Court of India. As the "Master of the Roster," the CJI holds the critical responsibility of allocating cases and heading the Collegium that recommends judicial appointments.

Feature

Details

Incumbent

Surya Kant (since 24 November 2025)

Abbreviation

CJI

Collegium Member

Yes

Residence

5, Krishna Menon Marg, Sunehri Bagh, New Delhi

Seat

Supreme Court building, New Delhi

Appointer

President of India

Term Length

Until the age of 65

Constituting Instrument

Constitution of India (Article 124)

Formation

26 January 1950 (76 years ago)

First Holder

H. J. Kania

Succession

6th (on the Indian order of precedence)

Salary

₹280,000 (US$3,300) per month

Website

sci.gov.in

Appointment Process

The appointment of the Chief Justice follows a constitutional and consultative process designed to preserve judicial independence.

• The outgoing Chief Justice recommends a successor.
• Consultation takes place with senior Supreme Court
• The Ministry of Law and Justice processes the recommendation.
• The Prime Minister advises the President.
• The President formally appoints the Chief Justice.

By convention, the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court is appointed as the next CJI. However, this convention has been broken twice in Indian history:

• 1973: A. N. Ray superseded three senior judges.
• 1977: M. H. Beg superseded Justice H. R. Khanna.

Tenure and Removal

The Chief Justice remains in office until the age of 65 years, unless removed earlier through constitutional impeachment.

Under Article 124(4) of the Constitution:

• Removal is possible only for proved misbehaviour or incapacity.
• Requires impeachment by Parliament.
• Must be supported by:
• Majority of total membership of each House, and
• Two-thirds of members present and vote.

Impeachment procedure includes:

• Notice signed by 50 Rajya Sabha or 100 Lok Sabha
• Judicial inquiry committee investigates charges.
• Report submitted to Parliament.
• Removal proceeds only if guilt is established and Parliament approves.

Emoluments and Salary

The salary and benefits of Supreme Court judges are determined by Parliament under Article 125, but cannot be altered to their disadvantage after appointment.

Key provisions:

• Governed by the Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Act, 1958
• Revised after the Sixth and Seventh Pay Commissions
• Current basic salary: ₹2,80,000 per month
• Financial security ensures freedom from external pressure.

Powers and Functions

The Chief Justice is both a judicial authority and an administrative head.

Judicial functions include:

• Allocation of cases to judges
• Constitution of constitutional benches
• Final authority over case roster

Administrative responsibilities include:

• Supervision of Supreme Court functioning
• Appointment of court officials
• Maintenance of judicial roster
• Management of court administration

The CJI also serves as the de facto Chancellor of:

• National Law School of India University (NLSIU)
• West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (WBNUJS)

Role as Acting President

Under the President (Discharge of Functions) Act, 1969, the Chief Justice acts as President of India if both the offices of President and Vice President fall vacant. A notable historical instance occurred in 1969:

• President Zakir Hussain died in office.
• Vice President V. Giri acted as President. When V. V.
• Chief Justice Mohammad Hidayatullah became Acting President. After the new President took office, Mohammad Hidayatullah returned as CJI.

List of Chief Justices of India (1950–Present)

The Chief Justice of India is the highest judicial officer in the country. This list reflects the transition of leadership within the Supreme Court of India, featuring legal luminaries from various High Courts. Notable records include Y. V. Chandrachud, the longest-serving CJI, and Kamal Narain Singh, who held the shortest tenure.

Name

Term Start

Term End

Parent High Court

Appointed By

H.J. Kania

26 Jan 1950

06 Nov 1951

Bombay

Rajendra Prasad

M. Patanjali Sastri

07 Nov 1951

03 Jan 1954

Madras

Rajendra Prasad

Mehr Chand Mahajan

04 Jan 1954

22 Dec 1954

Lahore

Rajendra Prasad

Bijan Kumar Mukherjea

23 Dec 1954

31 Jan 1956

Calcutta

Rajendra Prasad

Sudhi Ranjan Das

01 Feb 1956

30 Sep 1959

Calcutta

Rajendra Prasad

B. P. Sinha

01 Oct 1959

31 Jan 1964

Patna

Rajendra Prasad

P. B. Gajendragadkar

01 Feb 1964

15 Mar 1966

Bombay

S. Radhakrishnan

Amal Kumar Sarkar

16 Mar 1966

29 Jun 1966

Calcutta

S. Radhakrishnan

Koka Subba Rao

30 Jun 1966

11 Apr 1967

Madras

S. Radhakrishnan

Kailas Nath Wanchoo

12 Apr 1967

24 Feb 1968

Allahabad

S. Radhakrishnan

M. Hidayatullah

25 Feb 1968

16 Dec 1970

Nagpur

Zakir Hussain

J. C. Shah

17 Dec 1970

21 Jan 1971

Bombay

V. V. Giri

Sarv Mittra Sikri

22 Jan 1971

25 Apr 1973

Bar Council

V. V. Giri

Ajit Nath Ray

26 Apr 1973

28 Jan 1977

Calcutta

V. V. Giri

M. Hameedullah Beg

29 Jan 1977

21 Feb 1978

Allahabad

F. Ali Ahmed

Y. V. Chandrachud

22 Feb 1978

11 Jul 1985

Bombay

N. Sanjiva Reddy

P. N. Bhagwati

12 Jul 1985

20 Dec 1986

Gujarat

Zail Singh

R. S. Pathak

21 Dec 1986

18 Jun 1989

Allahabad

Zail Singh

E. S. Venkataramiah

19 Jun 1989

17 Dec 1989

Karnataka

R. Venkataraman

Sabyasachi Mukharji

18 Dec 1989

25 Sep 1990

Calcutta

R. Venkataraman

Ranganath Misra

26 Sep 1990

24 Nov 1991

Orissa

R. Venkataraman

Kamal Narain Singh

25 Nov 1991

12 Dec 1991

Allahabad

R. Venkataraman

M. H. Kania

13 Dec 1991

17 Nov 1992

Bombay

R. Venkataraman

Lalit Mohan Sharma

18 Nov 1992

11 Feb 1993

Patna

S. D. Sharma

M. N. Venkatachaliah

12 Feb 1993

24 Oct 1994

Karnataka

S. D. Sharma

A. M. Ahmadi

25 Oct 1994

24 Mar 1997

Gujarat

S. D. Sharma

J. S. Verma

25 Mar 1997

17 Jan 1998

Madhya Pradesh

S. D. Sharma

Madan Mohan Punchhi

18 Jan 1998

09 Oct 1998

Punjab & Haryana

K. R. Narayanan

Adarsh Sein Anand

10 Oct 1998

31 Oct 2001

J & K

K. R. Narayanan

Sam Piroj Bharucha

01 Nov 2001

05 May 2002

Bombay

K. R. Narayanan

B. N. Kirpal

06 May 2002

07 Nov 2002

Delhi

K. R. Narayanan

G. B. Pattanaik

08 Nov 2002

18 Dec 2002

Orissa

A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

V. N. Khare

19 Dec 2002

01 May 2004

Allahabad

A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

S. Rajendra Babu

02 May 2004

31 May 2004

Karnataka

A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

R. C. Lahoti

01 Jun 2004

31 Oct 2005

Madhya Pradesh

A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

Y. K. Sabharwal

01 Nov 2005

13 Jan 2007

Delhi

A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

K. G. Balakrishnan

14 Jan 2007

11 May 2010

Kerala

A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

S. H. Kapadia

12 May 2010

28 Sep 2012

Bombay

Pratibha Patil

Altamas Kabir

29 Sep 2012

18 Jul 2013

Calcutta

Pranab Mukherjee

P. Sathasivam

19 Jul 2013

26 Apr 2014

Madras

Pranab Mukherjee

R. M. Lodha

27 Apr 2014

27 Sep 2014

Rajasthan

Pranab Mukherjee

H. L. Dattu

28 Sep 2014

02 Dec 2015

Karnataka

Pranab Mukherjee

T. S. Thakur

03 Dec 2015

03 Jan 2017

J & K

Pranab Mukherjee

Jagdish Singh Khehar

04 Jan 2017

27 Aug 2017

Punjab & Haryana

Pranab Mukherjee

Dipak Misra

28 Aug 2017

02 Oct 2018

Orissa

Ram Nath Kovind

Ranjan Gogoi

03 Oct 2018

17 Nov 2019

Gauhati

Ram Nath Kovind

S. A. Bobde

18 Nov 2019

23 Apr 2021

Bombay

Ram Nath Kovind

N. V. Ramana

24 Apr 2021

26 Aug 2022

Andhra Pradesh

Ram Nath Kovind

Uday Umesh Lalit

27 Aug 2022

08 Nov 2022

Bar Council

Droupadi Murmu

D. Y. Chandrachud

09 Nov 2022

10 Nov 2024

Bombay

Droupadi Murmu

Sanjiv Khanna

11 Nov 2024

13 May 2025

Delhi

Droupadi Murmu

B.R. Gavai

14 May 2025

23 Nov 2025

Bombay

Droupadi Murmu

Surya Kant

24 Nov 2025

Incumbent

Punjab & Haryana

Droupadi Murmu