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November 11, 2024 07:15
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New Chief Justice of India Justice Sanjiv Khanna has been appointed as the 51st Chief Justice of India. Check out the complete Chief Justice of India List and know more about it.
The Chief Justice of India (CJI) is the highest-ranking judge of the Supreme Court of India and holds a crucial role in the judiciary, overseeing judicial and administrative functions of the Supreme Court. Justice Sanjiv Khanna, recently appointed as the 51st Chief Justice of India, succeeded Justice D.Y. Chandrachud. His tenure marks a continuation of the Supreme Court’s commitment to justice and constitutional values.
Justice Sanjiv Khanna has been appointed as the 51st Chief Justice of India. He took the oath of office on Novemeber 11, 2024, succeeding Justice D.Y. Chandrachud. He is well-known for this commitment to constitutional values during this tenure of the chairman of the Supreme Court Legal Service Committee from June 17 to December 25, 2023. His appointment reflects continuity in judicial leadership, and he will serve as the head of the Indian judiciary, overseeing crucial cases and guiding judicial administration.
The Chief Justice of India serves as the administrative and judicial head of the Supreme Court, presiding over court proceedings and guiding judicial policy and administration. The CJI also plays a pivotal role in the appointment and transfer of judges within the judiciary, as well as in upholding the independence of the judiciary in India.
Key Responsibilities of the CJI:
The Constitution of India provides a legal framework for the functioning of the Supreme Court and the office of the Chief Justice. Key provisions include:
The Constitution does not explicitly define the appointment process for the Chief Justice, but conventions and seniority principles have shaped the procedure over time. Here’s how the CJI is appointed:
To qualify for the position of Chief Justice, an individual must meet specific criteria that ensure the candidate’s judicial expertise and commitment:
The Chief Justice can only be removed through a formal impeachment process for proven misbehavior or incapacity. The process involves:
The CJI plays a multifaceted role, balancing judicial responsibilities with administrative oversight to maintain the integrity of India’s judiciary. Some of the primary roles and powers include:
Here is the complete list of Chief Justices of India, from the first CJI in 1950 to the current CJI, Justice Sanjiv Khanna.
| SN | Name | Start of Term | End of Term | Tenure |
| 1 | Harilal Jekisundas Kania | 26 January 1950 | 6 November 1951† | 1 year, 284 days |
| 2 | Mandakolathur Patanjali Sastri | 7 November 1951 | 3 January 1954 | 2 years, 57 days |
| 3 | Mehr Chand Mahajan | 4 January 1954 | 22 December 1954 | 352 days |
| 4 | Bijan Kumar Mukherjea | 23 December 1954 | 31 January 1956‡ | 1 year, 39 days |
| 5 | Sudhi Ranjan Das | 1 February 1956 | 30 September 1959 | 3 years, 241 days |
| 6 | Bhuvaneshwar Prasad Sinha | 1 October 1959 | 31 January 1964 | 4 years, 122 days |
| 7 | Pralhad Balacharya Gajendragadkar | 1 February 1964 | 15 March 1966 | 2 years, 42 days |
| 8 | Amal Kumar Sarkar | 16 March 1966 | 29 June 1966 | 105 days |
| 9 | Koka Subba Rao | 30 June 1966 | 11 April 1967‡ | 285 days |
| 10 | Kailas Nath Wanchoo | 12 April 1967 | 24 February 1968 | 318 days |
| 11 | Mohammad Hidayatullah | 25 February 1968 | 16 December 1970 | 2 years, 294 days |
| 12 | Jayantilal Chhotalal Shah | 17 December 1970 | 21 January 1971 | 35 days |
| 13 | Sarv Mittra Sikri | 22 January 1971 | 25 April 1973 | 2 years, 93 days |
| 14 | Ajit Nath Ray | 26 April 1973 | 28 January 1977 | 3 years, 276 days |
| 15 | Mirza Hameedullah Beg | 29 January 1977 | 21 February 1978 | 1 year, 24 days |
| 16 | Yeshwant Vishnu Chandrachud | 22 February 1978 | 11 July 1985 | 7 years, 139 days |
| 17 | Prafullachandra Natwarlal Bhagwati | 12 July 1985 | 20 December 1986 | 1 year, 161 days |
| 18 | Raghunandan Swarup Pathak | 21 December 1986 | 18 June 1989‡ | 2 years, 209 days |
| 19 | Engalaguppe Seetharamiah Venkataramiah | 19 June 1989 | 17 December 1989 | 181 days |
| 20 | Sabyasachi Mukharji | 18 December 1989 | 25 September 1990† | 281 days |
| 21 | Ranganath Misra | 26 September 1990 | 24 November 1991 | 1 year, 59 days |
| 22 | Kamal Narain Singh | 25 November 1991 | 12 December 1991 | 17 days |
| 23 | Madhukar Hiralal Kania | 13 December 1991 | 17 November 1992 | 340 days |
| 24 | Lalit Mohan Sharma | 18 November 1992 | 11 February 1993 | 85 days |
| 25 | Manepalli Narayanarao Venkatachaliah | 12 February 1993 | 24 October 1994 | 1 year, 254 days |
| 26 | Aziz Mushabber Ahmadi | 25 October 1994 | 24 March 1997 | 2 years, 150 days |
| 27 | Jagdish Sharan Verma | 25 March 1997 | 17 January 1998 | 298 days |
| 28 | Madan Mohan Punchhi | 18 January 1998 | 9 October 1998 | 264 days |
| 29 | Adarsh Sein Anand | 10 October 1998 | 31 October 2001 | 3 years, 21 days |
| 30 | Sam Piroj Bharucha | 1 November 2001 | 5 May 2002 | 185 days |
| 31 | Bhupinder Nath Kirpal | 6 May 2002 | 7 November 2002 | 185 days |
| 32 | Gopal Ballav Pattanaik | 8 November 2002 | 18 December 2002 | 40 days |
| 33 | Vishweshwar Nath Khare | 19 December 2002 | 1 May 2004 | 1 year, 134 days |
| 34 | S. Rajendra Babu | 2 May 2004 | 31 May 2004 | 29 days |
| 35 | Ramesh Chandra Lahoti | 1 June 2004 | 31 October 2005 | 1 year, 152 days |
| 36 | Yogesh Kumar Sabharwal | 1 November 2005 | 13 January 2007 | 1 year, 73 days |
| 37 | Konakuppakatil Gopinathan Balakrishnan | 14 January 2007 | 11 May 2010 | 3 years, 117 days |
| 38 | Sarosh Homi Kapadia | 12 May 2010 | 28 September 2012 | 2 years, 139 days |
| 39 | Altamas Kabir | 12 May 2010 | 29 September 2012 | 292 days |
| 40 | Palanisamy Sathasivam | 19 July 2013 | 26 April 2014 | 281 days |
| 41 | Rajendra Mal Lodha | 27 April 2014 | 27 September 2014 | 153 days |
| 42 | Handyala Lakshminarayanaswamy Dattu | 28 September 2014 | 2 December 2015 | 1 year, 65 days |
| 43 | Tirath Singh Thakur | 3 December 2015 | 3 January 2017 | 1 year, 31 days |
| 44 | Jagdish Singh Khehar | 4 January 2017 | 27 August 2017 | 235 days |
| 45 | Dipak Misra | 28 August 2017 | 2 October 2018 | 1 year, 35 days |
| 46 | Ranjan Gogoi | 3 October 2018 | 17 November 2019 | 1 year, 45 days |
| 47 | Sharad Arvind Bobde | 18 November 2019 | 23 April 2021 | 1 year, 156 days |
| 48 | Nuthalapati Venkata Ramana | 24 April 2021 | 26 August 2022 | 1 year, 124 days |
| 49 | Uday Umesh Lalit | 27 August 2022 | 8 November 2022 | 73 days |
| 50 | Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud | 9 November 2022 | 10 November 2024 | 2 years, 1 day |
| 51 | Sanjiv Khanna | 11 November 2024 | Incumbent | Ongoing |
The Chief Justice of India plays a critical role in shaping the country’s judicial landscape. The CJI’s responsibilities, the appointment process, and removal criteria highlight the constitutional safeguards designed to maintain the independence and integrity of the judiciary in India.
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