New Delhi, May 13: After serving for six months, Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna is scheduled to retire on Tuesday, ending his tenure as the 51st Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
Before retiring, Justice Khanna, who took charge on November 10, 2024, recommended Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai to be the next Chief Justice.
Justice Khanna sent his recommendation to the Union Ministry of Law and Justice. Once President Droupadi Murmu approves it, Justice Gavai, the second most senior judge in the Supreme Court, will be sworn in as the 52nd Chief Justice of India.
Following tradition, Justice Khanna will sit with his successor on a ceremonial bench on his last day. The Supreme Court Bar Association will hold a formal farewell for him, where Justice Khanna is expected to give a farewell speech.
It is worth mentioning that Justice Gavai became a judge of the Supreme Court on May 24, 2019. He is currently 64 years old and will serve as Chief Justice until November 23, 2025, when he turns 65, the retirement age for Supreme Court judges.
He is from Maharashtra’s Amravati and started his legal career on March 16, 1985. He trained under Raja S. Bhonsale, who was a former Advocate General and a judge of the High Court. After 1990, he mainly worked at the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court, focusing on Constitutional and Administrative Law.
Justice Gavai has held several important legal roles in public service, such as Assistant Government Pleader, Additional Public Prosecutor, and later, Government Pleader and Public Prosecutor for the Nagpur Bench.
His appointment as Chief Justice will be a major moment for the judiciary—not only because of his experience, but also because he will be one of the few Chief Justices from a Scheduled Caste background.
