Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna has recommended Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai as his successor, paving the way for Justice Gavai to become the 52nd Chief Justice of India (CJI).

Justice Gavai is slated to take oath on May 14, 2025, a day after CJI Khanna’s retirement, and will serve until November 23, 2025. If appointed, he will be the second Dalit CJI after Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, who served from 2007 to 2010.

Born on November 24, 1960, in Amravati, Maharashtra, Justice Gavai, son of social activist and former governor R.S. Gavai, joined the Bar in 1985, practicing constitutional and administrative law at the Bombay High Court’s Nagpur Bench.

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Elevated as a Bombay High Court judge in 2003, he joined the Supreme Court in May 2019, becoming the first Scheduled Caste judge there in nine years.

Justice Gavai has authored over 696 judgments, notably upholding the 2016 demonetization, annulling the electoral bonds scheme, and setting guidelines against unconstitutional bulldozer demolitions. His rulings emphasize individual liberty, as seen in granting bail to Manish Sisodia in the Delhi excise case.

The recommendation, sent to the Union Law Ministry, follows the seniority convention, with Justice Gavai as the senior-most Supreme Court judge after CJI Khanna. The appointment, expected to be formalized soon, marks a significant moment for judicial diversity and underscores Gavai’s reputation as a fearless jurist rooted in Ambedkarite principles.

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