The central government started the process of appointing the next Chief Justice of India (CJI) on Thursday (October 23, 2025). Sources gave this information. Current Chief Justice BR Gavai is retiring on November 23 next month.
People familiar with the appointment process of judges of the Supreme Court and high courts told PTI that the letter asking Justice Gavai to recommend the name of his successor will be received by Thursday (October 23, 2025) evening or Friday (October 24, 2025).
Union Law Minister present CJI will seek recommendations from
According to the Memorandum of Procedure, the documents laying down the rules for appointment, transfer and promotion of judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts state that the appointment of the Chief Justice of India should be by the senior-most judge of the apex court, who is considered suitable to hold the post.
According to the memorandum, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal will seek a recommendation from the Chief Justice of India at an appropriate time for the appointment of his successor. The CJI retires at the age of 65 and a letter seeking recommendation of his successor is traditionally sent a month before this.
After assuming office, Justice Surya Kant will remain in office for 15 months.
Justice Surya Kant is the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court after Justice Gavai and is first in line to become the next head of the Indian judiciary. Justice Surya Kant, born in a middle-class family on February 10, 1962 in Hisar district of Haryana, became a judge of the Supreme Court on May 24, 2019. After the approval of the recommendation of Justice Surya Kant’s name, he will assume the charge of Chief Justice on November 24 and will hold the post for about 15 months till February 9, 2027.
Justice Surya Kant has been a part of the bench that has given many historic decisions.
Justice Surya Kant came to the Supreme Court with more than two decades of experience as a judge. He has been a part of the bench that gave historic decisions related to Article 370, freedom of expression, democracy, corruption, environment and gender equality. Justice Surya Kant was also part of the bench that suspended the colonial-era sedition law and directed that no new FIR would be registered under it till the government reviews it.
He asked the Election Commission to make public the details of 65 lakh voters removed during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, thereby demonstrating his commitment to ensure transparency in elections.
Justice Surya Kant was also part of the bench that constituted a five-member committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Indu Malhotra to probe security violations during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2022 visit to Punjab. He had said that a judicially trained mind is required to investigate such cases.
Justice Surya Kant upheld the One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme for the defense forces as constitutionally valid. He is hearing petitions requesting equality for women officers in permanent commission in the armed forces.
Additionally, Justice Surya Kant was also part of the seven-judge bench that had set aside the 1967 judgment relating to Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), opening the way for reconsideration of the institution’s minority status. Along with this, he was also part of the bench hearing the case related to Pegasus spyware, which had appointed a panel of cyber experts to investigate the allegations of illegal surveillance and said that the state cannot get a free pass in the name of national security.
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