Chief Justices of India

Chief Justices of India: Records and Firsts

53 Chief Justices since 1950

Fifty-three judges have served as Chief Justice of India. The longest tenure was Y.V. Chandrachud's (February 1978 to July 1985, over seven years); the shortest was K.N. Singh's (17 days in 1991). Y.V. Chandrachud (16th) and his son D.Y. Chandrachud (50th) are the only father and son to hold the office. Two Chief Justices died in office (H.J. Kania and Sabyasachi Mukharji). S.M. Sikri and U.U. Lalit were elevated directly from the Bar to the Supreme Court.

• Longest tenure: Y.V. Chandrachud (about 7 years 4 months).
• Shortest tenure: K.N. Singh (17 days).
• Father and son: Y.V. Chandrachud and D.Y. Chandrachud.
• Died in office: H.J. Kania (1951) and Sabyasachi Mukharji (1990).
• First Muslim CJI: M. Hidayatullah. First Sikh CJI: J.S. Khehar. First Dalit CJI: K.G. Balakrishnan. First Buddhist CJI: B.R. Gavai.

How the Chief Justice Is Chosen

The seniority convention

By convention, the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court is appointed Chief Justice of India when the office falls vacant; the outgoing Chief Justice recommends the successor to the Law Ministry, as laid down in the Memorandum of Procedure. The convention was broken twice, both times under Indira Gandhi: in 1973, when A.N. Ray was appointed over three senior judges, and in 1977, when M.H. Beg was appointed over H.R. Khanna.

• 1973: A.N. Ray superseded J.M. Shelat, K.S. Hegde and A.N. Grover.
• 1977: M.H. Beg superseded H.R. Khanna.

The First Woman Chief Justice

Justice B.V. Nagarathna, in line for 2027

On the present seniority order, Justice B.V. Nagarathna is in line to become the first woman Chief Justice of India in 2027, for a tenure of about 36 days. She is the daughter of E.S. Venkataramiah, the 19th Chief Justice. She wrote the lone dissent in the demonetisation case (Vivek Narayan Sharma, 2023).

• Expected to be the first woman CJI (2027).
• Daughter of former CJI E.S. Venkataramiah.
• Dissented in the demonetisation case (2023).

1950–1951

Harilal Jekisundas Kania

1st Chief Justice of India

The last Chief Justice of the Federal Court and the first Chief Justice of India. He presided over A.K. Gopalan v. State of Madras (1950), the first major fundamental rights case. He died in office on 6 November 1951.

• First CJI.
• Died in office (1951).

1951–1954

M. Patanjali Sastri

2nd Chief Justice of India

From the Madras High Court. As a judge he wrote the leading judgment in Romesh Thappar v. State of Madras (1950), a foundational free-speech case, and as Chief Justice the judgment in State of Madras v. V.G. Row (1952) on reasonable restrictions.

• Wrote Romesh Thappar (1950).

1954

Mehr Chand Mahajan

3rd Chief Justice of India

Before joining the Federal Court, Mahajan sat on the Radcliffe Boundary Commission for Punjab (1947) and served as Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir during the accession of 1947. He was Chief Justice for most of 1954.

• Member of the Punjab Boundary Commission, 1947.
• Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, 1947–48.

1954–1956

Bijan Kumar Mukherjea

4th Chief Justice of India

A scholar of Hindu law whose Tagore Law Lectures on Hindu religious and charitable trusts remain a standard work. As a judge he wrote the Shirur Mutt judgment (1954), which introduced the "essential religious practices" test. He resigned as Chief Justice on grounds of health.

• Wrote Commissioner, Hindu Religious Endowments v. Shirur Mutt (1954).

1956–1959

Sudhi Ranjan Das

5th Chief Justice of India

Presided over the Court for more than three years and wrote the judgment in Ram Krishna Dalmia v. Justice Tendolkar (1958), the classic statement of the reasonable classification test under Article 14, and the opinion in the Kerala Education Bill reference (1958).

• Wrote Ram Krishna Dalmia (1958) on reasonable classification.

1959–1964

Bhuvaneshwar Prasad Sinha

6th Chief Justice of India

From the Patna High Court, he served more than four years as Chief Justice, one of the longer tenures of the early Court.

1964–1966

P.B. Gajendragadkar

7th Chief Justice of India

A leading labour-law judge who wrote Sajjan Singh (1965), upholding the 17th Amendment. After retirement he chaired the first National Commission on Labour (1966–69) and later the Law Commission of India.

• Chaired the first National Commission on Labour.

1966

Amal Kumar Sarkar

8th Chief Justice of India

Chief Justice for about three and a half months in 1966.

1966–1967

Koka Subba Rao

9th Chief Justice of India

Known for his dissents in favour of personal liberty, notably in Kharak Singh (1962). As Chief Justice he wrote the majority in Golak Nath (1967), holding that Parliament cannot amend fundamental rights. He resigned in April 1967 to contest the presidential election, which he lost to Zakir Husain.

• Wrote Golak Nath (1967).
• Resigned to contest the presidential election of 1967.

1967–1968

Kailas Nath Wanchoo

10th Chief Justice of India

An ICS officer who came to the judiciary through the civil service; he is often cited as the only Chief Justice of India without a formal law degree. He dissented in Golak Nath.

• ICS officer turned judge.

1968–1970

Mohammad Hidayatullah

11th Chief Justice of India

The first Muslim Chief Justice of India. In 1969 he acted as President of India when both offices of President and Vice-President were vacant, and from 1979 to 1984 he was Vice-President. He is the only person to have served as Chief Justice, acting President and Vice-President.

• First Muslim CJI.
• Acting President (1969) and Vice-President (1979–84).

1970–1971

Jayantilal Chhotalal Shah

12th Chief Justice of India

Chief Justice for about a month. He later headed the Shah Commission (1977–78), which inquired into the excesses of the Emergency.

• Headed the Shah Commission on the Emergency.

1971–1973

Sarv Mittra Sikri

13th Chief Justice of India

The first lawyer to be appointed directly from the Bar to the Supreme Court (1964), and the first such Chief Justice. He presided over the 13-judge bench in Kesavananda Bharati (1973), the largest bench in the Court's history, and retired the day after it was decided.

• First judge elevated directly from the Bar to the Supreme Court.
• Presided over Kesavananda Bharati.

1973–1977

Ajit Nath Ray

14th Chief Justice of India

Appointed on 26 April 1973, the day after Kesavananda, superseding three senior judges who had ruled against the government. In November 1975 he convened a bench to review Kesavananda, but dissolved it after two days of argument. He presided over ADM Jabalpur (1976), in which the majority held that the right to move courts for habeas corpus stood suspended during the Emergency.

• Appointed by superseding three senior judges.
• Presided over ADM Jabalpur (1976).

1977–1978

Mirza Hameedullah Beg

15th Chief Justice of India

Appointed Chief Justice in January 1977 by superseding H.R. Khanna, who resigned in protest. Beg had been in the majority in ADM Jabalpur.

• Appointed over H.R. Khanna.

1978–1985

Yeshwant Vishnu Chandrachud

16th Chief Justice of India

The longest-serving Chief Justice of India, for over seven years. He wrote the judgment in Minerva Mills (1980), which struck down the clauses of the 42nd Amendment barring judicial review of amendments, and in Mohd. Ahmed Khan v. Shah Bano Begum (1985) on maintenance for divorced Muslim women. His son D.Y. Chandrachud became the 50th Chief Justice.

• Longest-serving CJI.
• Wrote Minerva Mills (1980) and Shah Bano (1985).

1985–1986

Prafullachandra Natwarlal Bhagwati

17th Chief Justice of India

A pioneer of public interest litigation and epistolary jurisdiction. He wrote Maneka Gandhi (1978), S.P. Gupta (the First Judges Case, 1981) and, as Chief Justice, M.C. Mehta v. Union of India (1987), which laid down the rule of absolute liability for hazardous industries. He later regretted his majority vote in ADM Jabalpur.

• Wrote Maneka Gandhi (1978) and M.C. Mehta (Oleum gas, 1987).
• Father of PIL in India, with Krishna Iyer.

1986–1989

Raghunandan Swarup Pathak

18th Chief Justice of India

The son of former Vice-President G.S. Pathak. His bench approved the Bhopal gas settlement with Union Carbide in February 1989. He resigned in June 1989 after being elected a judge of the International Court of Justice.

• Son of Vice-President G.S. Pathak.
• Resigned on election to the International Court of Justice.

1989

E.S. Venkataramiah

19th Chief Justice of India

Chief Justice for six months in 1989. His daughter, Justice B.V. Nagarathna, is in line to be India's first woman Chief Justice.

• Father of Justice B.V. Nagarathna.

1989–1990

Sabyasachi Mukharji

20th Chief Justice of India

Wrote Charan Lal Sahu v. Union of India (1989), upholding the Bhopal Gas Leak Disaster (Processing of Claims) Act, under which the government represented the victims. He died in office in London in September 1990.

• Died in office (1990).

1990–1991

Ranganath Misra

21st Chief Justice of India

After retirement he became the first chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (1993) and later chaired the National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities. Earlier he had headed the commission of inquiry into the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

• First chairperson of the NHRC.

1991

Kamal Narain Singh

22nd Chief Justice of India

Holds the record for the shortest tenure as Chief Justice of India: 17 days, from 25 November to 12 December 1991.

• Shortest tenure: 17 days.

1991–1992

Madhukar Hiralal Kania

23rd Chief Justice of India

A nephew of the first Chief Justice, H.J. Kania. He presided over the nine-judge bench in Indra Sawhney v. Union of India (1992), which upheld OBC reservation, excluded the "creamy layer" and set a 50% ceiling.

• Presided over Indra Sawhney (1992).

1992–1993

Lalit Mohan Sharma

24th Chief Justice of India

Chief Justice for about three months, from November 1992 to February 1993.

1993–1994

M.N. Venkatachaliah

25th Chief Justice of India

Widely respected for his integrity. After retirement he chaired the National Human Rights Commission and the National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution (2000–2002).

• Chaired the National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution.

1994–1997

Aziz Mushabber Ahmadi

26th Chief Justice of India

As Chief Justice he led the bench that, in 1996, reduced the charges against Union Carbide's Indian officials in the Bhopal case from culpable homicide to causing death by negligence (section 304A IPC). He later became Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University.

1997–1998

Jagdish Sharan Verma

27th Chief Justice of India

Wrote Vishaka v. State of Rajasthan (1997) on sexual harassment at the workplace, the lead judgment in the Second Judges Case (1993) and Vineet Narain (1997) on the independence of the CBI. After retirement he chaired the NHRC and, in 2012–13, the Justice Verma Committee on criminal law reform after the Delhi gang rape.

• Wrote Vishaka (1997).
• Chaired the Verma Committee (2013).

1998

Madan Mohan Punchhi

28th Chief Justice of India

Chief Justice for about nine months. He later chaired the Commission on Centre–State Relations (the Punchhi Commission, 2007–10).

• Chaired the Punchhi Commission on Centre–state relations.

1998–2001

Adarsh Sein Anand

29th Chief Justice of India

One of the longer recent tenures (three years). After retirement he chaired the National Human Rights Commission (2003–06).

2001–2002

Sam Piroj Bharucha

30th Chief Justice of India

A Bombay judge known for his candour about corruption in the judiciary, and one of the few Parsi Chief Justices of India.

2002

Bhupinder Nath Kirpal

31st Chief Justice of India

Wrote the majority judgment in Narmada Bachao Andolan v. Union of India (2000), allowing construction of the Sardar Sarovar dam to continue, and presided over the long-running Godavarman forest case. His son, Saurabh Kirpal, became the first openly gay person recommended by the collegium for a High Court judgeship.

• Wrote Narmada Bachao Andolan (2000).

2002

Gopal Ballav Pattanaik

32nd Chief Justice of India

Chief Justice for 41 days, from 8 November to 18 December 2002.

2002–2004

Vishweshwar Nath Khare

33rd Chief Justice of India

From the Allahabad High Court; Chief Justice for about 16 months.

2004

S. Rajendra Babu

34th Chief Justice of India

From the Karnataka High Court; Chief Justice for one month, from 2 to 31 May 2004.

2004–2005

Ramesh Chandra Lahoti

35th Chief Justice of India

From the Madhya Pradesh High Court; Chief Justice from June 2004 to October 2005.

2005–2007

Yogesh Kumar Sabharwal

36th Chief Justice of India

Presided over the nine-judge bench in I.R. Coelho v. State of Tamil Nadu (2007), which held that laws placed in the Ninth Schedule after 24 April 1973 can be tested against the basic structure. His tenure also saw the Delhi sealing drive against unauthorised commercial use of residential property.

• Presided over I.R. Coelho (2007).

2007–2010

K.G. Balakrishnan

37th Chief Justice of India

The first Dalit Chief Justice of India and the first from Kerala. After retirement he chaired the National Human Rights Commission.

• First Dalit CJI.

2010–2012

Sarosh Homi Kapadia

38th Chief Justice of India

Rose from modest beginnings to the office of Chief Justice. He wrote the Vodafone International Holdings (2012) judgment, which held that Vodafone's offshore acquisition was not taxable in India; Parliament then amended the Income Tax Act retrospectively.

• Wrote Vodafone (2012).

2012–2013

Altamas Kabir

39th Chief Justice of India

On his last working day in July 2013 he wrote the majority judgment striking down the single national medical entrance test (NEET); the judgment was recalled in review in 2016.

2013–2014

P. Sathasivam

40th Chief Justice of India

The first former Chief Justice of India to become a Governor, appointed Governor of Kerala in 2014.

• First former CJI to become a Governor.

2014

Rajendra Mal Lodha

41st Chief Justice of India

After retirement he headed the Lodha Committee, appointed by the Supreme Court, which recommended sweeping reforms in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in 2016.

• Headed the Lodha Committee on BCCI reforms.

2014–2015

Handyala Lakshminarayanaswamy Dattu

42nd Chief Justice of India

From Karnataka. After retirement he chaired the National Human Rights Commission (2016–20).

2015–2017

Tirath Singh Thakur

43rd Chief Justice of India

Remembered for publicly breaking down in April 2016, in the presence of the Prime Minister, while speaking about the shortage of judges and the burden of pending cases.

2017

Jagdish Singh Khehar

44th Chief Justice of India

The first Sikh Chief Justice of India. He wrote the lead majority judgment striking down the NJAC (2015), headed the nine-judge bench that declared privacy a fundamental right (2017), and in the triple talaq case (Shayara Bano, 2017) was in the minority that would have left it to Parliament.

• First Sikh CJI.
• Wrote the lead NJAC judgment (2015).

2017–2018

Dipak Misra

45th Chief Justice of India

His short tenure produced a string of landmark Constitution Bench judgments: Navtej Singh Johar (Section 377), Joseph Shine (adultery), Indian Young Lawyers (Sabarimala), Puttaswamy II (Aadhaar) and the Hadiya case. He was also the subject of the January 2018 press conference and of an opposition notice for his removal, which the Rajya Sabha Chairman rejected.

• Presided over Navtej Johar, Joseph Shine and Sabarimala (2018).

2018–2019

Ranjan Gogoi

46th Chief Justice of India

The first Chief Justice from the North-East (Assam). He was one of the four judges at the January 2018 press conference, presided over the five-judge bench that delivered the Ayodhya judgment on 9 November 2019, and oversaw the updating of the National Register of Citizens in Assam. In 2020 he was nominated to the Rajya Sabha.

• First CJI from the North-East.
• Presided over the Ayodhya judgment (2019).
• Nominated to the Rajya Sabha (2020).

2019–2021

Sharad Arvind Bobde

47th Chief Justice of India

From Nagpur. His tenure coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, when the Supreme Court moved to virtual hearings.

2021–2022

Nuthalapati Venkata Ramana

48th Chief Justice of India

From Andhra Pradesh. His bench put the sedition law (Section 124A IPC) in abeyance in S.G. Vombatkere v. Union of India (May 2022), pending the government's review, and appointed an expert committee in the Pegasus spyware case.

• Put sedition in abeyance (2022).

2022

Uday Umesh Lalit

49th Chief Justice of India

The second Chief Justice elevated directly from the Bar, after S.M. Sikri. He served for 74 days and introduced reforms in the listing of cases.

• Second CJI elevated directly from the Bar.

2022–2024

Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud

50th Chief Justice of India

Son of the 16th Chief Justice. He wrote the lead opinion in Puttaswamy (privacy, 2017) and, as Chief Justice, presided over the Electoral Bonds case (2024), the Article 370 case (2023), the sub-classification of Scheduled Castes (2024) and the marriage equality case (Supriyo, 2023, where he was in the minority on civil unions). He expanded live-streaming and e-filing and installed the new Lady Justice statue.

• Son of Y.V. Chandrachud.
• Wrote the lead opinion in Puttaswamy (2017).

2024–2025

Sanjiv Khanna

51st Chief Justice of India

The nephew of Justice H.R. Khanna, the dissenter of ADM Jabalpur. He was part of the benches in the Electoral Bonds and Article 370 cases.

• Nephew of Justice H.R. Khanna.

2025

Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai

52nd Chief Justice of India

The first Buddhist and the second Dalit Chief Justice of India, from Maharashtra. As a judge he wrote the November 2024 judgment laying down guidelines against arbitrary "bulldozer" demolitions of the homes of accused persons. His tenure saw the 2025 Presidential reference on assent to bills.

• First Buddhist CJI.
• Second Dalit CJI.

2025–2027

Surya Kant

53rd Chief Justice of India

Sworn in as the 53rd Chief Justice on 24 November 2025, with a tenure until 9 February 2027. The first Chief Justice from Haryana, he was earlier Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court and sat on the benches that heard the Article 370 case and put the sedition law in abeyance.

• First CJI from Haryana.
• Tenure until 9 February 2027.