With New CJI Surya Kant At Helm, Here's What The Supreme Court Collegium Will Look Like

Justice Surya Kant took oath as the 53rd Chief Justice of India (CJI) on Monday, succeeding Justice BR Gavai. CJI Kant, who has been part of several landmark verdicts—including on abrogation of Article 370 and Bihar electoral rolls revision—will remain in the post for nearly 15 months. He will demit office on February 9, 2027 on attaining the age of 65 years.

Born on February 10, 1962 in Hisar district of Haryana to a middle-class family, Justice Kant has gone on from being a small-town lawyer to the country’s highest judicial office.

Justice Kant, who penned several notable judgments in the Punjab and Haryana HC, was appointed the chief justice of Himachal Pradesh HC on October 5, 2018. Apart from his landmark judgments, he is also credited with

directing that one-third of seats in bar associations, including the Supreme Court Bar Association, be reserved for women.

Delineating his top two priorities as the head of the judiciary, CJI Kant recently told the media that dealing with a huge backlog of more than five crore cases across courts and promoting “game changer” mediation as an alternative mode of dispute resolution will be his two important goals.

With Justice Kant’s elevation, the Supreme Court Collegium now comprises him and Justices Vikram Nath, JK Maheshwari, BV Nagarathna, and MM Sundresh.

The Supreme Court Collegium is made up of the five senior-most judges of the court. It is responsible for appointing judges to the Supreme Court and for deciding on the transfer of High Court judges. For High Court appointments, the decisions are taken by the three senior-most judges of the Supreme Court.

According to Bar and Bench, under CJI Kant’s tenure, the only change to the Collegium will be the joining of Justice PS Narasimha after Justice Maheshwari retires from service June 28, 2026. After CJI Kant retires on February 9, 2027, Justice JB Pardiwala will enter the Collegium.