New Delhi: Justice Surya Kant took oath as the 53rd Chief Justice of India on Monday at a solemn function at the Rashtrapati Bhavan where President Droupadi Murmu administered him the oath.
Justice Kant, who hails from Hisar in Haryana, took the oath in Hindi at the event attended by a galaxy of VIPs, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan, outgoing Chief Justice B.R. Gavai, former chief justices and judges of the Supreme Court.
Justice Kant will hold the office of CJI till he retires on February 9, 2027.
Known for his down-to-earth approach, Justice Kant, the youngest son of a farmer, had made it clear during informal interactions with the media that his top priority would be to reduce the massive 6 crore pending cases across the country, including over 70,000 cases in the Supreme Court.
The new CJI said his priority would also be to put into action the dispute resolution process of “mediation” as an alternative to avoid or end most litigation in the country. “Mediation will be a game-changer (for the country),” Justice Kant had said.
On his maiden day as CJI, Justice Kant made it clear to lawyers that he would not allow any oral or impromptu mentioning of matters. The CJI said all lawyers must follow the rules and inform the registry about their urgent requests for mentioning through the written mode, and only then would the matter be taken up for urgent listing.
He also asked a junior advocate to argue a case after the latter sought an adjournment because his senior was busy. When the junior counsel showed reluctance, Justice Kant assured him that no adverse order would be passed even if he was unable to argue the case fully and told him that it would be a good opportunity for him to exhibit his skills. The junior advocate, however, requested that his senior argue as he had not come prepared with the case.
Outgoing CJI Gavai, in a rare gesture, drove back home from Rashtrapati Bhavan after the event in an “alternative car”, not the official Mercedes-Benz car allotted to him at the time of his elevation as CJI.