Justice BR Gawai Appointed As New CJI, Becomes Second Dalit To Hold Top Post

In Big News Today, The President of India has appointed Justice BR Gawai as the next Chief Justice of India (CJI) with effect from May 14, 2025. The incumbent Chief Justice of India, CJI Sanjiv Khanna, will retire on May 13. “In exercise of the powers conferred by the Constitution of India is pleased to appoint Shri Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai, Judge of the Supreme Court of India as the next Chief Justice of India with effect from 14th May, 2025,” Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal posted on X (formerly twitter).

Upon succession as the 52nd CJI, Justice Gavai would also be the second CJI belonging to the Scheduled Caste community after Justice KG Balakrishnan retired as the CJI in 2010. Justice Gawai will retire on November 23, 2025.

Justice BR Gawai has authored several landmark Supreme Court rulings.

In one of his notable opinions, he upheld the 2016 demonetisation.

He also sat on the bench that struck down the controversial Electoral Bonds scheme, declaring it opaque and a threat to election transparency.

In a powerful bulldozer judgement, he underscored that arbitrary demolitions of homes without legal process violate citizens’ rights.

These decisions highlight Justice Gavai’s impact on upholding constitutional norms and individual rights.
Source: Live Law
By: Rajat Ranjan

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