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Justice BR Gavai takes charge as 52nd Chief Justice of India
ET Bureau | May 15, 2025 6:00 AM CST

Synopsis

Justice BR Gavai has become the 52nd Chief Justice of India. President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath. He is the first Buddhist CJI and second from the Dalit community. Justice Gavai will remain in office until November 2025. He comes from a family with strong ties to Ambedkar's ideology.

Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai
Justice BR Gavai was sworn in as the 52nd Chief Justice of India (CJI) on Wednesday morning in a ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office to the new CJI. Justice Gavai becomes the first Buddhist and only the second CJI belonging to the Dalit community after Justice KG Balakrishnan, who retired as CJI in 2010. Justice Gavai will serve as CJI until his retirement on November 23, 2025.

Born on November 24, 1960, in Amravati, Maharashtra, Justice Gavai hails from a family deeply rooted in Ambedkar's principles.

His father, RS Gavai, was a prominent leader of the Republican Party of India and served as the Governor of Bihar, Sikkim, and Kerala.

A bench, headed by the new CJI, on Thursday will take up petitions challenging the recently passed Waqf (Amendment) Act.

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