Justice Sanjiv Khanna took the oath as the 51st Chief Justice of India (CJI) on Monday. President Droupodi Murmu led the oath ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhawan
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, and former CJI D.Y. Chandrachud were also present at the oath-taking ceremony. Justice Sanjiv Khanna takes over as CJI after former CJI D.Y. Chandrachud retired from the Supreme Court on Sunday, November 10.
In his farewell speech on his last working day, Friday, November 8, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud expressed confidence in Justice Khanna’s future leadership, calling him “dignified, stable, and deeply committed to justice.”
Former CJI D.Y. Chandrachud recommended Justice Sanjiv Khanna as his successor on October 17, after which the Center officially announced Justice Khanna’s appointment on October 24. Moments after Justice Khanna took the oath, the Supreme Court website updated his profile as the new CJI and moved Justice D.Y. Chandrachud to the section for former CJIs, a routine update following the swearing-in of a new Chief Justice.
According to media report, CJI Sanjiv Khanna will serve a tenure of just over six months, retiring on May 13, 2025. Due to his brief tenure, Justice Khanna mentioned that he would not be moving into the CJI’s official residence at 5, Krishna Menon Marg.