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Chief Justice of India List From 1950-2024, Name, Tenure

The Chief Justice of India (CJI) is the highest judicial authority in the country, overseeing the Supreme Court and shaping the legal landscape of India. Since its establishment in 1950, the Supreme Court has been led by a series of distinguished Chief Justices, each contributing to the evolution of India’s legal system. This article provides a detailed overview of the Chief Justices of India from 1950 to 2024, highlighting their tenures and notable contributions.

Current Chief Justice of India 2024

President Droupadi Murmu appointed Justice Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud as the new Chief Justice of India effective from November 9, 2022. DY Chandrachud will take his oath as the 50th Chief Justice of India.

Key Details about Chief Justice Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud:

  • Full Name: Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud
  • Assumed Office: November 9, 2022
  • Predecessor: N.V. Ramana
  • Notable Contributions:
    • Judicial Leadership: Chandrachud has been instrumental in several high-profile cases, including those related to fundamental rights, constitutional law, and public interest litigation.
    • Significant Rulings: Under his leadership, the Supreme Court has made notable rulings, including decisions on gender equality, privacy, and the rights of marginalized communities.
    • Administrative Reforms: He has also focused on administrative reforms within the judiciary, including the use of technology to improve efficiency and transparency.

Chief Justice of India List From 1950-2024

Look at the table below to see a list of every Supreme Court judge since independence. The Chief Justice of India List Name, their term, high courts, and Presidents they worked for are listed in the following table for the contenders.

Name Tenure High Court President
Harilal Jekisundas Kania 26th January 1950 To 6th November 1951 Bombay High Court Rajendra Prasad
Mandakolathur Patanjali Sastri 7th November 1951 To 3rd January 1954 Madras High Court Rajendra Prasad
Mehr Chand Mahajan 4th January 1954 To 22 December 1954 Lahore High Court Rajendra Prasad
Bijan Kumar Mukherjea 23rd December 1954 To 31st January 1956 Calcutta High Court Rajendra Prasad
Sudhi Ranjan Das 1st February 1956 To 30th September 1959 Calcutta High Court Rajendra Prasad
Bhuvaneshwar Prasad Sinha 1st October 1959 To 31st January 1964 Patna High Court Rajendra Prasad
Pralhad Balacharya Gajendragadkar 1st February 1964 To 15th March 1966 Bombay High Court Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
Amal Kumar Sarkar 16th March 1966 To 29th June 1966 Calcutta High Court Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
Koka Subba Rao 30th June 1966 To 11th April 1967 Madras High Court Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
Kailas Nath Wanchoo 12th April 1967 To 24th February 1968 Allahabad High Court Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
Mohammad Hidayatullah 25th February 1968 To 16th December 1970 Bombay High Court Zakir Husain
Jayantilal Chhotalal Shah 17th December 1970 To 21st January 1971 Bombay High Court V. V. Giri
Sarv Mittra Sikri 22nd January 1971 To 25th April 1973 Lahore High Court V. V. Giri
Ajit Nath Ray 26th April 1973 To 27th January 1977 Calcutta High Court V. V. Giri
Mirza Hameedullah Beg 29th January 1977 To 21st February 1978 Allahabad High Court Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed
Yeshwant Vishnu Chandrachud 22nd February 1978 To 11th July 1985 Bombay High Court Neelam Sanjiva Reddy
Prafullachandra Natwarlal Bhagwati 12th July 1985 To 20th December 1986 Gujarat High Court Zail Singh
Raghunandan Swarup Pathak 21st December 1986 To 18th June 1989 Allahabad High Court Zail Singh
E. S. Venkataramiah 19th June 1989 To 17th December 1989 Karnataka High Court Ramaswamy Venkataraman
Sabyasachi Mukharji 18th December 1989 To 25th September 1990 Calcutta High Court Ramaswamy Venkataraman
Ranganath Misra 26th September 1990 To 24th November 1991 Orissa High Court Ramaswamy Venkataraman
Kamal Narain Singh 25th November 1991 To 12th December 1991 Allahabad High Court Ramaswamy Venkataraman
Madhukar Hiralal Kania 13th December 1991 To 17th November 1992 Bombay High Court Ramaswamy Venkataraman
Lalit Mohan Sharma 18th November 1992 To 11th February 1993 Patna High Court Shankar Dayal Sharma
M. N. Rao Venkatachaliah 12th February 1993 To 24th October 1994 Karnataka High Court Shankar Dayal Sharma
Aziz Mushabber Ahmadi 25th October 1994 To 24th March 1997 Gujarat High Court Shankar Dayal Sharma
Jagdish Sharan Verma 25th March 1997 To 17th January 1998 Madhya Pradesh High Court Shankar Dayal Sharma
Madan Mohan Punchhi 18th January 1998 To 9th October 1998 Punjab and Haryana High Court K. R. Narayanan
Adarsh Sein Anand 10th October 1998 To 31st October 2001 Jammu and Kashmir High Court K. R. Narayanan
Sam Piroj Bharucha 1st November 2001 To 5th May 2002 Bombay High Court K. R. Narayanan
Bhupinder Nath Kirpal 6th May 2002 To 7th November 2002 Delhi High Court K. R. Narayanan
Gopal Ballav Pattanaik (1937–) 8th November 2002 To 18th December 2002 Orissa High Court A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
Vishweshwar Nath Khare 19th December 2002 To 1st May 2004 Allahabad High Court A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
S. Rajendra Babu 2nd May 2004 To 31st May 2004 Karnataka High Court A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
Ramesh Chandra Lahoti 1st June 2004 To 31st October 2005 Madhya Pradesh High Court A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
Yogesh Kumar Sabharwal 1st November 2005 To 13th January 2007 Delhi High Court A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
K. G. Balakrishnan 14th January 2007 To 12th May 2010 Kerala High Court A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
Sarosh Homi Kapadia 12th May 2010 To 28th September 2012 Bombay High Court Pratibha Patil
Altamas Kabir 29th September 2012 To 18th July 2013 Calcutta High Court Pranab Mukherjee
P. Sathasivam 19th July 2013 to 26th April 2014 Madras High Court Pranab Mukherjee
Rajendra Mal Lodha 27th April 2014 To 27th September 2014 Rajasthan High Court Pranab Mukherjee
Handyala Lakshminarayanaswamy Dattu 28th September 2014 To 2nd December 2015 Karnataka High Court Pranab Mukherjee
Tirath Singh Thakur 3rd December 2015 To 3rd January 2017 Jammu and Kashmir High Court Pranab Mukherjee
Jagdish Singh Khehar 4th January 2017 To 27th August 2017 Punjab and Haryana High Court Pranab Mukherjee
Dipak Misra 28th August 2017 To 2nd October 2018 Orissa High Court Ram Nath Kovind
Ranjan Gogoi 3rd October 2018 To 17th November 2019 Guwahati High Court Ram Nath Kovind
Sharad Arvind Bobde 18th November 2019 To 23th April 2021 Bombay High Court Ram Nath Kovind
Nuthalapati Venkata Ramana 24th April 2021 To 26th August 2022 Andhra Pradesh High Court Ram Nath Kovind
Uday Umesh Lalit 27 August 2022 To November 8, 2022 Bar Council Droupadi Murmu
Justice Dhananjaya Y. Chandrachud 9th November 2022 To Present Bombay High Court Droupadi Murmu

Who is the Chief Justice of India?

The Supreme Court of India and the Indian judicial system are both led by the Chief Justice of India. In other terms, the Chief Justice of India (CJI) is the highest-ranked official in the Indian legal system. The President selects the Chief Justice of India from the bench of Supreme Court judges based on their seniority. The CJI is in charge of ensuring that the Supreme Court continues to operate properly, including through the assignment of cases, roster maintenance, and other tasks.

First Chief Justice of Supreme Court

The First Chief Justice of India was H. J. Kania, who served from November 2, 1958, to January 26, 1961. His full name was  Harilal Jekisundas Kania the first Chief Justice of India, and was succeeded by Justice M. Patanjali Sastri, who served from January 26, 1964, to January 3, 1954.

First Woman Chief Justice of India

The First Woman Chief Justice of India was Fatimah Beevi, who served from October 6, 1989, to April 29, 1992. She was from Kerala and held the office of the Supreme Court of India.

Chief Justice of India Salary

Chief Justice of India has the highest salary of INR 2,80,000 per month. The Chief Justice also has the highest pension of INR 16,80,000 per annum, plus a gratuity of INR 20,00,000.

Chief Justice of India Salary:-

    • Salary: INR 2,80,000 per month
    • Pension: INR 16,80,000 per annum + INR 20,00,000 gratuity

Role and Responsibilities of the Chief Justice of India

The Chief Justice of India has a multifaceted role:

  • Judicial Duties: Presides over Supreme Court proceedings, allocates cases, and leads the Constitutional bench.
  • Administrative Duties: Manages court operations, appoints new judges, and oversees court staff.
  • Constitutional Advisor: Advises the President on judicial matters and upholds constitutional values.

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List of Chief Justice of India FAQs

Who was the first Chief Justice of India?

The country of India's first Chief Justice was Harilal Jekisundas Kania.

Who was the first Women Judge of the Supreme Court of India?

The first female judge of the Indian Supreme Court was Fatima Beevi.

Who is the current Chief Justice of India?

The current Chief Justice of India is Justice Dhananjaya Y. Chandrachud, sworn as the 50th Chief Justice of India on November 9, 2022.

Who will be the 50th Chief Justice of India?

As of November 9, 2022., Justice D. Y. Chandrachud is the 50th Chief Justice of India.

Which is the largest court in India?

The Supreme Court of India is the country's principal and most powerful court. The Supreme Court was founded on January 26, 1950, and is situated on Tilak Marg in New Delhi.

Who is going to be the 51st Chief Justice of India?

Justice Sanjeev Khanna, who is next in line after the incumbent CJI Chandrachud. Justice Khanna will become the CJI in November 2024, for a period of six months.

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