NEW DELHI: Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai was sworn in as the 52nd Chief Justice of India (CJI) in a formal ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The ceremony was attended by many of India's ruling elite, including President Droupadi Murmu, who administered the oath.
Justice Gavai is making history by being the first Buddhist to be a CJI and he is only the second Scheduled Cast individual to be appointed to this kind of prestigious position after Justice K G Balakrishnan.
The auspicious occasion, by and large, became momentous in India's legal history as it registered the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal from the Union Cabinet with many other senior government figures.
The appointment of Justice Gavai is seen as the movement towards diversifying the top hierarchy of India's supreme judicial institution in the light of India's commitment toward social inclusion.
Justice Gavai succeeds Justice Uday Umesh Lalit and has had a long professional history in law, serving as a judge in the Bombay High Court prior to elevation to the Supreme Court. His entry as CJI is expected to constitute a new view in the judiciary that it does afford justice for all sections of society. His tenure is expected to be that of judicial reforms, transparency, and efficiency in the legal system of India.
[Source Credit: Financial Express]
