Justice Surya Kant today took oath as the 51st Chief Justice of India (CJI), succeeding Justice B.R. Gavai, whose tenure ended on November 23, 2025. President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Top Leadership Attends the Swearing-in Ceremony

The oath-taking ceremony witnessed the presence of Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, former President Ram Nath Kovind and former Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar.

Justice B.R. Gavai’s Short Tenure Comes to an End

Justice B.R. Gavai served as the Chief Justice of India for six and a half months. His term officially concluded on November 23, 2025.

Justice Surya Kant to Serve Nearly 1.5 Years as CJI

Justice Surya Kant’s tenure as CJI will last for approximately one and a half years. He will retire on February 9, 2027. He is currently 63 years old.

Early Life and Legal Journey

Born in 1962 in Haryana, Justice Surya Kant began his legal career in Hisar in 1984. He later practiced at the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

In 2000, he became the youngest Advocate General of Haryana.

From High Courts to the Supreme Court

• 2004: Appointed Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court

• 2018: Appointed Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court

• 2024 (November): Took charge as Chairman of the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee

A New Era Begins in the Supreme Court

With Justice Gavai demitting office, Justice Surya Kant now assumes charge as the highest judicial authority in the country. His tenure is expected to witness key developments in judicial reforms and access to legal services.

The post Justice Surya Kant Sworn In as the New Chief Justice of India appeared first on Odisha Connect.

Court Questions Transparency in Special Intensive Revision
The Supreme Court has issued a strong directive to the Election Commission of India (ECI) over the exclusion of 65 lakh voters from Bihar’s electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). In a hearing led by Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, the court ordered the ECI to publish, within 48 hours, the names of all removed voters along with reasons for their removal on its official website.

Concern Over Wrongful Deletions
Justice Kant questioned why this information was not already public, stressing that citizens must know if their names were removed due to death or other reasons. The bench expressed alarm that living voters had been wrongly marked as deceased in draft rolls released in August. The court insisted the ECI clarify its verification procedures and ensure affected families are informed.

ECI Commits to Publishing Data
Representing the ECI, senior counsel Rakesh Dwivedi assured the court that the list would be uploaded constituency-wise on the ECI website and at district election offices. He emphasised that no voter could be removed without prior notice or an opportunity to respond, and that the process aimed to maintain accuracy and transparency. According to the ECI, out of 7.89 crore registered voters in Bihar, 7.24 crore had completed verification, with 22 lakh marked deceased and others removed due to duplication or migration.

Push for Online Access and Past Records
Justice Bagchi called for easy public access to the data, suggesting that voters should be able to verify their status online using EPIC numbers or Aadhaar, without depending solely on local officials. The bench also sought details on the documents used during the 2003 voter list revision and questioned why current procedures differed.

Debate Over Cutoff Dates and Scale of Removals
Petitioners’ counsel Nizam Pasha argued that using January 1, 2003, as a cutoff could unfairly exclude millions of voters. Justice Kant acknowledged the ECI’s authority under Article 324 and the Representation of the People Act, 1950, but expressed concern over the timing and scale of the deletions, calling 65 lakh removals “a massive number” given Bihar’s rural and poor demographics.

Political Reaction and Election Timeline
Opposition parties have accused the SIR of being a deliberate attempt to disenfranchise voters ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, expected in October or November. The final voter list is scheduled for release on September 30. While the ECI maintains that the revision is a lawful effort to cleanse the rolls—citing urban migration, unreported deaths, and ineligible entries—the court’s order aims to ensure that no eligible voter is wrongly excluded before the polls.

The post Supreme Court Orders ECI to Publish Names of 65 Lakh Removed Bihar Voters appeared first on Odisha Connect.