India, Oct. 28 -- Justice Surya Kant, a distinguished Supreme Court judge known for his progressive and reform-driven verdicts, has been named the 53rd Chief Justice of India (CJI). Chief Justice of India B. R. Gavai on Monday recommended his name to the Centre. Justice Kant, currently the senior-most judge of the apex court, will assume office on November 24 following CJI Gavai's retirement and will serve until February 9, 2027.

Born on February 10, 1962, in Haryana's Hisar district, Justice Kant's journey from a small-town lawyer to the country's top judicial post is marked by decades of service and landmark judgments. A first-class law graduate from Kurukshetra University, he began his judicial career at the Punjab and Haryana High Co...