List of current Indian chief justices
The Indian judiciary consists of the Supreme Court of India, which is the highest court in the country and the constituent courts. The Supreme Court serves as the final court of appeal for all civil and criminal cases in India and consists of 33 judges headed by the Chief Justice of India.[1] The High Courts are the top judicial bodies in individual states, controlled and managed by Chief Justices of the respective courts. There are 25 High Courts in the country with seven of them having multiple jurisdictions. The High Courts manage a system of sub-ordinate courts headed by the various District and Session Courts in their respective jurisdictions. As per the Constitution of India, the Chief Justice, the other judges of the Supreme Court and the High Courts are appointed by the President of India.[2]
List of chief justices
[edit]| Name of the Chief Justice (S/Shri Justice) | Image | Court | Date of Appointment as Chief Justice | Date of Retirement | Tenure | Nominated By | Appointed By | Date of elevation to Supreme Court | All India seniority rank at the time of elevation | Date of Initial Appointment as Judge | Parent High Court |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sanjiv Khanna (list) |
 |
Supreme Court of India | 11 November 2024 (169 days) |
13 May 2025 (−14 days) |
184 days | Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud | Droupadi Murmu | 18 January 2019 (6 years, 101 days) |
33 | 24 June 2005 (19 years, 309 days) |
Delhi |
| Name of the Chief Justice (S/Shri Justice) | Image | High Court | Jurisdiction | Date of Appointment as Chief Justice | Date of Appointment as CJ in Present HC | Date of Retirement | Tenure as Chief Justice | Nominated By | Appointed By | Parent High Court | Date of Initial Appointment as Judge | All India seniority rank | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arun Bhansali (list) |
 |
Allahabad High Court | Uttar Pradesh | 5 February 2024 (1 year, 83 days) |
14 October 2029 (−4 years, 168 days) |
5 years, 252 days | Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud | Droupadi Murmu | Rajasthan | 8 January 2013 (12 years, 111 days) |
20 Since 17 March 2025 |
||
| Dhiraj Singh Thakur (list) |
|
Andhra Pradesh High Court | Andhra Pradesh | 28 July 2023 (1 year, 275 days) |
24 April 2026 (−360 days) |
2 years, 271 days | Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh | 8 March 2013 (12 years, 52 days) |
22 Since 17 March 2025 |
||||
| Alok Aradhe (list) |
|
Bombay High Court | Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Goa, Maharashtra | 23 July 2023 (1 year, 280 days) |
21 January 2025 (98 days) |
12 April 2026 (−348 days) |
2 years, 264 days Tenure in Present HC 1 year, 82 days |
Sanjiv Khanna | Madhya Pradesh | 29 December 2009 (15 years, 121 days) |
6 Since 5 December 2024 |
6th CJ of Telangana From 23 July 2023 - 20 January 2025 (1 year, 182 days) | |
| Tirunelveli Subbiah Sivagnanam (list) |
|
Calcutta High Court | Andaman & Nicobar Islands, West Bengal | 11 May 2023 (1 year, 353 days) |
15 September 2025 (−139 days) |
2 years, 128 days | Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud | Madras | 31 March 2009 (16 years, 29 days) |
3 Since 5 December 2024 |
|||
| Ramesh Sinha (list) |
|
Chhattisgarh High Court | Chhattisgarh | 29 March 2023 (2 years, 31 days) |
4 September 2026 (−1 year, 128 days) |
3 years, 160 days | Allahabad | 21 November 2011 (13 years, 159 days) |
12 Since 17 March 2025 |
||||
| Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya (list) |
|
Delhi High Court | Delhi | 29 July 2023 (1 year, 274 days) |
21 January 2025 (98 days) |
15 June 2027 (−2 years, 47 days) |
3 years, 322 days Tenure in Present HC 2 years, 146 days |
Sanjiv Khanna | Allahabad | 21 November 2011 (13 years, 159 days) |
14 Since 17 March 2025 |
47th of CJ of Bombay From 29 July 2023 - 20 January 2025 (1 year, 176 days) | |
| Vijay Bishnoi (list) |
|
Gauhati High Court | Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Mizoram, Nagaland | 5 February 2024 (1 year, 83 days) |
25 March 2026 (−330 days) |
2 years, 49 days | Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud | Rajasthan | 8 January 2013 (12 years, 111 days) |
19 Since 17 March 2025 |
|||
| Sunita Agarwal (list) |
|
Gujarat High Court | Gujarat | 23 July 2023 (1 year, 280 days) |
29 April 2028 (−3 years, 0 days) |
4 years, 282 days | Allahabad | 21 November 2011 (13 years, 159 days) |
13 Since 17 March 2025 |
||||
| Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia (list) |
|
Himachal Pradesh High Court | Himachal Pradesh | 29 December 2024 (121 days) |
31 October 2027 (−2 years, 185 days) |
2 years, 307 days | Punjab and Haryana | 30 September 2011 (13 years, 211 days) |
11 Since 17 March 2025 |
||||
| Arun Palli (list) |
|
Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court | Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh | 16 April 2025 (13 days) |
17 September 2026 (−1 year, 141 days) |
1 year, 155 days | Sanjiv Khanna | Punjab and Haryana | 28 December 2013 (11 years, 122 days) |
42 Since 10 April 2025 |
|||
| Mamidanna Satyaratna Ramachandra Rao (list) |
|
Jharkhand High Court | Jharkhand | 30 May 2023 (1 year, 334 days) |
25 September 2024 (216 days) |
6 August 2028 (−3 years, 99 days) |
5 years, 69 days Tenure in Present HC 3 years, 317 days |
Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud | Telangana | 29 June 2012 (12 years, 304 days) |
18 Since 17 March 2025 |
28th CJ of Himachal Pradesh From 30 May 2023 - 24 September 2024 (1 year, 118 days) | |
| Nilay Vipinchandra Anjaria (list) |
|
Karnataka High Court | Karnataka | 25 February 2024 (1 year, 63 days) |
22 March 2027 (−1 year, 327 days) |
3 years, 26 days | Gujarat | 21 November 2011 (13 years, 159 days) |
15 Since 17 March 2025 |
||||
| Nitin Madhukar Jamdar (list) |
|
Kerala High Court | Kerala, Lakshadweep | 26 September 2024 (215 days) |
9 January 2026 (−255 days) |
1 year, 106 days | Bombay | 23 January 2012 (13 years, 96 days) |
16 Since 17 March 2025 |
||||
| Suresh Kumar Kait (list) |
|
Madhya Pradesh High Court | Madhya Pradesh | 25 September 2024 (216 days) |
23 May 2025 (−24 days) |
241 days | Delhi | 5 September 2008 (16 years, 236 days) |
2 Since 5 December 2024 |
||||
| Kalpathi Rajendran Shriram (list) |
|
Madras High Court | Puducherry, Tamil Nadu | 27 September 2024 (214 days) |
27 September 2025 (−151 days) |
1 year, 1 day | Bombay | 21 June 2013 (11 years, 312 days) |
30 Since 10 April 2025 |
||||
| Deivasigamani Krishnakumar (list) |
|
Manipur High Court | Manipur | 22 November 2024 (158 days) |
21 May 2025 (−22 days) |
181 days | Sanjiv Khanna | Madras | 7 April 2016 (9 years, 22 days) |
85 Since 10 April 2025 |
|||
| Indra Prasanna Mukerji (list) |
|
Meghalaya High Court | Meghalaya | 3 October 2024 (208 days) |
5 September 2025 (−129 days) |
338 days | Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud | Calcutta | 18 May 2009 (15 years, 346 days) |
4 Since 5 December 2024 |
|||
| Harish Tandon (list) |
|
Orissa High Court | Odisha | 26 March 2025 (34 days) |
15 November 2026 (−1 year, 200 days) |
1 year, 235 days | Sanjiv Khanna | Calcutta | 13 April 2011 (14 years, 16 days) |
7 Since 5 December 2024 |
|||
| Ashutosh Kumar † (list) |
|
Patna High Court | Bihar | Acting Since 16 January 2025 (103 days) |
30 September 2028 (−3 years, 154 days) |
3 years, 259 days | -- | Patna | 15 May 2014 (10 years, 349 days) |
57 | |||
| Sheel Nagu (list) |
|
Punjab and Haryana High Court | Chandigarh, Haryana, Punjab | 9 July 2024 (294 days) |
31 December 2026 (−1 year, 246 days) |
2 years, 176 days | Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud | Madhya Pradesh | 27 May 2011 (13 years, 337 days) |
9 Since 5 December 2024 |
|||
| Manindra Mohan Shrivastava (list) |
|
Rajasthan High Court | Rajasthan | 6 February 2024 (1 year, 82 days) |
5 March 2026 (−310 days) |
2 years, 28 days | Chhattisgarh | 10 December 2009 (15 years, 140 days) |
5 Since 5 December 2024 |
||||
| Biswanath Somadder (list) |
 |
Sikkim High Court | Sikkim | 27 April 2020 (5 years, 2 days) |
12 October 2021 (3 years, 199 days) |
14 December 2025 (−229 days) |
5 years, 232 days Tenure in Present HC 4 years, 64 days |
Nuthalapati Venkata Ramana | Ram Nath Kovind | Calcutta | 22 June 2006 (18 years, 311 days) |
1 Since 27 October 2023 |
9th CJ of Meghalaya From 27 April 2020 - 11 October 2021 (1 year, 168 days) |
| Sujoy Paul † (list) |
|
Telangana High Court | Telangana | Acting Since 21 January 2025 (98 days) |
20 June 2026 (−1 year, 52 days) |
1 year, 151 days | -- | Droupadi Murmu | Madhya Pradesh | 27 May 2011 (13 years, 337 days) |
10 | ||
| Aparesh Kumar Singh (list) |
|
Tripura High Court | Tripura | 17 April 2023 (2 years, 12 days) |
6 July 2027 (−2 years, 68 days) |
4 years, 81 days | Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud | Jharkhand | 24 January 2012 (13 years, 95 days) |
17 Since 17 March 2025 |
|||
| Guhanathan Narendar (list) |
 |
Uttarakhand High Court | Uttarakhand | 26 December 2024 (124 days) |
9 January 2026 (−255 days) |
1 year, 15 days | Karnataka | 2 January 2015 (10 years, 117 days) |
67 Since 10 April 2025 |
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† - Acting Chief Justice
Dates of Changes in Seniority Rank (S.R.) :
27 October 2023 - Retirement of Vipin Sanghi (CJ of Uttarakhand) on 26 October 2023 (S.R. 1)
5 December 2024 - Elevation of Manmohan (CJ of Delhi) to Supreme Court on 5 December 2024 (S.R. 2)
17 March 2025 - Elevation of Joymalya Bagchi (Judge of Calcutta) to Supreme Court on 17 March 2025 (S.R. 11)
10 April 2025 - Retirement of Tashi Rabstan (CJ of Jammu & Kashmir) on 9 April 2025 (S.R. 23)
See also
[edit]- List of current Indian governors
- List of current Indian lieutenant governors and administrators
- List of current Indian chief ministers
- List of current Indian deputy chief ministers
- List of current Indian legislative speakers and chairpersons
- List of current Indian opposition leaders
- List of chief justices of India
- List of Former Chief Justices of High Courts of India
- List of sitting judges of the Supreme Court of India
- List of sitting judges of High Courts of India
References
[edit]- ^ "Rule of law index 2016". Justice Project. Archived from the original on 29 April 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
- ^ "Memorandum of procedure of appointment of Supreme Court Judges". Government of India. Archived from the original on 9 March 2024. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
- ^ "Justice D.Y. Chandrachud sworn in as 50th Chief Justice of India". The Hindu. 9 November 2022. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
- ^ List of Chief Justice of the High Court (PDF). Government of India (Report). Retrieved 21 November 2016.
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