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
| Name of the Chief Justice | Image | Date of Appointment as Chief Justice | Date of Retirement | Tenure | Nominated By | Appointed By | Date of elevation to Supreme Court | Seniority rank on the date of elevation | Date of Initial Appointment as Judge | Parent High Court |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai (list) |
14 May 2025 (51 days) |
23 November 2025 (−142 days) |
194 days | Sanjiv Khanna | Droupadi Murmu | 24 May 2019 (6 years, 41 days) |
8 | 14 November 2003 (21 years, 232 days) |
Bombay |
| High Court | Name of the Chief Justice | Date of Appointment as Chief Justice | Date of Retirement | Tenure | Nominated as Chief Justice by | Appointed By | Parent High Court | All India seniority rank | Date of Initial Appointment as Judge | Nominated as Judge of by | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allahabad High Court | Arun Bhansali (list) |
5 February 2024 (1 year, 149 days) |
14 October 2029 (−4 years, 102 days) |
5 years, 252 days | D. Y. Chandrachud | Droupadi Murmu | Rajasthan | 17 Since 30 May 2025 |
8 January 2013 (12 years, 177 days) |
Altamas Kabir | |
| Andhra Pradesh High Court | Dhiraj Singh Thakur (list) |
28 July 2023 (1 year, 341 days) |
24 April 2026 (−294 days) |
2 years, 271 days | Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh | 19 Since 30 May 2025 |
8 March 2013 (12 years, 118 days) |
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| Bombay High Court | Alok Aradhe (list) |
23 July 2023 (1 year, 346 days) Date of appointment in current HC 21 January 2025 (164 days) |
12 April 2026 (−282 days) |
2 years, 264 days Tenure in current HC 1 year, 82 days |
D. Y. Chandrachud Nominated in current HC Sanjiv Khanna |
Madhya Pradesh | 5 Since 24 May 2025 |
29 December 2009 (15 years, 187 days) |
K. G. Balakrishnan | 6th CJ of Telangana From 23 July 2023 - 20 January 2025 (1 year, 182 days) | |
| Calcutta High Court | Tirunelveli Subbiah Sivagnanam (list) |
11 May 2023 (2 years, 54 days) |
15 September 2025 (−73 days) |
2 years, 128 days | D. Y. Chandrachud | Madras | 2 Since 24 May 2025 |
31 March 2009 (16 years, 95 days) |
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| Chhattisgarh High Court | Ramesh Sinha (list) |
29 March 2023 (2 years, 97 days) |
4 September 2026 (−1 year, 62 days) |
3 years, 160 days | Allahabad | 11 Since 24 May 2025 |
21 November 2011 (13 years, 225 days) |
S. H. Kapadia | |||
| Delhi High Court | Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya (list) |
29 July 2023 (1 year, 340 days) Date of appointment in current HC 21 January 2025 (164 days) |
15 June 2027 (−1 year, 346 days) |
3 years, 322 days Tenure in current HC 2 years, 146 days |
D. Y. Chandrachud Nominated in current HC Sanjiv Khanna |
Allahabad | 13 Since 24 May 2025 |
21 November 2011 (13 years, 225 days) |
47th CJ of Bombay From 29 July 2023 - 20 January 2025 (1 year, 176 days) | ||
| Gauhati High Court | Lanusungkum Jamir † (list) |
Acting since 30 May 2025 (35 days) |
28 February 2026 (−239 days) |
275 days | -- | Gauhati | 24 | 22 May 2013 (12 years, 43 days) |
Altamas Kabir | ||
| Gujarat High Court | Sunita Agarwal (list) |
23 July 2023 (1 year, 346 days) |
29 April 2028 (−2 years, 300 days) |
4 years, 282 days | D. Y. Chandrachud | Allahabad | 12 Since 24 May 2025 |
21 November 2011 (13 years, 225 days) |
S. H. Kapadia | ||
| Himachal Pradesh High Court | Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia (list) |
29 December 2024 (187 days) |
31 October 2027 (−2 years, 119 days) |
2 years, 307 days | Punjab and Haryana | 10 Since 24 May 2025 |
30 September 2011 (13 years, 277 days) |
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| Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court | Arun Palli (list) |
16 April 2025 (79 days) |
17 September 2026 (−1 year, 75 days) |
1 year, 155 days | Sanjiv Khanna | Punjab and Haryana | 37 Since 30 May 2025 |
28 December 2013 (11 years, 188 days) |
P. Sathasivam | ||
| Jharkhand High Court | Mamidanna Satyaratna Ramachandra Rao (list) |
30 May 2023 (2 years, 35 days) Date of appointment in current HC 25 September 2024 (282 days) |
6 August 2028 (−3 years, 33 days) |
5 years, 69 days Tenure in current HC 3 years, 317 days |
D. Y. Chandrachud | Telangana | 16 Since 30 May 2025 |
29 June 2012 (13 years, 5 days) |
S. H. Kapadia | 28th CJ of Himachal Pradesh From 30 May 2023 - 24 September 2024 (1 year, 118 days) | |
| Karnataka High Court | Valluri Kameswar Rao † (list) |
Acting since 30 May 2025 (35 days) |
6 August 2027 (−2 years, 33 days) |
2 years, 69 days | -- | Delhi | 23 | 17 April 2013 (12 years, 78 days) |
Altamas Kabir | ||
| Kerala High Court | Nitin Madhukar Jamdar (list) |
26 September 2024 (281 days) |
9 January 2026 (−189 days) |
1 year, 106 days | D. Y. Chandrachud | Bombay | 14 Since 30 May 2025 |
23 January 2012 (13 years, 162 days) |
S. H. Kapadia | ||
| Madhya Pradesh High Court | Sanjeev Sachdeva † (list) |
Acting since 24 May 2025 (41 days) |
25 December 2026 (−1 year, 174 days) |
1 year, 216 days | -- | Delhi | 21 | 17 April 2013 (12 years, 78 days) |
Altamas Kabir | ||
| Madras High Court | Kalpathi Rajendran Shriram (list) |
27 September 2024 (280 days) |
27 September 2025 (−85 days) |
1 year, 1 day | D. Y. Chandrachud | Bombay | 26 Since 30 May 2025 |
21 June 2013 (12 years, 13 days) |
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| Manipur High Court | Kempaiah Somashekar (list) |
22 May 2025 (43 days) |
14 September 2025 (−72 days) |
116 days | B. R. Gavai | Karnataka | 98 Since 30 June 2025 |
14 November 2016 (8 years, 232 days) |
T. S. Thakur | ||
| Meghalaya High Court | Indra Prasanna Mukerji (list) |
3 October 2024 (274 days) |
5 September 2025 (−63 days) |
338 days | D. Y. Chandrachud | Calcutta | 3 Since 24 May 2025 |
18 May 2009 (16 years, 47 days) |
K. G. Balakrishnan | ||
| Orissa High Court | Harish Tandon (list) |
26 March 2025 (100 days) |
15 November 2026 (−1 year, 134 days) |
1 year, 235 days | Sanjiv Khanna | Calcutta | 6 Since 24 May 2025 |
13 April 2011 (14 years, 82 days) |
S. H. Kapadia | ||
| Patna High Court | Ashutosh Kumar † (list) |
Acting since 16 January 2025 (169 days) |
30 September 2028 (−3 years, 88 days) |
3 years, 259 days | -- | Patna | 51 | 15 May 2014 (11 years, 50 days) |
R. M. Lodha | ||
| Punjab and Haryana High Court | Sheel Nagu (list) |
9 July 2024 (360 days) |
31 December 2026 (−1 year, 180 days) |
2 years, 176 days | D. Y. Chandrachud | Madhya Pradesh | 8 Since 24 May 2025 |
27 May 2011 (14 years, 38 days) |
S. H. Kapadia | ||
| Rajasthan High Court | Manindra Mohan Shrivastava (list) |
6 February 2024 (1 year, 148 days) |
5 March 2026 (−244 days) |
2 years, 28 days | Chhattisgarh | 4 Since 24 May 2025 |
10 December 2009 (15 years, 206 days) |
K. G. Balakrishnan | |||
| Sikkim High Court | Biswanath Somadder (list) |
27 April 2020 (5 years, 68 days) Date of appointment in current HC 12 October 2021 (3 years, 265 days) |
14 December 2025 (−163 days) |
5 years, 232 days Tenure in current HC 4 years, 64 days |
S. A. Bobde Nominated in current HC N. V. Ramana |
Ram Nath Kovind | Calcutta | 1 Since 27 October 2023 |
22 June 2006 (19 years, 12 days) |
Y. K. Sabharwal | 9th CJ of Meghalaya From 27 April 2020 - 11 October 2021 (1 year, 168 days) |
| Telangana High Court | Sujoy Paul † (list) |
Acting since 21 January 2025 (164 days) |
20 June 2026 (−351 days) |
1 year, 151 days | -- | Droupadi Murmu | Madhya Pradesh | 9 | 27 May 2011 (14 years, 38 days) |
S. H. Kapadia | |
| Tripura High Court | Aparesh Kumar Singh (list) |
17 April 2023 (2 years, 78 days) |
6 July 2027 (−2 years, 2 days) |
4 years, 81 days | D. Y. Chandrachud | Jharkhand | 15 Since 30 May 2025 |
24 January 2012 (13 years, 161 days) |
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| Uttarakhand High Court | Guhanathan Narendar (list) |
26 December 2024 (190 days) |
9 January 2026 (−189 days) |
1 year, 15 days | Karnataka | 60 Since 30 June 2025 |
2 January 2015 (10 years, 183 days) |
H. L. Dattu |
† - 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)
24 May 2025 - Retirement of S. K. Kait (CJ of Madhya Pradesh) on 23 May 2025 (S.R. 2)
30 May 2025 - Elevation of N. V. Anjaria (CJ of Karnataka) to Supreme Court on 30 May 2025 (S.R. 14)
30 June 2025 - Retirement of P. B. Suresh Kumar (Judge of Kerala) on 29 June 2025 (S.R. 52)
See also
- 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 female chief justices in India
- List of sitting judges of the Supreme Court of India
- List of former judges of the Supreme Court of India
- List of female judges of the Supreme Court of India
- List of sitting judges of the high courts of India
References
- ^ "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.
- ^ ANI (14 May 2025). "Justice BR Gavai sworn in as 52nd Chief Justice of India". ThePrint. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
- ^ List of Chief Justice of the High Court (PDF). Government of India (Report). Retrieved 21 November 2016.