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 | Image | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai (list) |
 |
14 May 2025 (16 days) |
23 November 2025 (−177 days) |
194 days | Sanjiv Khanna | Droupadi Murmu | 24 May 2019 (6 years, 6 days) |
8 | 14 November 2003 (21 years, 197 days) |
Bombay |
| Name of the Chief Justice | Image | High Court | 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| As Chief Justice | As Judge of High Court | ||||||||||||
| Arun Bhansali (list) |
 |
Allahabad High Court | 5 February 2024 (1 year, 114 days) |
14 October 2029 (−4 years, 137 days) |
5 years, 252 days | Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud | Altamas Kabir | Droupadi Murmu | Rajasthan | 8 January 2013 (12 years, 142 days) |
17 Since 30 May 2025 |
||
| Dhiraj Singh Thakur (list) |
|
Andhra Pradesh High Court | 28 July 2023 (1 year, 306 days) |
24 April 2026 (−329 days) |
2 years, 271 days | Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh | 8 March 2013 (12 years, 83 days) |
19 Since 30 May 2025 |
|||||
| Alok Aradhe (list) |
|
Bombay High Court | 23 July 2023 (1 year, 311 days) |
21 January 2025 (129 days) |
12 April 2026 (−317 days) |
2 years, 264 days Tenure in Present HC 1 year, 82 days |
Sanjiv Khanna | Konakuppakatil Gopinathan Balakrishnan | Madhya Pradesh | 29 December 2009 (15 years, 152 days) |
5 Since 24 May 2025 |
6th CJ of Telangana From 23 July 2023 - 20 January 2025 (1 year, 182 days) | |
| Tirunelveli Subbiah Sivagnanam (list) |
|
Calcutta High Court | 11 May 2023 (2 years, 19 days) |
15 September 2025 (−108 days) |
2 years, 128 days | Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud | Madras | 31 March 2009 (16 years, 60 days) |
2 Since 24 May 2025 |
||||
| Ramesh Sinha (list) |
|
Chhattisgarh High Court | 29 March 2023 (2 years, 62 days) |
4 September 2026 (−1 year, 97 days) |
3 years, 160 days | Sarosh Homi Kapadia | Allahabad | 21 November 2011 (13 years, 190 days) |
11 Since 24 May 2025 |
||||
| Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya (list) |
|
Delhi High Court | 29 July 2023 (1 year, 305 days) |
21 January 2025 (129 days) |
15 June 2027 (−2 years, 16 days) |
3 years, 322 days Tenure in Present HC 2 years, 146 days |
Sanjiv Khanna | Allahabad | 21 November 2011 (13 years, 190 days) |
13 Since 24 May 2025 |
47th CJ of Bombay From 29 July 2023 - 20 January 2025 (1 year, 176 days) | ||
| Lanusungkum Jamir † (list) |
|
Gauhati High Court | Acting since 30 May 2025 (0 days) |
28 February 2026 (−274 days) |
275 days | -- | Altamas Kabir | Gauhati | 22 May 2013 (12 years, 8 days) |
24 | |||
| Sunita Agarwal (list) |
|
Gujarat High Court | 23 July 2023 (1 year, 311 days) |
29 April 2028 (−2 years, 335 days) |
4 years, 282 days | Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud | Sarosh Homi Kapadia | Allahabad | 21 November 2011 (13 years, 190 days) |
12 Since 24 May 2025 |
|||
| Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia (list) |
|
Himachal Pradesh High Court | 29 December 2024 (152 days) |
31 October 2027 (−2 years, 154 days) |
2 years, 307 days | Punjab and Haryana | 30 September 2011 (13 years, 242 days) |
10 Since 24 May 2025 |
|||||
| Arun Palli (list) |
|
Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court | 16 April 2025 (44 days) |
17 September 2026 (−1 year, 110 days) |
1 year, 155 days | Sanjiv Khanna | Palanisamy Sathasivam | Punjab and Haryana | 28 December 2013 (11 years, 153 days) |
37 Since 30 May 2025 |
|||
| Mamidanna Satyaratna Ramachandra Rao (list) |
|
Jharkhand High Court | 30 May 2023 (2 years, 0 days) |
25 September 2024 (247 days) |
6 August 2028 (−3 years, 68 days) |
5 years, 69 days Tenure in Present HC 3 years, 317 days |
Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud | Sarosh Homi Kapadia | Telangana | 29 June 2012 (12 years, 335 days) |
16 Since 30 May 2025 |
28th CJ of Himachal Pradesh From 30 May 2023 - 24 September 2024 (1 year, 118 days) | |
| Valluri Kameswar Rao † (list) |
|
Karnataka High Court | Acting since 30 May 2025 (0 days) |
6 August 2027 (−2 years, 68 days) |
2 years, 69 days | -- | Altamas Kabir | Delhi | 17 April 2013 (12 years, 43 days) |
23 | |||
| Nitin Madhukar Jamdar (list) |
|
Kerala High Court | 26 September 2024 (246 days) |
9 January 2026 (−224 days) |
1 year, 106 days | Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud | Sarosh Homi Kapadia | Bombay | 23 January 2012 (13 years, 127 days) |
14 Since 30 May 2025 |
|||
| Sanjeev Sachdeva † (list) |
|
Madhya Pradesh High Court | Acting since 24 May 2025 (6 days) |
25 December 2026 (−1 year, 209 days) |
1 year, 216 days | -- | Altamas Kabir | Delhi | 17 April 2013 (12 years, 43 days) |
21 | |||
| Kalpathi Rajendran Shriram (list) |
|
Madras High Court | 27 September 2024 (245 days) |
27 September 2025 (−120 days) |
1 year, 1 day | Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud | Bombay | 21 June 2013 (11 years, 343 days) |
26 Since 30 May 2025 |
||||
| Kempaiah Somashekar (list) |
|
Manipur High Court | 22 May 2025 (8 days) |
14 September 2025 (−107 days) |
116 days | Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai | Tirath Singh Thakur | Karnataka | 14 November 2016 (8 years, 197 days) |
99 Since 30 May 2025 |
|||
| Indra Prasanna Mukerji (list) |
|
Meghalaya High Court | 3 October 2024 (239 days) |
5 September 2025 (−98 days) |
338 days | Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud | Konakuppakatil Gopinathan Balakrishnan | Calcutta | 18 May 2009 (16 years, 12 days) |
3 Since 24 May 2025 |
|||
| Harish Tandon (list) |
|
Orissa High Court | 26 March 2025 (65 days) |
15 November 2026 (−1 year, 169 days) |
1 year, 235 days | Sanjiv Khanna | Sarosh Homi Kapadia | Calcutta | 13 April 2011 (14 years, 47 days) |
6 Since 24 May 2025 |
|||
| Ashutosh Kumar † (list) |
|
Patna High Court | Acting since 16 January 2025 (134 days) |
30 September 2028 (−3 years, 123 days) |
3 years, 259 days | -- | Rajendra Mal Lodha | Patna | 15 May 2014 (11 years, 15 days) |
51 | |||
| Sheel Nagu (list) |
|
Punjab and Haryana High Court | 9 July 2024 (325 days) |
31 December 2026 (−1 year, 215 days) |
2 years, 176 days | Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud | Sarosh Homi Kapadia | Madhya Pradesh | 27 May 2011 (14 years, 3 days) |
8 Since 24 May 2025 |
|||
| Manindra Mohan Shrivastava (list) |
|
Rajasthan High Court | 6 February 2024 (1 year, 113 days) |
5 March 2026 (−279 days) |
2 years, 28 days | Konakuppakatil Gopinathan Balakrishnan | Chhattisgarh | 10 December 2009 (15 years, 171 days) |
4 Since 24 May 2025 |
||||
| Biswanath Somadder (list) |
 |
Sikkim High Court | 27 April 2020 (5 years, 33 days) |
12 October 2021 (3 years, 230 days) |
14 December 2025 (−198 days) |
5 years, 232 days Tenure in Present HC 4 years, 64 days |
Nuthalapati Venkata Ramana | Yogesh Kumar Sabharwal | Ram Nath Kovind | Calcutta | 22 June 2006 (18 years, 342 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 | Acting since 21 January 2025 (129 days) |
20 June 2026 (−1 year, 21 days) |
1 year, 151 days | -- | Sarosh Homi Kapadia | Droupadi Murmu | Madhya Pradesh | 27 May 2011 (14 years, 3 days) |
9 | ||
| Aparesh Kumar Singh (list) |
|
Tripura High Court | 17 April 2023 (2 years, 43 days) |
6 July 2027 (−2 years, 37 days) |
4 years, 81 days | Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud | Jharkhand | 24 January 2012 (13 years, 126 days) |
15 Since 30 May 2025 |
||||
| Guhanathan Narendar (list) |
 |
Uttarakhand High Court | 26 December 2024 (155 days) |
9 January 2026 (−224 days) |
1 year, 15 days | Handyala Lakshminarayanaswami Dattu | Karnataka | 2 January 2015 (10 years, 148 days) |
61 Since 30 May 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)
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)
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 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
[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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