Justice Sanjiv Khanna was sworn in as the 51st Chief Justice of India today, following the retirement of Justice DY Chandrachud. President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath at a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, attended by Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and other dignitaries. Former Chief Justice Chandrachud was also present. Justice Khanna, who is 64 years old, will serve as the head of the judiciary until his retirement on May 13 next year.

Chief Justice Khanna, born in Delhi, attended Modern School Barakhamba Road and later studied at St. Stephen’s College. He completed his law education at Delhi University’s Campus Law Centre. Coming from a family deeply rooted in the legal field, Justice Khanna's father, Dev Raj Khanna, served as a Delhi High Court judge, and his mother, Saroj Khanna, was a lecturer at Lady Shri Ram College. His uncle, Justice Hans Raj Khanna, also a Supreme Court judge, is remembered for his historic dissenting opinion during the Emergency, defending the right against unlawful detention.

Justice Khanna began his legal career as a practicing lawyer before his appointment as a judge at the Delhi High Court in 2005. He ascended to the Supreme Court in 2019 and has since participated in several landmark rulings, including affirming the validity of Electronic Voting Machines, the revocation of Article 370, and declaring the electoral bonds scheme unconstitutional.