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 last high courts created in India are the High Court of Telangana and the Andhra Pradesh High Court, both established on January 1, 2019, following the bifurcation of the state of Andhra Pradesh. ^[2] The High Courts of India 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. ^[3]

List of chief justices

Chief Justice of India ^[4]

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
Surya Kant (list)		24 November 2025 (12 days)	9 February 2027 (−1 year, 65 days)	1 year, 78 days	B. R. Gavai	Droupadi Murmu	24 May 2019 (6 years, 196 days)	11	9 January 2004 (21 years, 331 days)	Punjab and Haryana

Chief Justices of High Courts ^[5]

High Court	Image	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, 304 days)	14 October 2029 (−3 years, 312 days)	5 years, 252 days	D. Y. Chandrachud	Droupadi Murmu	Rajasthan	14 Since 16 September 2025	8 January 2013 (12 years, 332 days)	Altamas Kabir
Andhra Pradesh High Court		Dhiraj Singh Thakur (list)	28 July 2023 (2 years, 131 days)	24 April 2026 (−139 days)	2 years, 271 days			Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh	16 Since 16 September 2025	8 March 2013 (12 years, 273 days)
Bombay High Court		Shree Chandrashekhar (list)	5 September 2025 (92 days)	24 May 2027 (−1 year, 169 days)	1 year, 262 days	B. R. Gavai		Jharkhand	15 Since 16 September 2025	17 January 2013 (12 years, 323 days)
Calcutta High Court		Sujoy Paul [†] (list)	8 October 2025 (59 days)	20 June 2026 (−196 days)	256 days	--		Madhya Pradesh	6	27 May 2011 (14 years, 193 days)	S. H. Kapadia
Chhattisgarh High Court		Ramesh Sinha (list)	29 March 2023 (2 years, 252 days)	4 September 2026 (−272 days)	3 years, 160 days	D. Y. Chandrachud		Allahabad	8 Since 16 September 2025	21 November 2011 (14 years, 15 days)
Delhi High Court		Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya (list)	29 July 2023 (2 years, 130 days) Date of appointment in current HC 21 January 2025 (319 days)	15 June 2027 (−1 year, 191 days)	3 years, 322 days Tenure in current HC 2 years, 146 days	D. Y. Chandrachud Nominated in current HC Sanjiv Khanna		Allahabad	10 Since 16 September 2025	21 November 2011 (14 years, 15 days)		47th CJ of Bombay From 29 July 2023 – 20 January 2025 (1 year, 176 days)
Gauhati High Court		Ashutosh Kumar (list)	21 July 2025 (138 days)	30 September 2028 (−2 years, 299 days)	3 years, 72 days	B. R. Gavai		Patna	45 Since 28 September 2025	15 May 2014 (11 years, 205 days)	R. M. Lodha
Gujarat High Court		Sunita Agarwal (list)	23 July 2023 (2 years, 136 days)	29 April 2028 (−2 years, 145 days)	4 years, 282 days	D. Y. Chandrachud		Allahabad	9 Since 16 September 2025	21 November 2011 (14 years, 15 days)	S. H. Kapadia
Himachal Pradesh High Court		Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia (list)	29 December 2024 (342 days)	31 October 2027 (−1 year, 329 days)	2 years, 307 days			Punjab and Haryana	7 Since 16 September 2025	30 September 2011 (14 years, 67 days)
Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court		Arun Palli (list)	16 April 2025 (234 days)	17 September 2026 (−285 days)	1 year, 155 days	Sanjiv Khanna		Punjab and Haryana	33 Since 28 September 2025	28 December 2013 (11 years, 343 days)	P. Sathasivam
Jharkhand High Court		Tarlok Singh Chauhan (list)	23 July 2025 (136 days)	8 January 2026 (−33 days)	170 days	B. R. Gavai		Himachal Pradesh	43 Since 28 September 2025	23 February 2014 (11 years, 286 days)
Karnataka High Court		Vibhu Bakhru (list)	19 July 2025 (140 days)	1 November 2028 (−2 years, 331 days)	3 years, 106 days			Delhi	19 Since 16 September 2025	17 April 2013 (12 years, 233 days)	Altamas Kabir
Kerala High Court		Nitin Madhukar Jamdar (list)	26 September 2024 (1 year, 71 days)	9 January 2026 (−34 days)	1 year, 106 days	D. Y. Chandrachud		Bombay	11 Since 16 September 2025	23 January 2012 (13 years, 317 days)	S. H. Kapadia
Madhya Pradesh High Court		Sanjeev Sachdeva (list)	17 July 2025 (142 days)	25 December 2026 (−1 year, 19 days)	1 year, 162 days	B. R. Gavai		Delhi	18 Since 16 September 2025	17 April 2013 (12 years, 233 days)	Altamas Kabir
Madras High Court		Manindra Mohan Shrivastava (list)	6 February 2024 (1 year, 303 days) Date of appointment in current HC 21 July 2025 (138 days)	5 March 2026 (−89 days)	2 years, 28 days Tenure in current HC 228 days	D. Y. Chandrachud Nominated in current HC B. R. Gavai		Chhattisgarh	2 Since 16 September 2025	10 December 2009 (15 years, 361 days)	K. G. Balakrishnan	42nd CJ of Rajasthan From 6 February 2024 – 20 July 2025 (1 year, 165 days)
Manipur High Court		M. Sundar (list)	15 September 2025 (82 days)	18 July 2028 (−2 years, 225 days)	2 years, 308 days	B. R. Gavai		Madras	76 Since 23 October 2025	5 October 2016 (9 years, 62 days)	T. S. Thakur
Meghalaya High Court		Soumen Sen (list)	8 October 2025 (59 days)	26 July 2027 (−1 year, 232 days)	1 year, 292 days			Calcutta	4 Since 16 September 2025	13 April 2011 (14 years, 237 days)	S. H. Kapadia
Orissa High Court		Harish Tandon (list)	26 March 2025 (255 days)	15 November 2026 (−344 days)	1 year, 235 days	Sanjiv Khanna		Calcutta	3 Since 16 September 2025	13 April 2010 (15 years, 237 days)	K. G. Balakrishnan
Patna High Court		Sudhir Singh [†] (list)	23 October 2025 (44 days)	10 December 2027 (−2 years, 4 days)	2 years, 49 days	--		Patna	57	15 April 2015 (10 years, 235 days)	H. L. Dattu
Punjab and Haryana High Court		Sheel Nagu (list)	9 July 2024 (1 year, 150 days)	31 December 2026 (−1 year, 25 days)	2 years, 176 days	D. Y. Chandrachud		Madhya Pradesh	5 Since 16 September 2025	27 May 2011 (14 years, 193 days)	S. H. Kapadia
Rajasthan High Court		Sanjeev Prakash Sharma [†] (list)	28 September 2025 (69 days)	26 September 2026 (−294 days)	364 days	--		Rajasthan	94	16 November 2016 (9 years, 20 days)	T. S. Thakur
Sikkim High Court		Biswanath Somadder (list)	27 April 2020 (5 years, 223 days) Date of appointment in current HC 12 October 2021 (4 years, 55 days)	14 December 2025 (−8 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, 167 days)	Y. K. Sabharwal	9th CJ of Meghalaya From 27 April 2020 – 11 October 2021 (1 year, 168 days)
Telangana High Court		Aparesh Kumar Singh (list)	17 April 2023 (2 years, 233 days) Date of appointment in current HC 19 July 2025 (140 days)	6 July 2027 (−1 year, 212 days)	4 years, 81 days Tenure in current HC 1 year, 353 days	D. Y. Chandrachud Nominated in current HC B. R. Gavai	Droupadi Murmu	Jharkhand	12 Since 16 September 2025	24 January 2012 (13 years, 316 days)	S. H. Kapadia	8th CJ of Tripura From 17 April 2023 – 18 July 2025 (2 years, 93 days)
Tripura High Court		Mamidanna Satyaratna Ramachandra Rao (list)	30 May 2023 (2 years, 190 days) Date of appointment in current HC 22 July 2025 (137 days)	6 August 2028 (−2 years, 244 days)	5 years, 69 days Tenure in current HC 3 years, 16 days	D. Y. Chandrachud Nominated in current HC B. R. Gavai		Telangana	13 Since 16 September 2025	29 June 2012 (13 years, 160 days)		28th CJ of Himachal Pradesh From 30 May 2023 – 24 September 2024 (1 year, 118 days) 16th CJ of Jharkhand From 25 September 2024 – 21 July 2025 (300 days)
Uttarakhand High Court		Guhanathan Narendar (list)	26 December 2024 (345 days)	9 January 2026 (−34 days)	1 year, 15 days	D. Y. Chandrachud		Karnataka	52 Since 28 September 2025	2 January 2015 (10 years, 338 days)	H. L. Dattu

Key † 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)

16 September 2025 - Retirement of T. S. Sivagnanam (CJ of Calcutta) on 15 September 2025 (S.R. 2)

28 September 2025 - Retirement of K. R. Shriram (CJ of Rajasthan) on 27 September 2025 (S.R. 23)

23 October 2025 - Retirement of P. B. Bajanthri (CJ of Patna) on 22 October 2025 (S.R. 53)

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
• List of former chief justices of the high courts of India

References

1. "Rule of law index 2016". Justice Project. Archived from the original on 29 April 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
2. "Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to have separate HCs". The Hindu. 26 December 2018. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 7 October 2025.
3. "Memorandum of procedure of appointment of Supreme Court Judges". Government of India . Archived from the original on 9 March 2024. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
4. "Justice Surya Kant sworn in as 53rd Chief Justice of India". thehindu.com. 24 November 2025.
5. List of Chief Justice of the High Court (PDF). Government of India (Report). Retrieved 21 November 2016.