Bhubaneswar, Nov. 24 -- Justice Surya Kant was sworn in as the 53rd Chief Justice of India (CJI) on Monday, taking the oath of office from President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The ceremony was attended by Vice-President CP Radhakrishnan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several Union ministers. His elevation marks the culmination of a journey from rural Haryana to the country's highest judicial position, backed by a distinguished tenure in the Supreme Court where he contributed to several major constitutional rulings, including the Article 370 verdict, the Pegasus case and the Bihar electoral roll matter.

Born on February 10, 1962, in Petwar village of Hisar district, Justice Kant studied in local schools and earned his law de...