Courting reform

The new CJI must address case pendency

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The swearing in of Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai as the 52nd chief justice of the Supreme Court offers a reminder of how equal access to opportunity can smooth India's bumpy road to social inclusion.

Justice Gavai is, however, only the second Dalit to head the Supreme Court — after Justice K G Balakrishnan — and one of only seven Supreme Court judges from the community since the apex court was established in 1950, an indicator perhaps of the distance India has to travel towards genuine social equality.

Justice Gavai's early career partly reflects these hurdles. Typically, under Article 124(3) of the Constitution, to qualify for appointment as a Supreme Court judge, a person needs to be a high court judge for five years or an advocate of a high court for at least 10 years.

Justice Gavai served as a high court judge for 16 years before being appointed to the Supreme Court in May 2019.