Chief Justice of India: Justice Ramana to assume charge

Justice N V Ramana, who was recently appointed as the Chief Justice of India is to assume charge on April 24, 2021. He is to take charge a day after the retirement of CJI Sharad Arvind Bobde. Justice Ramana is to take over as the 48^th Chief Justice of India.

Justice Ramana

Justice Ramana was born in 1957 in Ponnavaram village of Andhra Pradesh. He was enrolled as an advocate in 1983. He became the Chief Justice of Delhi High Court in 2013. In 2014, he was appointed as the judge of the Supreme Court. Justice Ramana had been a part of the following popular cases:

• Justice Ramana was a part of a five-judge constitution bench that declined to refer to a seven bench, a batch of pleas that challenged the constitutional validity of GoI decision to abrogate Article 370.
• In November 2019, he was a part of a five judge Constitution bench that held that the office of Chief Justice is a public authority under Right to Information Act.
• In January 2020, Justice Ramana led bench had pronounced that freedom of speech and conducting business on internet are protected under the Constitution. The bench had directed the Jammu and Kashmir administration to review the curb orders.
• In 2016, he was a part of the five-bench Constitution bench that ordered restoration of Congress Government in Arunachal Pradesh.
• In November 2019, Justice Ramana led bench ordered floor test for the then Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to prove his majority in the house.

Constitutional Provisions

1. According to Clause (2) of Article 124, the President appoints the Chief Justice of India.
2. The Clause (3) of Article 124 provides the eligibility criteria for a person to become the Chief Justice of India. They are as follows:
   • He or she should be a citizen of India
   • He should have acted as the Judge of High Court for at least five years. Or he should have acted as an advocate in High Court for at least ten years.
   • He should be a distinguished jurist in the opinion of the President
3. The Clause (4) of Article 124 provides regulations for removal of Supreme Court Judge.