President of India Droupadi Murmu hosted a ceremonial dinner at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Monday to honour the newly sworn-in Chief Justice of India, Justice BR Gavai. The event marked a significant gesture of constitutional tradition, welcoming the country’s 51st Chief Justice.
Details and photographs from the evening were shared by the President through the official X handle of Rashtrapati Bhavan, offering glimpses into the dignified gathering.
Among the prominent attendees were Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, and Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal. Former Chief Justice of India Justice Sanjiv Khanna, under whose tenure Justice Gavai was elevated to the top post, was also present, along with several judges of the Supreme Court, Chief Justices of various High Courts, and other distinguished guests from the legal fraternity.
Justice Gavai’s judicial journey began with his appointment as an Additional Judge of the Bombay High Court on November 14, 2003. He became a permanent judge in 2005 and served across the principal seat in Mumbai and the benches at Nagpur, Aurangabad, and Panaji.
He was elevated to the Supreme Court on May 24, 2019. Following the retirement of Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Justice Gavai assumed office as the Chief Justice of India on May 14, 2025.
The dinner not only marked a moment of celebration but also reaffirmed the enduring respect for the judiciary as a vital pillar of Indian democracy.
