In a rare and candid moment within the hallowed halls of the Supreme Court, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant shared a deeply personal story of professional rejection that eventually paved his way to the highest judicial office in the country.
The exchange occurred as a bench comprising the CJI and Justice Joymalya Bagchi heard a petition from Prerna Gupta, a judicial services aspirant seeking the revaluation of an examination paper. While the court ultimately dismissed her plea, the petitioner left the courtroom smiling, carrying with her a piece of history and advice from the nation’s top judge.
As Gupta argued her case, the CJI intervened with a personal narrative intended to soften the blow of the dismissal. “Let me share my personal story and I hope you will go happily as we cannot allow your petition,” Justice Surya Kant said, setting a reflective tone in the courtroom.
The CJI took the court back to his days as a final-year law student at the Punjab and Haryana High Court. At the time, he had cleared his written tests for judicial services and was awaiting his interview. However, a shift in selection procedures meant that High Court judges now acted as subject experts whose opinions were binding.
In a twist of fate, the senior-most judge on the interview panel was someone before whom the young Surya Kant had recently argued two significant cases. This included the notable matter of Sunita Rani vs Baldev Raj, where the judge had allowed Kant’s appeal in a matrimonial case, setting aside a divorce decree that had been granted on the grounds of schizophrenia.
Despite their professional history, the encounter in the judge’s chambers was far from encouraging.
“One day, he called me into his chamber and asked, ‘Do you want to become a judicial officer?’ I said yes,” the CJI recalled. “He immediately said, ‘Get out from (my) the chamber.'”
The CJI described the immediate aftermath as a moment of total despair. “I came out trembling. All my dreams were shattered. I thought he had snubbed me and that my career was over.”
The story took a pivotal turn the following day when the judge summoned him again. Rather than a rebuke, the judge offered a prophetic piece of career guidance.
“He said, ‘If you want to become (a judge), you are welcome. But my advice is, don’t become a judicial officer. The Bar is waiting for you,'” Justice Surya Kant shared.
Taking the advice to heart, he decided to skip the interview entirely. He initially kept the decision a secret from his parents to avoid disappointing them, choosing instead to dive headfirst into his practice as an advocate.
Years later, standing at the pinnacle of the Indian judiciary, the CJI posed a rhetorical question to the young aspirant: “Now tell me did I make a right or bad decision?”
The anecdote served as a broader piece of advice for young legal professionals facing setbacks. Encouraging Gupta to look beyond a single exam paper, the CJI urged her to remain ambitious.
“Apply for superior judicial services next time,” he advised. “The Bar has much to offer.”
Though her legal petition was unsuccessful, Gupta’s departure from the court with a smile marked a rare instance where a judicial dismissal was met with personal inspiration.
