Justice Surya Kant, sworn in as India’s 53rd Chief Justice, became the first person from Haryana to reach the country’s highest judicial office since the Supreme Court’s 1950 inauguration. Speaking from his childhood home in Petwar, Hisar, the first-generation lawyer reflected on his distinguished four-decade career.
Humble Beginnings of CJI Surya Kant
“All my childhood memories are connected to this house. I was born here,” he said while sitting on a ‘khatiya’, a traditional village bed. Born February 10, 1962, to a middle-class family, Chief Justice Kant recalled being sent to village school around age four.
“We used to walk from this house through these streets to the village school with the schoolbag in our hands. All my childhood games and studies are connected to this village and the nearby areas,” he stated.
Dedicated Study Habits
He showed media his 6-by-8-foot study room where he studied with three classmates. “Our teachers had a hope that all four of us would be able to perform well in school. So, we were always encouraged to study together at night,” he said.
Before examinations, English teacher Prem Singh had them shift to the school building: “We used to have food from home and go to school at night. And that teacher used to teach us different subjects till 11 or 12 at night.”
With limited electricity supply, they relied on clay lamps for studying.
Unexpected Career Path
Asked if he ever imagined becoming Chief Justice after growing up harvesting crops, he replied: “No, definitely not. At that time, I didn’t even know what the judiciary was and what the role of a judge was in it.”
Despite family pressure for immediate employment after matriculation, his parents supported his decision to pursue law. “My brothers wanted me to do an MA in Geography, because that was my subject. But I was determined to do law. So, my parents stood by me and told me to do whatever I wanted.”
Professional Rise
Starting practice in Hisar district court in 1984, he moved to Chandigarh in 1985 after senior advocates recognized his potential. “I earned my name in the profession very soon. And after five to six years of practice, the whole state knew that I was a successful lawyer.”
He became Haryana’s youngest Advocate General in July 2000, was appointed Himachal Pradesh High Court Chief Justice in 2018, and elevated to Supreme Court judge in 2019 before succeeding Justice BR Gavai.
