Justice T.S. Thakur to be next CJI

Justice T.S. Thakur, the seniormost judge after Supreme Court Chief Justice H.L. Dattu, will become the next Chief Justice of India and would be at the helm of the country's judiciary till January 4, 2017.

Chief Justice Dattu has recommended the name of Justice Thakur, being the seniormost judge after him, as his successor.

It is in continuation of the practice of the seniormost judge taking over the reins of the apex court from the outgoing chief justice.

Justice Thakur, who would be having a tenure of one year and one month, will be sworn in as the CJI on December 3, 2015, the day Chief Justice Dattu demits office.

Though Chief Justice Dattu would formally step down as CJI on December 3, he would preside over the court No.1 -- the chief justice's court -- for the last time on December 2.

Born on January 4, 1952, Justice Thakur became the additional judge of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court on February 16, 1994.

He was transferred to the Karnataka High Court in March 1994. He became the permanent judge in September 1995. He was transferred to the Delhi High Court in July 2004.

He became the acting chief justice of the Delhi High Court on April 9, 2008 and the chief justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court on August 11, 2008 and continued to serve in that capacity till he was elevated as the judge of the apex court and joined the bench of the top court on November 17, 2009.