Chief Justice India
Key Concepts
| # | Concept | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Appointment | President appoints CJI after consulting such SC/HC judges as he deems necessary; by convention the senior-most judge of Supreme Court becomes CJI. |
| 2 | Tenure | Till he attains 65 yrs of age OR resigns OR is removed by impeachment; can be re-appointed only as an ad-hoc judge (rare). |
| 3 | Salary & Emoluments | ₹2.8 lakh/month basic + perks; charged on Consolidated Fund of India (cannot be varied to his disadvantage). |
| 4 | Powers | Master of Roster – allocates benches & cases; presides over constitution bench; recommends names for SC/HC judges to Collegium. |
| 5 | Impeachment | Same as SC judge: 100 LS + 50 RS MPs → motion passed by each House with ≥2/3 present & voting → President removes. |
| 6 | Acting CJI | When CJI is absent/unable or post vacant, President can appoint the senior-most judge as Acting CJI (no oath afresh). |
| 7 | 1st CJI | Justice Harilal J. Kania – 26 Jan 1950 (till 6 Nov 1951). |
| 8 | 1st Woman judge in SC | Justice M. Fathima Beevi (1989); NOT CJI – useful distractor in exams. |
15 Practice MCQs
Q1. Who is appointed as the Chief Justice of India?
A) Prime Minister B) President C) Collegium of 5 senior-most SC judges D) Parliament **Answer: B** **Solution:** Art 124 – President appoints CJI; convention = senior-most judge. **Shortcut:** “CJI ka boss = Rāṣṭrapati” **Tag:** AppointmentQ2. Retirement age of the CJI is _____ years.
A) 60 B) 62 C) 65 D) 70 **Answer: C** **Solution:** 65 yrs for SC judges (HC = 62 yrs). **Shortcut:** “Supreme = 65, High = 62” **Tag:** TenureQ3. Who was the first Chief Justice of independent India?
A) M. Patanjali Sastri B) Harilal J. Kania C) S. R. Das D) Mehr Chand Mahajan **Answer: B** **Solution:** 26 Jan 1950. **Tag:** Static GKQ4. The impeachment of the CJI requires a special majority in each House. What fraction?
A) Simple majority B) ½ of total membership C) 2/3 of members present & voting D) 3/4 of total strength **Answer: C** **Solution:** Art 124(4) – special majority + present & voting ≥ 50% of House strength. **Tag:** RemovalQ5. The monthly salary of the CJI is approximately
A) ₹2.5 lakh B) ₹2.8 lakh C) ₹3.5 lakh D) ₹3.8 lakh **Answer: B** **Solution:** Enhanced w.e.f. 2021; basic ₹2,80,000. **Shortcut:** “CJI 28 → like a post-paid 28-day plan” **Tag:** SalaryQ6. Who administers the oath of office to the CJI?
A) President B) Vice-President C) Out-going CJI D) Law Minister **Answer: A** **Solution:** President under Third Schedule. **Tag:** OathQ7. The collegium that recommends appointment of SC judges is headed by
A) CJI B) Law Minister C) Attorney-General D) Prime Minister **Answer: A** **Solution:** CJI + 4 senior-most colleagues. **Tag:** CollegiumQ8. The power to temporarily appoint an Acting CJI rests with
A) Cabinet B) President C) Parliament D) Supreme Court itself **Answer: B** **Solution:** When CJI post vacant/absent. **Tag:** Acting CJIQ9. The first woman judge of the Supreme Court of India was
A) Indu Malhotra B) M. Fathima Beevi C) Sujata Manohar D) Ruma Pal **Answer: B** **Solution:** 1989; not CJI. **Tag:** Static GKQ10. Which constitutional article deals with appointment of SC judges including CJI?
A) Art 124 B) Art 217 C) Art 226 D) Art 143 **Answer: A** **Solution:** Art 124 – establishment & appointment of SC. **Tag:** ArticleQ11. The pension of a retired CJI is charged on
A) Contingency Fund of India B) Public Account C) Consolidated Fund of India D) Grants by Parliament **Answer: C** **Solution:** Like salary, pension also charged on CFI. **Tag:** FinanceQ12. Who has the authority to increase the number of judges in the Supreme Court?
A) CJI B) Parliament by ordinary law C) President by ordinance D) Cabinet Committee **Answer: B** **Solution:** Parliament can amend SC (No. of Judges) Act; latest 2020 raised strength to 34 (CJI+33). **Tag:** ParliamentQ13. The CJI can appoint a retired judge as an ad-hoc judge of SC under which article?
A) Art 124A B) Art 128 C) Art 136 D) Art 143 **Answer: B** **Solution:** Art 128 – with consent of retired judge & President. **Tag:** Ad-hoc judgeQ14. The first CJI to face an impeachment motion (though later withdrawn) was
A) V. Ramaswami B) Dipak Misra C) Y. V. Chandrachud D) P. Sathasivam **Answer: B** **Solution:** 2018 motion by opposition parties; no inquiry completed. **Tag:** Current eventQ15. Match: 1. CJI salary – A. 65 yrs; 2. HC judge retirement – B. ₹2.8 L; 3. SC judge retirement – C. 62 yrs
A) 1-B, 2-C, 3-A B) 1-A, 2-B, 3-C C) 1-C, 2-A, 3-B D) 1-B, 2-A, 3-C **Answer: A** **Solution:** Recall weight-age chart. **Tag:** MixedSpeed Tricks
| Situation | Shortcut | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Age limits | “Supreme 65, High 62” | CJI retires at 65, HC at 62 |
| Articles | “124 – Supreme judge, 217 – High judge” | MCQ asking article |
| First CJI | “HJK – 1950” | Harilal J. Kania on 26 Jan 1950 |
| Impeachment majority | “2/3 present & voting” | Same for President, CAG |
| Salary number | “CJI 28” | ₹2.8 lakh – remember mobile recharge pack |
Quick Revision
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Appointed by | President (convention – senior-most SC judge) |
| Tenure ends | 65 yrs / resignation / impeachment |
| 1st CJI | Justice H. J. Kania |
| Oath | President (Third Schedule) |
| Impeachment | Special majority each House (2/3 present & voting) |
| Master of Roster | CJI allocates cases & benches |
| Collegium head | CJI |
| Acting CJI | Appointed by President when CJI post vacant |
| Ad-hoc judge | Art 128 – retired judge with consent |
| Pension | Charged on Consolidated Fund of India |
BETA
