As Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan R Gavai steps down, his tenure of just over six months will be remembered for both marking a milestone in representation – Justice Gavai was the first Buddhist and only the second Dalit to hold the highest judicial office – and for decisions sparking legal debates on the functioning of the Court, the administrative powers of the CJI and the opaque mechanics of the Collegium system.

Born into a family with deep political and social roots – his father RS Gavai is a former Governor and parliamentarian – Justice Gavai began his legal career in Nagpur. He practised in the chambers of Barrister Raja Bhonsale, who would later become a judge of the Bombay High Court , as well as independently in the Nagpur Bench of the court from 1987.

He went on to ser

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