Question

Arrange the following Chief Justices of India in the order of their tenure from earliest to latest:
A. Harilal J. Kania
B. P. N. Bhagwati
C. Rangnath Mishra
D. G.B. Patnaik
E. D.Y. Chandrachud
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

• A. $A\rightarrow B\rightarrow C\rightarrow D\rightarrow E$
• B. $B\rightarrow C\rightarrow A\rightarrow D\rightarrow E$
• C. $C\rightarrow E\rightarrow D\rightarrow B\rightarrow A$
• D. $A\rightarrow D\rightarrow C\rightarrow B\rightarrow E$

Hint:

Always look for H.J. Kania as the starting point for CJI chronologies, as he was the very first Chief Justice of the Republic of India.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Concept: The Chief Justice of India (CJI) is the head of the Indian judiciary. Understanding the chronological order of their tenures reflects the evolution of Indian constitutional law and judicial activism.

Step 1: Identifying the Founding Era.
Harilal J. Kania (A) was the first Chief Justice of independent India (1950–1951), establishing the earliest tenure in the list.

Step 2: Tracing Judicial Evolution.
P.N. Bhagwati (B) served in the mid-1980s and is famous for introducing Public Interest Litigation (PIL). He was followed by Rangnath Mishra (C) in the early 1990s.

Step 3: Modern Tenures.
G.B. Patnaik (D) served a brief term in 2002. D.Y. Chandrachud (E) represents the contemporary era, having been appointed as the 50th CJI in 2022.

Step 4: Final Chronology.
The correct sequence from earliest to latest is Kania $\rightarrow$ Bhagwati $\rightarrow$ Mishra $\rightarrow$ Patnaik $\rightarrow$ Chandrachud.