Identifying the First Chief Justice of India

The question asks to identify the first person to hold the office of the Chief Justice of India (CJI). The Chief Justice of India is the head of the judiciary in India and the highest-ranking officer of the Supreme Court of India.

Understanding the Role and Candidates

The Supreme Court of India was established under the Constitution of India, which came into effect on January 26, 1950. The position of the Chief Justice of India is crucial in the Indian judicial system. Let's look at the options provided:

• M. Patanjali Sastri
• Mehr Chand Mahajan
• H. J. Kania
• Sudhi Ranjan Das

The First Chief Justice of India

The first Chief Justice of India was H. J. Kania. He assumed office on the very first day the Supreme Court of India came into existence, 26 January 1950, and served until his demise on 6 November 1951.

Key details about H. J. Kania:

• Born: November 3, 1890
• Appointed as the first CJI: January 26, 1950
• Tenure: January 26, 1950 – November 6, 1951
• He was instrumental in shaping the early proceedings and functioning of the newly established Supreme Court.

Evaluating Other Options

The other individuals listed were also distinguished figures who served as Chief Justice of India, but they were not the first:

• Mehr Chand Mahajan served as the third Chief Justice of India (from 1948 to 1954). His tenure started after the first CJI but overlapped with the early period.
• M. Patanjali Sastri served as the second Chief Justice of India (from 1951 to 1954).
• Sudhi Ranjan Das served as the fifth Chief Justice of India (from 1955 to 1959).

Therefore, based on the historical records of the Indian judiciary, H. J. Kania is correctly identified as the first Chief Justice of India.