SSC CGL 2025 Tier-I · 12 September 2025, Shift 1 · General Awareness · Question 11 of 100

Text as printed on a candidate's response sheet for this shift; answer per SSC's tentative key as marked on that sheet. Solution last reviewed 11 September 2026.

Where this paper and its answers come from

SSC does not publish CGL question papers or a public answer key. From 2025 the candidate response sheet prints every question and option as a picture, so the text here is transcribed from those pictures for this shift and checked against them independently; where the layout carries meaning, the picture is shown as well. Each answer is the key SSC colour-marked on that sheet. SSC released a tentative key for challenge and later its final one, both only to candidates behind a login, and the sheet does not say which of the two it carries. The solutions are written by UnlockIAS.

Which of the following statements about Justice Sanjiv Khanna is/are true? 1. He is the 51st Chief Justice of India 2. He succeeded Justice D.Y. Chandrachud 3. He served as CJI from 2023

(a)1 and 2 only
(b)2 and 3 only
(c)1 and 3 only
(d)1, 2, and 3 all are true

Answer

Why

Correct — A. The Supreme Court's list of former Chief Justices places Justice Sanjiv Khanna at number 51, directly after Dr Justice D Y Chandrachud, the 50th.

It records his appointment as CJI on 11 November 2024 and his retirement on 13 May 2025. Statements 1 and 2 hold. Statement 3 fails: his term began in 2024, not 2023.

Why the others are wrong

(b)
2 and 3 only — It keeps the false statement 3. Khanna became CJI on 11 November 2024, the day after Chandrachud retired, so 2023 is a year early.
(c)
1 and 3 only — It keeps the false 2023 start date and drops statement 2, which is true: Khanna took over from D Y Chandrachud.
(d)
1, 2, and 3 all are true — All three cannot stand. Through 2023 the Chief Justice was D Y Chandrachud, who held office from 9 November 2022 to 10 November 2024.

Concept

The Chief Justice of India is appointed by the President under Article 124(2) of the Constitution, and Supreme Court judges, the CJI included, hold office until they turn 65.

That age limit fixes when each term ends. Justice Khanna, born on 14 May 1960, retired on 13 May 2025, the day before his 65th birthday.

He was followed by Justice B. R. Gavai, the 52nd CJI, appointed on 14 May 2025.

Key facts

Justice Sanjiv Khanna was appointed the 51st Chief Justice of India on 11 November 2024 and retired on 13 May 2025.
He succeeded Dr Justice D Y Chandrachud, the 50th CJI, who served from 9 November 2022 to 10 November 2024.
His successor was Justice B. R. Gavai, the 52nd CJI, appointed on 14 May 2025.
Supreme Court judges are appointed by the President under Article 124(2) and retire at 65.

Study next

Article 124 and the appointment of Supreme Court judgesThe sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court: the CJI plus 33 judgesThe order of recent Chief Justices of India

Common traps

Taking the year he joined the Supreme Court bench, 2019, or a guessed 2023, as the start of his CJI term.
Miscounting the ordinals: Chandrachud is the 50th, Khanna the 51st and Gavai the 52nd.

Here an office-holder's number, predecessor and start year are split into separate statements.

The Supreme Court also appears at 10 Sep 2024, 12:30, GA Q.8, on the Article under which the President appoints its judges, and at 13 Sep 2024, 09:00, GA Q.14, on its sanctioned strength.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Topic: Current events — all 116 SSC CGL questions on it, every solved shift.