Justice TS Thakur will take over as Chief Justice of India on December 2, replacing the retiring Justice HL Dattu. Justice Thakur is the senior-most judge in the Supreme Court. The formal process of appointment has been initiated after Justice Dattu recommended Justice Thakur's name to the government to replace him on Monday. Justice Thakur will be sworn in by President Pranab Mukherjee the same day CJI Dattu retires.

Justice Thakur, who will be the 43rd CJI, has been on the bench of several high-profile cases such as the Indian Premier League spot-fixing and betting scandal, the Saradha chit fund scam and the National Rural Health Mission scam. His tenure as CJI will be a little over a year, with his retirement scheduled for January 4, 2017.