President given nod to New Chief Justice of India.

New Delhi December 20 : President Pranab Mukherjee cleared on Monday the file for the appointment of justice JS Khehar as the next Chief Justice of India.

Justice Khehar, the country's first CJI from the Sikh community, will take over on January 4, a day after incumbent CJI TS Thakur retires.

The process for his appointment was set into motion when justice Thakur wrote to the Union government on December 6, recommending him as the next chief justice.

This appointment follows the tradition of the CJI being succeeded by the senior-most judge in the Supreme Court. Justice Khehar will have a short tenure of a little over seven months from January 4 till August 28.