Discover how Chief Justice of India BR Gavai went from college rank 3 to CJI, while rank 1 became a lawyer and rank 2 a High Court judge. Inspiring journey explained.
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GOA: Chief Justice of India BR Gavai has shared a message on Saturday, reminding law students that examination results are not the only way to measure success in life.
“Exam results do not determine how successful you will be in life.”
Speaking at the Gold Jubilee celebrations of VM Salgaonkar College of Law in Goa, CJI Gavai motivated law students by recalling his own college days. He said,
“….I was at number three… who was a lawyer, and today I am the Chief Justice of India. So, don’t go by what your ranks are in the examination. The examination results do not determine what success you will achieve. It is your determination, hard work, dedication and commitment to the profession which matters,”.
CJI Gavai revealed that during his law studies at Government Law College, Mumbai, he rarely attended classes. His friends would mark his attendance while he sat outside with them. Later, when he shifted to Amravati for his final year, he attended college barely six times. Despite this, he secured the third rank in the merit list. His secret, he shared, was reading the solved papers of the last five years.
CJI said,
“When I was in Government Law College in Mumbai, we used to sit on the compound wall and friends used to mark our attendance. Then in the last year, I went to Amravati and there I went to college about 6 times.”
While Gavai was third in the merit list, his classmates who secured the first and second ranks followed different career paths. The first ranker became a criminal lawyer specializing in bail cases, while the second topper, Justice VL Achaliya, went on to become a district judge and later a High Court judge. Gavai, who was third, rose through the ranks to become the Chief Justice of India.
Encouraging students, CJI Gavai stressed,
“Don’t worry about your rank in the exam. Exam results don’t decide the level of success you can achieve in life. What matters is your determination, dedication, hard work, and commitment towards your profession.”
CJI Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai
- Born: 24 November 1960, Amravati
- Joined Bar: 16 March 1985; worked with Late Raja S. Bhonsale till 1987
- Practice: Independently at Bombay High Court (1987–1990), later mainly at Nagpur Bench
- Expertise: Constitutional & Administrative Law; represented several Municipal Corporations and Universities
Government Roles:
- Assistant Government Pleader & Additional Public Prosecutor (1992–1993)
- Government Pleader & Public Prosecutor, Nagpur Bench (2000)
Judicial Career:
- Elevated as Additional Judge, Bombay High Court (14 Nov 2003)
- Permanent Judge, Bombay High Court (12 Nov 2005)
- Judge, Supreme Court of India (24 May 2019)
- Chief Justice of India (14 May 2025)
Work & Contributions:
- Part of 700 benches in the last six years, across constitutional, criminal, civil, commercial, arbitration, education, environmental, and other laws
- Authored 300 judgments, including Constitution Bench rulings safeguarding fundamental rights and the rule of law
Academic & Global Engagements:
Delivered lectures at Columbia University & Harvard University; attended international conferences in Mongolia, USA, UK, and Kenya
Retirement:
Due on 23 November 2025
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