Who was sworn in as the 44th Chief Justice of India (CJI) in January 2017?

Introduction / Context:
Questions about the Chief Justice of India are very common in competitive exams, especially when the question mentions a specific ordinal number such as “44th Chief Justice”. This item tests your awareness of important appointments in the Indian judiciary around the year 2017.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The post is the 44th Chief Justice of India (CJI).
• The swearing-in is linked to January 2017.
• Options list different judges' names, only one of which matches this time and position.
• We assume candidates are familiar with basic recent history of the Supreme Court of India.

Concept / Approach:
Chief Justices are numbered sequentially, and exam questions often combine the ordinal number with the year of appointment. Justice T. S. Thakur served as the 43rd CJI. He was succeeded by Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar, who became the 44th Chief Justice of India in January 2017. Recognising that sequence allows us to eliminate distractor options and select the correct one.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Justice T. S. Thakur (Tirath Singh Thakur) served as the 43rd Chief Justice of India. Step 2: Remember that he was succeeded by Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar in January 2017. Step 3: Identify that Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar therefore holds the position of 44th CJI. Step 4: Match this with the answer options; option C exactly names Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar. Step 5: Conclude that Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar is the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
Consulting reliable GK yearbooks, government press releases, or major newspaper archives for early 2017 shows clearly that Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar was sworn in as the 44th Chief Justice of India on taking over from Justice T. S. Thakur. None of the other names listed have been described with this exact ordinal position at that time, confirming the correctness of option C.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Justice Tirath Singh Thakur: He was indeed a Chief Justice of India, but he was the 43rd CJI, not the 44th, and he demitted office just before Justice Khehar took over. Justice Atul Mehta: This name does not correspond to a known Chief Justice of India; it serves as a distractor. Justice T. M. Goyal: Again, this is not a recognised CJI for the period in question and does not match the ordinal number or year given.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes confuse consecutive Chief Justices, especially when only the ordinal number differs. Another pitfall is focusing on a familiar-sounding name and selecting it without matching it to the correct sequence and date. To avoid this, always connect three pieces of information: the judge's name, the ordinal number (such as 44th), and the approximate year of appointment.

Final Answer:
The 44th Chief Justice of India, sworn in during January 2017, was Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar.