Who was sworn in as the 45th Chief Justice of India?

Introduction / Context:
The Chief Justice of India is the head of the Indian judiciary and the Supreme Court. Changes in this office are major constitutional events and are commonly asked in competitive exams. This question seeks to test whether you remember which judge became the 45th Chief Justice of India and took oath for that position, among a set of prominent names from the Indian judiciary.

Given Data / Assumptions:

- The office in question is the Chief Justice of India. - The specific ordinal number is the 45th Chief Justice. - Options are Dipak Misra, J S Khehar, T. S. Thakur, and Ranganath Misra.

Concept / Approach:
This is a direct recall question from constitutional and legal current affairs. The 45th Chief Justice of India was Justice Dipak Misra. J S Khehar served just before him as the 44th Chief Justice, and T. S. Thakur was an earlier Chief Justice. Ranganath Misra was also a past Chief Justice but not the 45th one. Knowing the chronological order of recent Chief Justices is particularly important for exams that emphasize polity and current events.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Justice T. S. Thakur, Justice J S Khehar, and Justice Dipak Misra served one after another as Chief Justices in recent years. Step 2: Remember the sequence: T. S. Thakur was followed by J S Khehar, who in turn was followed by Dipak Misra. Step 3: Associate the ordinal number 45th Chief Justice of India with Dipak Misra based on the known list. Step 4: Confirm mentally that J S Khehar was the immediate predecessor and that Ranganath Misra served much earlier. Step 5: Select Dipak Misra as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify this by checking official Supreme Court of India records, government notifications, or standard polity reference books. They all list Justice Dipak Misra as the 45th Chief Justice of India, mentioning his tenure period and key judgments delivered during his time in office.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
- J S Khehar: He served as Chief Justice of India but was the 44th, not the 45th. - T. S. Thakur: Also a former Chief Justice, but he held the office earlier and did not correspond to the 45th position. - Ranganath Misra: A much earlier Chief Justice, whose tenure was long before the recent sequence of Thakur, Khehar, and Dipak Misra.

Common Pitfalls:
The main confusion comes from the presence of multiple familiar names in the options. Because many aspirants do not memorise the exact ordinal numbers linked with each Chief Justice, they may guess incorrectly. To reduce errors, keep a small chronological list of recent Chief Justices with their numbers and revise it regularly along with other constitutional office holders.

Final Answer:
The judge who was sworn in as the 45th Chief Justice of India is Dipak Misra.