Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava was sworn in as the 54^th Chief Justice of the Madras High Court at a ceremony held at Raj Bhavan, Chennai, on Monday (July 21, 2025). Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi administered the oath of office after Chief Secretary N. Muruganandam read out the presidential warrant of appointment.

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin was unable to attend the ceremony due to ill health. Legislative Assembly Speaker M. Appavu, Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, Municipal Administration Minister K.N. Nehru, and Public Works Minister E.V. Velu greeted the Chief Justice.

Former AIADMK Ministers D. Jayakumar and C.Ve. Shanmugam congratulated him on behalf of the Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami. Former Chief Justice of India P. Sathasivam, judges of the Madras High Court, Bar leaders, bureaucrats, top police officers, and others too exchanged pleasantries with him.

A career spanning decades

Hailing from Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh, Justice Shrivastava had been serving as the Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court since February 6, 2024. Earlier, after being elevated as a judge of the Chhattisgarh High Court in December 2009, he was transferred to Rajasthan in October 2021.

Chief Justice Shrivastava was born on March 6, 1964, to a family of educationists and lawyers. He had initially obtained a degree in science before pursuing law, in which he stood first in order of merit and was awarded a gold medal by the K.R. Law College in Bilaspur.

He was also a nominated member in the board of studies and academic council of Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya (GGD) university. Pursuant to his enrolment with the Madhya Pradesh Bar Council in 1987, he practised in Raigarh district court for a year under the tutelage of his uncle.

Thereafter, he shifted his practice to the principal seat of the Madhya Pradesh High Court at Jabalpur where he joined the office of his elder brother who was a senior advocate and one of the leading practitioners in constitutional law.

After shifting base, he was empanelled as a standing counsel for the Madhya Pradesh High Court as well the Income Tax department, and also took up cases dealing with constitutional law, labour and service matters, education, election, and local laws.

After the bifurcation of Madhya Pradesh and creation of Chhattisgarh in 2000, he shifted his practice to the newly created Chhattisgarh High Court, where again he served as standing counsel for various institutions including the new High Court.

He was designated senior advocate in 2005 and elevated to the Bench on December 10, 2009. Pursuant to his transfer to the Rajasthan High Court in 2021, he became its Acting Chief Justice in August 2022 and Chief Justice in February 2024.