"Gavai's father was a prominent leader in the Dalit community who converted to Buddhism before Gavai was born. Justice Gavai too is a practicing Buddhist. Throughout his career, he acknowledged his Dalit identity and stated that affirmative action helped him reach the top of the Supreme Court. To this day, Gavai is the first Buddhist and second Dalit to serve as its chief justice."
"With the Supreme Court not providing official data on the caste identity of its members, not all judges' caste and religious status could be determined with absolute certainty. However, our analysis indicates that out of the 33 judges who will remain post Gavai's retirement at least 12 are Brahmins, belonging to the highest caste in Hinduism. This community is only 4% of India's population, according to a 2020 survey conducted by Pew Research Center. In the Supreme Court, they make up 36% of the judges."
Bhushan Ramakrishna Gavai served as chief justice while identifying as Dalit and practicing Buddhism; his father converted to Buddhism before his birth. Gavai credited affirmative action with helping him reach the Supreme Court and became the first Buddhist and second Dalit to hold the chief justice position. Women and members of disadvantaged communities continue to face historic disadvantages, favoritism and gender discrimination when advancing careers. The Supreme Court does not provide official caste data for judges, making complete determination difficult. Available data show significant Brahmin overrepresentation: at least 12 of 33 remaining judges are Brahmins, a group that is about 4% of the population yet 36% of the court.
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