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Does Chief Justice DY Chandrachud belong to a poor family?

Chief Justice of India, D.Y. Chandrachud, spoke about his humble family background, sparking a debate on social media.

By Ground Report Desk 06 Feb 2024

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Does Chief Justice DY Chandrachud belong to a poor family?

Chief Justice of India, D.Y. Chandrachud, spoke about his humble family background, sparking a debate on social media. He mentioned that his parents were not from wealthy families, and his mother, a classical singer, would carry clothes on her head to the nearest water tank to wash them.

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However, His father, Yeshwant Vishnu Chandrachud, served as the Chief Justice of India for the longest term. His mother, Prabha, was a well-known classical singer who performed for All India Radio.

Chief Justice DY Chandrachud's background

Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud comes from Pune originally, but he was raised in Mumbai. Chandrachud went to Cathedral and John Connon School in Mumbai and St. Columba’s School in Delhi. He then graduated from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi in 1979, with honours in economics and mathematics. He earned his law degree from the University of Delhi in 1982. After that, he went to Harvard Law School and got his Master of Laws degree in 1983.

He was awarded the Inlaks Scholarship, a prestigious scholarship for Indian students studying abroad, and also received the Joseph H. Beale Prize at Harvard. He stayed at Harvard to complete his Doctorate of Juridical Science, which he finished in 1986. His doctoral thesis was on affirmative action, where he studied the law from a comparative perspective.

Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud's grandfather and uncle practised law. His father served the country as the 16th and longest-serving chief justice, and his sons both practice law.

Chandrachud’s humble background claims

However, these comments have been met with criticism. Dilip Mandal, former managing editor of India Today Hindi Magazine, shared his views on Twitter, challenging the Chief Justice’s claims. According to Mandal, the Chandrachud family is one of the wealthiest in Pune and resides in a historic palace known as Chandrachud Wada.

Mandal pointed out that Chandrachud’s father was a law teacher, and a successful lawyer, and even served as the Chief Justice of India. He questioned why Chandrachud’s mother had to wash clothes at a public tap if the family was so affluent.

Furthermore, Mandal highlighted that Chandrachud received his education from the country’s top schools, where many industrialists and film stars also studied. He suggested that Chandrachud became a judge due to the Collegium system, which does not involve an examination.

Mandal urged the Chief Justice to be truthful about his life, expressing concern that people might lose confidence in the court.