Former Justice V. Ramasubramanian Appointed as NHRC Chairperson.

Appointment

In December 2024, President of India, Droupadi Murmu, appointed former Supreme Court (SC) Justice V. Ramasubramanian as the 9th Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) for a three-year term, set to conclude in December 2027.


      - Justice V. Ramasubramanian succeeds Justice (Retired) Arun Kumar Mishra, whose tenure ended on June 1, 2024. Since then, the NHRC has been operating under Acting Chairperson Vijaya Bharati Sayani.

      - The President also appointed child rights activist Priyank Kanoongo and retired Justice Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi as NHRC members.

      - A former Chief Justice of India (CJI) or a retired judge of the top court is appointed as NHRC chairperson by the President, based on the recommendation of the selection committee.

Main Point :-   (i) Justice V. Ramasubramanian is a renowned Tamil scholar and a skilled judgment writer. He joined the Bar in 1983 and practiced for about 23 years in the High Court of Madras.

      (ii) He served in various courts, including as Chief Justice (CJ) of Himachal Pradesh (HP) High Court and a Supreme Court (SC) judge from 2019 to 2023. He delivered 102 key judgments on significant issues such as demonetization and bribery.

(iii) The NHRC, established in 1993 as a statutory body, is responsible for protecting and promoting human rights.

          ____________________________