President Droupadi Murmu has appointed retired Supreme Court Judge V. Ramasubramanian as the new chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), a significant move for the rights body responsible for investigating human rights violations involving the government and public servants. This appointment comes after the completion of former NHRC chairperson Justice Arun Kumar Mishra’s tenure on June 1, 2024.
Following Mishra’s retirement, Vijaya Bharathi Sayani had taken over as the acting chairperson of the commission. The position of NHRC head is traditionally filled by a former Chief Justice of India or a retired Supreme Court Justice. This selection is based on recommendations from a committee, and previous NHRC chiefs have included renowned figures such as Justices HL Dattu and KG Balakrishnan.
In a related development, former Chief Justice DY Chandrachud addressed media speculations regarding his potential appointment as the NHRC chief. On December 20, he clarified that reports suggesting his name for the role were false, stating, “This is untrue. Presently, I am enjoying my retired life,” in an interview with PTI.
A high-level panel led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had convened earlier in December to finalize the selection of the new NHRC chairperson. Opposition leaders, including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, attended the meeting as leaders of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, respectively, sources confirmed.