Former Supreme Court Judge V Ramasubramanian has been appointed as the ninth Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). His tenure will last for three years, extending until December 2027.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is authorized to investigate allegations of human rights violations, either independently or upon receiving petitions from victims or their representatives. The NHRC can intervene in ongoing cases, issue recommendations to safeguard human rights, and promote research in related areas.
Appointment
According to PTI, Prime Minister Narendra Modi- led high-powered committee convened a meeting on December 18, where the next chairperson of the NHRC was selected.
President Droupadi Murmu on Monday appointed V Ramasubramanian as the NHRC chairperson and Priyank Kanoongo and Justice (retd) Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi as members of the rights panel.
Taking to social media platform X, the NHRC said, “Hon’ble President of India appoints Shri Justice V Ramasubramanian (Retd.) as the Chairperson, and Shri Priyank Kanoongo and Dr. Justice Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi (Retd.) as the Members of the National Human Rights Commission(NHRC), India.”
The former Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Justice Arun Mishra completed his term on June 1, 2024. Since then, the NHRC has been functioning under the leadership of Acting Chairperson Vijaya Bharati Sayani.
Legal career
Justice V Ramasubramanian was born on June 30, 1958, and enrolled as a member of the Bar on February 16, 1983, after completing his LLB from Madras Law College.
He practiced at the Madras High Court for 23 years before being appointed as a judge there on July 31, 2006.
Subsequently at his request, V Ramasubramanian was transferred to the High Court for Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in 2016, and continued serving in Hyderabad after the court was bifurcated.
On June 22, 2019, he was sworn in as the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court before being elevated to the Supreme Court three months later on September 23, 2019.
V Ramasubramanian retired on June 29, 2023, after serving over three years on the Supreme Court, during which he contributed to several landmark rulings, including the five-judge bench that upheld the Centre’s demonetisation scheme in 2023.
He was also involved in the decision to set aside an RBI circular that sought to deny services to individuals and businesses dealing with cryptocurrency.
NHRC Chairpersons
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has been headed by several former Chief Justices of India, including Ranganath Mishra, M N Venkatachaliah, J S Verma, K G Balakrishnan, A S Anand, H L Dattu and S Rajendra Babu.
Until 2019, only former Chief Justices of India were eligible to be appointed as chairpersons of the NHRC. However, the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, was amended in July 2019 to permit the appointment of former Supreme Court judges to the position.
Following Justice Arun Mishra, Justice V Ramasubramanian has become the second Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to be appointed without having served as Chief Justice of India.
Objections
Leaders of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, have submitted a dissent note regarding the selection of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) chairperson and members, calling the process fundamentally flawed. They criticized the exercise as pre-determined, stressing that it disregarded the established tradition of mutual consultation and consensus in such appointments.
“This departure undermines the principles of fairness and impartiality, which are critical to the credibility of the Selection Committee. Its ability to fulfil this mandate depends significantly on the inclusiveness and representativeness of its composition. A diverse leadership ensures that the NHRC remains sensitive to the unique challenges faced by various communities, especially those most vulnerable to human rights violations.” Kharge and Gandhi said in a note.
Kharge and Gandhi had recommended retired Justices S. Muralidhar and Akil Kureshi for NHRC Membership, citing their inclusion would contribute to the NHRC’s effectiveness and its commitment to diversity.
