New Chairperson of National Human Rights Commission

Why in the news?

• Former Supreme Court judge Justice V Ramasubramanian took charge as the Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and Justice (Dr) Vidyut Ranjan Sarangi as the Member.

Key Points:

• Born on June 30, 1958 in Mannargudi, Tamil Nadu, Justice V Ramasubramanian is a distinguished former judge of the Supreme Court.
• He completed his BSc in Chemistry from Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda College, Chennai and later studied law from Madras Law College.
• Justice Ramasubramanian served as an Additional Judge of the Madras High Court in 2006 and was made a permanent judge in 2009.
• In 2019 he was appointed Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court and later in the same year he became a Judge of the Supreme Court of India.
• He retires from the Supreme Court on June 29, 2023.

National Human Rights Commission

• The National Human Rights Commission of India is a statutory body.
• It was constituted on 12 October 1993 under the Protection of Human Rights Ordinance of 28 September 1993.
• The Chairperson and Members of the NHRC are appointed by the President of India on the recommendation of a committee consisting of the Prime Minister (Chairperson), Home Minister, Speaker of Lok Sabha, Deputy Speaker of Rajya Sabha and Leaders of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
• The NHRC consists of a Chairperson and five members (excluding ex officio members).
• One Chairperson who is or has been the Chief Justice of India or a Judge of the Supreme Court.
• One Member who is or has been a Judge of the Supreme Court of India and one Member who is or has been the Chief Justice of a High Court.
• Three Members, of whom at least one shall be a woman, to be appointed from amongst persons having knowledge or practical experience in matters relating to human rights.
• In addition, the Chairpersons of:
  • National Commission for Scheduled Castes,
  • National Commission for Scheduled Tribes,
  • National Commission for Women,
  • National Commission for Minorities,
  • National Commission for Backward Classes and
  • National Commission for Protection of Child Rights serve as its ex-officio members.
• December 10 is celebrated as Human Rights Day across the world to commemorate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which was introduced in 1948.