President Droupadi Murmu has appointed former Supreme Court Judge V. Ramasubramanian as the new chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). The NHRC serves as a key institution empowered to investigate human rights violations by government officials and public servants.

Justice Ramasubramanian’s appointment follows the conclusion of Justice (Retd.) Arun Kumar Mishra's tenure as NHRC chairperson on June 1. Since then, Vijaya Bharathi Sayani had been serving as the acting chairperson of the commission.

The NHRC chairperson is traditionally selected from among retired Chief Justices of India or former Supreme Court judges based on the recommendation of a high-level selection committee. Prominent former Chief Justices such as HL Dattu and KG Balakrishnan have held this position in the past.

Earlier this month, a panel headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi convened to deliberate on the next NHRC chief. Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, representing the opposition in the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, were part of the discussions, according to sources.

Notably, on December 20, former Chief Justice DY Chandrachud dismissed media speculation about his candidacy for the role, clarifying, “This is untrue. I am enjoying my retired life.”