Context

• Retired Supreme Court judge V. Ramasubramanian has been appointed as the new chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
• Priyank Kanoongo and Dr Justice Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi (Retd.) have also been appointed as members of the commission.

About National Human Rights Commission

• Statutory body.
• Established: 12 October 1993 under the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993.
• Headquarter: New Delhi
• Watchdog of human rights in the country

Composition:

• Chairperson and 5 Members.
• The Chairperson should be a retired chief justice of India or a judge of the Supreme Court.
• Members should be a serving or retired judge of the Supreme Court, a serving or retired chief justice of a high court and three persons (out of which at least one should be a woman) having knowledge or practical experience with respect to human rights.
• Commission also has 7 ex-officio members: Chairpersons of the National Commission for Minorities, the National Commission for SCs, the National Commission for STs, the National Commission for Women, the National Commission for BCs and the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights and the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities
• Chairperson and members are appointed by the president on the recommendations of a six-member committee.
• 6 member committee
• Prime Minister
• Speaker of the Lok Sabha
• Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha
• Leaders of the Opposition in both the Houses of Parliament
• Union Home Minister
• A sitting judge of the Supreme Court or a sitting chief justice of a high court can be appointed only after consultation with the chief justice of India.
• Tenure: The chairperson and members hold office for a term of three years or until they attain the age of 70 years, whichever is earlier.

Eligible for re-appointment.

Chairperson and members are not eligible for further employment under the Central or a state government.

• Removal: The president can remove the chairperson or any member from the office.
• Salaries, allowances and other conditions of service: Determined by the Central government.
• The commission submits its annual or special reports to the Central government and to the state government concerned.

Functions:

• Mainly recommendatory in nature.
• No power to punish the violators of human rights, nor to award any relief including monetary relief to the victim.
• The Protection of Human Rights Act of 1993 provides for the creation of not only the National Human Rights Commission but also a State Human Rights Commission at the state level.