Justice V Ramasubramanian, a former Judge of the Supreme Court of India, assumed the role of Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Monday.

Justice (Dr) Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi also joined the Commission as a Member, alongside Priyank Kanoongo, who was inducted as a Member last week. The appointments were made by President Draupadi Murmu on December 21.

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The ceremony, organized to welcome the new members, was attended by Acting Chairperson Vijaya Bharathi Sayani, Secretary General Bharat Lal, and other senior officials and staff of the Commission.

Addressing the gathering, Justice Ramasubramanian highlighted India’s rich tradition of recognizing and practicing human rights, predating their global formalization.

Citing Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar, he underscored that the ethos of human rights is woven into India’s cultural heritage. He emphasized the need for collective efforts among stakeholders to promote and safeguard these rights.

Born on June 30, 1958, in Mannargudi, Tamil Nadu, Justice Ramasubramanian is a former Supreme Court Judge with a legacy of over 40 years in the legal profession.

He earned a B Sc in Chemistry from Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda College, Chennai, and pursued law at Madras Law College. Enrolled at the Bar in 1983, he practiced at the Madras High Court for 23 years.

Justice Ramasubramanian became an Additional Judge of the Madras High Court in 2006, was made permanent in 2009, and later served at the High Courts of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh, where he held the position of Chief Justice.

Elevated to the Supreme Court in 2019, he retired in June 2023 after authoring 102 landmark judgments, including those on the 2016 Demonetization policy and bribery laws.

Priyank Kanoongo, a native of Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh, and a BSc graduate in Microbiology, has been a staunch advocate for child rights.

As Chairperson of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) from 2018 to 2024, he emphasized culturally relevant solutions for India’s child welfare systems.

Kanoongo authored Pinjra-The Cage, an insightful book on children in institutional care. His tenure at NCPCR was marked by initiatives like regulating OTT platforms to shield children from harmful content and resolving over 100,000 complaints.

Justice Sarangi, born on July 20, 1962, in Nayagarh district, Odisha, holds an LL.B. and LL.M. from M.S. Law College, Cuttack, and a Ph.D. in Law from Sambalpur University.

Beginning his career in 1985, he excelled in civil, criminal, and constitutional law. He was awarded the Haricharan Mukherjee Memorial Gold Medal in 2002 for his exceptional contributions to law.

Appointed as a Permanent Judge of the Orissa High Court in 2013, Justice Sarangi authored nearly 1,500 judgments and disposed of over 152,000 cases. In July 2024, he became the Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court.

Throughout his career, he contributed to various legal committees and organizations, both nationally and internationally. The NHRC’s new leadership team brings extensive expertise and commitment, promising a robust era for human rights advocacy in India.