Justice V Ramasubramanian Assumes Charge as NHRC Chairperson; Justice (Dr.) Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi and Shri Priyank Kanoongo Join as Members

New Delhi: Justice V. Ramasubramanian, former Judge of the Supreme Court of India, assumed the charge of Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) today. Justice (Dr.) Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi and Priyank Kanoongo also joined as Members of the Commission in a ceremony attended by Acting Chairperson Vijaya Bharathi Sayani, Secretary General Shri Bharat Lal, and senior NHRC officers and staff.

The appointments, made by the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, on December 21, 2024, mark a significant step for the Commission. Priyank Kanoongo had joined the NHRC earlier last week.

In his address, Justice V. Ramasubramanian highlighted India’s ancient tradition of upholding human rights, referencing Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar to underscore that the essence of human rights is deeply ingrained in the nation’s cultural heritage. He emphasized the importance of collaborative efforts among stakeholders in promoting and protecting these rights.

Born on June 30, 1958, in Mannargudi, Tamil Nadu, Justice Ramasubramanian has had a distinguished legal career. After earning a B.Sc. in Chemistry from Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda College, Chennai, and a law degree from Madras Law College, he enrolled at the Bar in 1983. He served as an Additional Judge of the Madras High Court in 2006, becoming a permanent judge in 2009. Following his transfer to the Telangana High Court in 2016, he was appointed Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court in 2019 and later that year became a Judge of the Supreme Court of India.

During his tenure at the Supreme Court, he authored 102 judgments, including landmark rulings on India’s 2016 Demonetization policy and bribery law. He retired in June 2023.

A native of Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh, Kanoongo is a staunch advocate for child rights. As Chairperson of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) from 2018 to 2024, he initiated reforms to protect children from harmful content on OTT platforms and improve child welfare systems. He is also the author of Pinjra – The Cage, an in-depth exploration of children in institutional care.

Born on July 20, 1962, in Nayagarh, Odisha, Justice Sarangi has a distinguished legal career spanning over three decades. With an LL.B., LL.M., and a Ph.D. in Law, he began practising in 1985 and went on to serve as a Permanent Judge of the Orissa High Court in 2013. In July 2024, he was appointed Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court. Over his career, he has disposed of over 152,000 cases and authored nearly 1,500 judgments.

Justice Sarangi is known for his contributions to legal reforms and his active involvement in national and international legal organizations.