New Delhi, Dec 23 (NationPress) After experiencing a vacancy of over six months without a regular head, the Centre has officially appointed retired Supreme Court judge Justice V. Ramasubramanian as the Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Monday.

According to the Protection of Human Rights (PHR) Act, 1993, this premier human rights organization is composed of a Chairperson, five full-time members, and seven deemed members.

The NHRC has been operating without a permanent Chairperson since June 1, following the retirement of Justice Arun Mishra, who was the eighth Chairman of the rights panel.

In the interim, the NHRC has functioned with only one member, Vijaya Bharathi Sayani, who has been serving as the Acting Chairperson.

As stipulated in Sections 2, 3, and 4 of the PHR Act, the President appoints the Chairperson and other members based on recommendations from a committee led by the Prime Minister, which also includes the Home Minister, Leaders of the Opposition from both Houses of Parliament, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, and the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.

The qualifications for the NHRC Chairperson require that the individual must be either a Chief Justice of India or a Supreme Court judge.

In addition to the Chairperson, the NHRC comprises five other members apart from the ex-officio members. One member must be, or have been, a judge of the apex court, and another must be a former Chief Justice of a High Court. Of the remaining three members selected for their expertise in human rights, at least one must be a woman.

The ex-officio members include the Chairpersons of various National Commissions, such as the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Women, Minorities, Backward Classes, and the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, along with the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities.

A sitting Judge of the Supreme Court or a sitting Chief Justice of any High Court can be appointed to the position only after consulting with the Chief Justice of India.

The tenure for the NHRC Chairman spans five years or until the Chairman reaches the age of 70—whichever comes first.

The NHRC as a statutory body was established on October 12, 1993, under the Protection of Human Rights Ordinance enacted on September 28, 1993.

The NHRC is tasked with the vital role of protecting and promoting human rights, which the Act defines as "rights relating to life, liberty, equality, and dignity of the individual guaranteed by the Constitution or embodied in the International Covenants and enforceable by courts in India".