Former Judge Arun Kumar Mishra takes charge as NHRC Chairman

The former judge of Supreme Court Arun Kumar Mishra on June 2, 2021, took charge as the Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

Arun Kumar Mishra took over as a Supreme Court Judge in 2014 and had retired from the apex court in September 2020.

President Ram Nath Kovind appointed Justice (Retd.) Mishra as the Chairman of the NHRC based on the recommendation of a selection panel comprising of PM Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Home Minister Amit Shah, Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, and Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha Harivansh.

Mr. Justice Arun Kumar Mishra, former judge of the Supreme Court of India, joined as the new Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, India today on 02/06/2021.#Humanrights@ANI @PTI_News @PIB_India pic.twitter.com/WFkP5dl7yT

— NHRC India (@India_NHRC) June 2, 2021

Who is Arun Kumar Mishra?

Justice Arun Kumar Mishra enrolled as a lawyer in 1978 and was elected as the youngest chairperson of India in 1998-99. Mishra has also served as the Chief Justice of Rajasthan and Calcutta High Courts.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court is the parent High Court of Mishra as his father late Hargovind Mishra was also a judge of the MP High Court.

Justice Kumar Mishra first became the judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court in October 1999 and remained there till 2010. In November 2010, he was transferred to Rajasthan High Court as Chief Justice and he remained there till December 2012.

After that, Mishra became the Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court before being transferred to the Supreme Court as a judge in 2014.

About National Human Rights Commission:

NHRC is a statutory public body that was constituted on October 12, 1993, and was given a statutory basis by the Protection of Human Rights Acts, 1993.

It is responsible for the protection and promotion of human rights. The NHRC consists of Chairman and five members (excluding the ex-officio members). Before the appointment of Arun Kumar Mishra, H.L. Dutta was the last Chairman of NHRC who had completed his tenure on December 2, 2020.