Key NHRC post vacant as ministers campaign, Supreme Court told

NEW DELHI: The government told the Supreme Court on Monday that selection of an eminent person for a vacant National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) post was delayed as key ministers were busy campaigning for the elections to five states.

The SC had taken strong objection to the Centre's inability to find an eminent person to fill the NHRC member's post that fell vacant in March 2014. It had asked the Centre in September last year to give details of the meetings held by the selection committee.

Appearing for the government, additional solicitor general Pinky Anand told a bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar that several key ministers, including home minister Rajnath Singh, were busy campaigning for assembly elections. "As soon as the electioneering is over, the selection panel will meet and fill the vacancy ," she said.

Though she sought four weeks to fill the vacancy, the court gave time till April 30 and reminded the government that apart from the post of NHRC member, it had to fill the vacant post of director general (investigations) in the apex human rights body.

The court has been attempting to expedite selection of an NHRC member on a PIL filed by advocate Radhakanta Tripathy. The petitioner had said, "Non-appointment of a member having experience and knowledge of human rights and the non-appointment of a woman member for the past 19 years go against the principles of plurality and diversity in NHRC's composition as stressed in the Paris Principles. Only one woman member, Justice Fathima Beevi, held office in NHRC from 1993 to 1997."