Dr. Justice A.S. Anand takes over as Chairperson, NHRC

Dr. Justice Adarsh Sein Anand has taken over as the new Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission today. The Office of the President of India issued a warrant of appointment to this effect on 13 January 2003. He succeeds Justice J.S. Verma, who laid down office on 17 January 2003 on attaining the age of 70. Dr. Justice Anand will be the fourth Chairperson of the NHRC after Justice J.S. Verma, Justice M.N. Venkatachaliah and Justice Ranganath Misra.



Speaking on the occasion of his joining office, Justice Anand said that the focus of human rights should be to uphold human dignity, right to life and the civil, political, economic and social rights of the citizenry. The greatest challenges to human rights today are in ensuring the rights of the mother, the rights of the child as well as ensuring gender inequality. Human rights also come in focus in areas of custodial violence and where the rights of the vulnerable and the marginalized sections of society are concerned.



Speaking about the National Human Rights Commission, its new Chairperson said that NHRC enjoys great credibility in the eyes of not only the Governments and Institutions but also in the eyes of the citizens of the country. It would be his endeavour to preserve this credibility and take it even higher. Speaking about `NHRC is needing more teeth’, Justice Anand said that some areas of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 require amendments which has been pointed out earlier by the Commission. He intended to pursue these issues vigorously.



On the effect of terrorism on Human Rights, the Chairperson said that terrorism itself was a threat to human rights – whether it was a person in khakhi or one from the civil society who was being the victim. Terrorism has to be fought, keeping in mind, the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the country both of which are absolutely combatable. He stressed on the need to create awareness and develop a human rights culture in the country and added that a lot depended on the ‘enlightened citizens’ of the country to ensure that the orders of the Commission get implemented.



Dr. Justice Anand was the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India, from 10 October 1998 to 31 October 2001. Born on 1 November 1936, Justice Anand completed his studies in Jammu, Lucknow University, and London, and enrolled as Advocate Bar Council on 9 November 1964. Having practised in Criminal Law, Constitutional Law, Election Law at the Punjab & Haryana High Court, he was appointed as Additional Judge, Jammu & Kashmir High Court from 26 May 1975. He became the Chief Justice, Jammu & Kashmir High Court on 11 May 1985 and transferred to the Madras High Court on 1 November 1989. He was appointed as Judge of the Supreme Court of India, on 18 November 1991.