Mr. Justice S. Rajendra Babu demits office as NHRC Chairperson

Mr. Justice S. Rajendra Babu completed his term as Chairperson, NHRC on the 31st May, having joined it on the 2nd April, 2007. At a farewell function in the Commission, Members and senior officers paid tributes to his achievements, his leadership and his personality.

Under his chairmanship, the NHRC started to take quicker action on cases, increased the compensation it recommended for the victims of human right violations, especially where official lapses had led to deaths, intervened, and recommended more compensation, in the case of internal displacements in Nandigram, West Bengal, and sent a report on violence by Naxals and Salwa Judum in Chhattisgarh to the Supreme Court.

Justice Babu also paid special attention to the protection of economic, social and cultural rights. The NHRC's programme of visits to 28 selected districts was started under his guidance to promote and protect human rights at the grassroots. These visits checked on local awareness about human rights, the implementation of government welfare schemes, healthcare, education, and on the availability of food and clean drinking water.

Under his leadership, several national conferences were organized on important themes like the relief and rehabilitation of displaced persons, the right to education, on mental health, manual scavenging, detention, and human rights education in schools. Recommendations were sent to the authorities concerned for legislative and policy reforms in these matters.

Justice Rajendra Babu represented the Commission with great distinction in the meetings of the ICC, APF and Commonwealth Forum of NHRIs. He took the initiative to host the first conference of NHRIs of South Asian countries, including Afghanistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives and India, for the promotion and protection of human rights in the region.