Congress terms NHRC chief selection process as “fundamentally flawed”
New Delhi: The Congress party has criticised the process for selecting the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) chairperson, describing it as “fundamentally flawed.” The dissenting remarks came a day after President Droupadi Murmu appointed Justice V. Ramasubramanian, a former Supreme Court judge, as the NHRC chairperson.
Leaders of the Opposition in both Houses of Parliament, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, expressed discontent with the selection process. They claimed the committee meeting, held on Wednesday, was a “predetermined exercise” that disregarded the tradition of mutual consultation and consensus.
In their dissent note, they highlighted the importance of fairness and impartiality in the selection process, particularly for a statutory body like the NHRC, which is responsible for safeguarding the human rights of all citizens, especially marginalised groups.
Gandhi and Kharge recommended the names of Justices (Retd.) Rohinton Fali Nariman and K.M. Joseph, citing their judicial expertise and commitment to constitutional values. They also proposed Justices (Retd.) S. Muralidhar and Akil Kureshi for NHRC membership, noting their contributions to advancing social justice and civil liberties. The opposition emphasised the need for inclusivity and merit in such appointments.
Justice Ramasubramanian’s appointment comes after the post remained vacant since June 1, following the end of Justice (Retd.) Arun Kumar Mishra’s tenure. Vijaya Bharathi Sayani, a former advocate of the Telangana High Court, had been serving as acting chairperson.
Congress leader Manickam Tagore also supported the dissent, stating on social media that the process undermined the principles of fairness and accountability.
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West Bengal board declares class 10 exam results, 86.83 pc students pass
Kolkata (PTI): The West Bengal board's class 10 results were declared on Friday, with 86.83 per cent of the total 9.71 lakh candidates passing the examination, an official said.
In last year's Madhyamik Pariksha, 86.56 per cent of the 9.84 lakh students were declared successful, West Bengal Board of Secondary Education president Ramanuj Ganguly said.
This year's examination was held from February 2 to February 12 at over 2,600 centres across the state, he said.
Abhirup Bhadra of Sarada Vidyamandir in Uttar Dinajpur district bagged the first rank, securing 698 of 700 marks. Priyotosh Mukhopadhyay of Sarojinidevi Saraswati Sishu Mandir in Birbhum was declared second with 696 marks. The third rank was shared by three students.
A total of 131 students secured the top 10 ranks, of whom 28 were girls.
Kalimpong recorded the highest percentage at 95.01, followed by Purba Medinipur at 94.02 and Kolkata at 92.31.
