Appointments

Retired Supreme Court judge V. Ramasubramanian has been appointed as the new chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) by President Droupadi Murmu on 23 December 2024.

Other Appointments: Priyank Kanoongo and Dr. Justice Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi (Retd.) have also been appointed as members of the NHRC.

Background: Justice Ramasubramanian served as a Supreme Court judge from September 23, 2019, to June 29, 2023.

Vacancy: This appointment fills the vacancy left by former NHRC chairperson Justice Arun Kumar Mishra, who concluded his tenure on June 1, 2024. Fllowing Mishra’s retirement, Vijaya Bharathi Sayani served as the acting chairperson.

President-elect Donald Trump appointed Indian-American entrepreneur Sriram Krishnan as the Senior White House Policy Advisor on Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Collaboration: Krishnan will work closely with David Sacks, the White House AI and Crypto Czar, to shape AI policy across the federal government.

Background: Born in Chennai, Krishnan moved to the United States after graduation and began his career at Microsoft as a founding member of Windows Azure.

Career: Besides being a seasoned tech leader, Krishnan is also a venture capitalist, podcaster, and author.

Appointment: Former Supreme Court judge Madan B. Lokur has been appointed as the Chairperson of the United Nations Internal Justice Council (IJC).

Tenure: His term will last 4 years, ending on 12th November 2028.

UN Secretary-General’s Communication: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed pleasure in appointing Justice Lokur, effective immediately.

Purpose of IJC: The IJC was established by the UN General Assembly to ensure independence, professionalism, and accountability in the administration of the UN’s justice system.

Justice Lokur’s Background: He retired as a Supreme Court judge on 31st December 2018, after serving for more than 6 years.