Activist Baghambar Pattnaik, 79, continues his battle to ensure India’s human rights commissions function with autonomy and transparency in appointments.
Pattnaik has argued that commission heads and members should be given a full five-year term without reappointment, as was the practice earlier, instead of the three-year tenure introduced through a 2019 amendment.
He said: “We are all talking about giving autonomy to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and state human rights commissions (SHRC). How can the commission act independently if the chairperson and members are not given a full five-year term?”
“There should be no reappointment of the chairperson. If this can be done, the commission can act as a watchdog in the legislative process. The NHRC and SHRCs should be headed by retired Chief Justice of the Supreme Court or high courts, respectively.”
The activist, who took voluntary retirement as a teacher 25 years ago to dedicate himself to human rights, added: “I have already approached the President and the commission on the issue, but nothing has happened. I am fighting at this age to restore people’s confidence in the system. I may be there or not, but let millions benefit from it.”
He had also raised the demand during the NHRC sitting in Bhubaneswar last month.
According to NHRC data, more than 34,000 cases are pending under consideration as of July 2025.
Between April and July alone, 37,765 new cases were registered, with 3,433 still pending. These include 285 police custodial deaths, 2,484 judicial custody deaths, 281 deaths in police encounters, 413 bonded labour cases, 660 cases relating to children, 2,048 cases concerning women, 410 involving SC, ST and OBC, and 27,753 other complaints.
Pattnaik said transparency in appointments and adequate staffing were crucial. “The selection process should be transparent. An advisory committee of experts and civil society should lead it, not bureaucracy. An advisory council of NGOs, civil society members and independent experts should be involved in the screening and appointment process. This must apply to the SHRCs as well,” he said.
Pattnaik said the NHRC is currently functioning with only four members against the sanctioned six. “Is it possible to handle all the cases with so few members? Many people are suffering because of this,” he asked.
He further demanded that investigation teams be appointed by the commissions themselves, instead of the government deputing director-general-rank police officers and others. Similarly, the commissions should appoint their own secretary rather than relying on government-appointed IAS officers.
“Pluralistic balance should be ensured in composition, with staff drawn from different sections of society,” Pattnaik said.