Now Reading: SC seeks replies on vacancies in State Human Rights Commissions
-
01
SC seeks replies on vacancies in State Human Rights Commissions
The Supreme Court on Monday, 5 October 2026, issued notice to the Centre, the NHRC and all state governments on a plea alleging that several State Human Rights Commissions (SHRCs) are understaffed, defunct or have vacant leadership positions. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana heard the petition filed by the Association of Retired Judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts of India.
The petition, filed on 21 September, seeks time-bound directions to fill vacancies of chairpersons and members in compliance with the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, and the 2015 Supreme Court judgment in DK Basu vs State of West Bengal. It alleges that SHRCs in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh and Jharkhand are defunct. It also flags prolonged acting arrangements in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Meghalaya, and seeks adequate staff, publication of annual reports, and a continuing mandamus for compliance.
Indian Opinion Analysis
All three outlets report the same event in near-identical wire-style copy, leading with the Supreme Court's notice and attributing the petition to the Association of Retired Judges. Barandbench.com carries the most detail, including specific vacancy tallies and the plea's reliance on the DK Basu judgment. Deccan Chronicle and Economic Times reproduce similar reliefs and cite the three defunct SHRCs. No outlet adopts a critical or pro-government framing, the coverage is uniform straight reporting. The court has sought responses, and the next step will be the respondents' replies, after which the bench may fix a hearing date.
Coverage: 3 sources, 3 neutral
Sources (3): barandbench.com (neutral report), deccanchronicle.com (neutral report), economictimes.indiatimes.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
