Anadi Tewari
The Hon’ble President of India, Ram Nath Kovind has authorized Mr Justice Prafulla Chandra Pant, Member, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India to act as its Chairperson with effect from 25th April 2021.
Prior to his appointment as the Member of the Commission on 22nd April 2019, Justice Pant was the judge of the Supreme Court of India from 13th August 2014 to 29th August 2017.
About Justice P.C. Pant
Justice P.C. Pant was born in Pithoragarh in the State of Uttarakhand (then part of Uttar Pradesh State) on 30th August 1952. He got his primary and secondary education from there, then he graduated from Allahabad University with a degree of Bachelor of Science, and thereafter obtained the degree of LL.B from Lucknow University.
Justice Pant was enrolled with U.P. Bar Council at Allahabad in 1973 and practised Law in the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad. From Feb 1976 to Nov 1976, he served as Inspector Central Excise and Customs at Sagaur, M.P. Thereafter, he entered into Uttar Pradesh Judicial Service in the year 1976 through Uttar Pradesh Civil (Judicial) Services Examination, 1973.
He held different posts in Judicial Service at Ghaziabad, Pilibhit, Ranikhet, Bareilly and Meerut in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Thereafter, he was promoted to Uttar Pradesh Higher Judicial Service in 1990 and joined as Additional District Judge of the Bahraich district. He also worked as Joint Registrar in the High Court of Allahabad.
After the creation of the new state of Uttarakhand, Justice Pant served as the first Judicial Secretary of the state. He also held the post of District and Sessions Judge at Nainital district before being posted as Registrar General of the High Court of Uttarakhand at Nainital.
Justice Pant took the oath of Office of Additional Judge, High Court of Uttarakhand with effect from 29th June 2004, where after, on 19th February 2008, he was administered oath as a Permanent Judge of the Uttarakhand High Court.
Justice Pant also assumed charge of the Office of Chief Justice of the High Court of Meghalaya at Shillong in the forenoon of 20 September 2013 and continued till 12th August 2014. On being further elevated he took the oath of Office of Judge, Supreme Court of India on 13th August 2014. After serving over 3 years as a judge of the Supreme Court of India, He demitted the office on 29th August 2017.
Last year, Retd. Justice H.L. Dattu demitted his office on 02nd December 2020 as the Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission and from then the position of Permanent Chairperson is vacant till now.