NHRC Chief Labels CJI Surya Kant's Office 'Agni Pariksha' Amid 107 Global Protests

On Monday at Vigyan Bhawan, the 33rd anniversary of the National Human Rights Commission, Chairperson Justice V Ramasubramanian warned that the office of the Chief Justice of India, Surya Kant, is subject to constant "Agni Pariksha" every minute, a claim voiced amid a backdrop of 107 anti‑government protests worldwide, according to the Carnegie Endowment’s latest Global Protest Tracker.

The report, released on September 9, 2026, tallied 107 protests in 57 countries, 17 of which were in states with limited political freedoms, underscoring the global surge in dissent that has pressed Indian courts to the brink with multiple petitions in Delhi.

Justice Ramasubramanian, who has led the NHRC since its inception in 1993, highlighted the Commission’s 33‑year record of safeguarding human rights, noting that the digital age has amplified non‑state actors’ influence and turned society into a battleground for information manipulation.

His warning that unchecked digital surveillance could turn humanity into a mechanised entity, urged institutions worldwide to reinvent themselves to address evolving threats and to confront climate‑driven migration, water scarcity, and socioeconomic inequality that disproportionately affect the vulnerable.

CJI Surya Kant, who accepted the invitation to be the chief guest, appeared calm during the event, and government sources say he will review the petitions before the Supreme Court’s next session, while NHRC officials plan to intensify outreach to at‑risk communities.