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-The Telegraph
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The director-general of the National Investigation Agency, Sharad C. Sinha, was today selected member of the National Human Rights Commission at a meeting attended by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
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The leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj, is understood to have given dissenting notes against two appointments to the NHRC, one being that of Sinha, which was not accepted. No decision has been taken on the other note of dissent against the appointment of a member from the judiciary.
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The NHRC chairperson and its five full-time members are selected through a committee comprising the Prime Minister as the chairperson, the Union home minister as convener, and the leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, the Speaker, and the chairperson of the Rajya Sabha as members.
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The government is said to have concurred with Sushma today to defer one appointment but stood its ground on Sinha.
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A presidential assent needed for Sinha's appointment is likely to be given tomorrow, sources said. An NHRC member is of the rank of a minister of state at the Centre.
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In the NHRC, Sinha has been appointed in place of former CBI director P.C. Sharma who retired last year. Sharma was appointed during the NDA regime. Sinha is to retire from the NIA in October this year.
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Sinha, a 1975-batch Haryana cadre officer, was selected from a panel of over 20 names for two posts. The other post is meant for a former Supreme Court judge.
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Justice (retired) Cyriac Joseph was a candidate for this post, which became vacant after Justice Govind Prasad Mathur retired in January. 
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