Former Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan has been appointed as Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission. 65-year-old Balakrishnan, who retired on May 12, will be the sixth chairperson of the Commission and will have a tenure of five years. <br/><br/>The President Mrs Pratibha Devisingh Patil gave her approval to his appointment after recommendation by a Parlimentary committee, headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. <br/><br/>Sources said, the post had been lying vacant since May 2009 after the retirement of Justice Rajendra Babu. Justice G P Mathur, member of the Commission, had been functioning as its acting Chairperson since then.