The NHRC India coordinates with the NHRIS of other countries to enhance awareness on human rights.
The International Human Rights Day is observed every year on December 10, which is the day the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948. The Indian government established the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on October 12 in 1993 to promote and protect human rights. But do you know what NHRC is?
What is NHRC?
The NHRC was established under the Protection of Human Rights Act (PHRA), 1993. It was set up in conformity with the Paris Principles, which was adopted at the first international workshop on national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights held in Paris in October 1991.
According to Section 2(1)(d) of the PHRA, Human Rights is the rights relating to life, liberty, equality and dignity of the individual guaranteed by the Constitution or embodied in the International Covenants and enforceable by courts in India.
Roles
One of the responsibilities of the NHRC is to inquire into complaints of violation of human rights or abetment or negligence in the prevention of such violations, by a public servant.
It intervenes in proceedings involving any allegation of violation of human rights pending before a court, with the approval of the court.
The Commission also studies treaties and international instruments on human rights and makes recommendations for their effective implementation to the Government.
It spreads human rights literacy and promotes awareness amongst the masses. It also encourages the efforts of all stakeholders in the field of human rights literacy not only at the national level but at the international level too.
The NHRC India plays an active role in coordinating with the National Human Rights Institutes (NHRIS) of other countries to enhance awareness from the perspective of human rights.
It has hosted delegations from United Nations bodies and other NHRC as well as members of civil society, lawyers, and political and social activists from many countries.
Organisation
The unique feature of NHRC India is that it is one of the few NHRIS in the world whose Chairperson is the former Chief Justice of the country. The Chairperson and members of the Commission are appointed by the President on the basis of recommendations by a panel headed by the Prime Minister. The current Chairperson is Justice Arun Kumar Mishra.
The Commission has its own investigating staff headed by a Director General of Police for investigation into complaints of human rights violations.
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