India
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National Human Rights Commission of India
Membership: Full Member
Admitted: 1996 (Founding Member)
The National Human Rights Commission of India is an autonomous body set up under The Protection of Human Rights Act 1993. It has a broad mandate to promote and protect human rights guaranteed in the Constitution of India and embodied in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
The functions of the Commission are set out in Section 12 of Chapter III of the Act, which empowers it to:
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inquire, suo motu or on a petition presented to it by a victim or any person on his behalf, into a complaint of –
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violation of human rights or abetment thereof, or
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negligence in the prevention of such violation, by a public servant.
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intervene in any proceeding involving any allegation of violation of human rights pending before a Court with the approval of such Court;
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visit, under intimation to the State Government, any jail or any other institution under the control of the State Government, where persons are detained or lodged for purposes of treatment, reformation or protection to study the living conditions of the inmates and make recommendations thereon;
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review the safeguards provided by or under the Constitution or any law for the time being in force for the protection of human rights and recommend measures for their effective implementation;
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review the factors, including acts of terrorism that inhibit the enjoyment of human rights and recommend appropriate remedial measures;
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study treaties and other international instruments on human rights and make recommendations for their effective implementation;
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undertake and promote research in the field of human rights;
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spread human rights literacy among various sections of society and promote awareness of the safeguards available for the protection of these rights through publications, the media, seminars and other available means;
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encourage the efforts of non-governmental organisations and institutions working in the field of human rights;
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such other functions as it may consider necessary for the promotion of human rights.
Commission Members
Hon Justice Shri K.G. Balakrishnan
Chairperson
Hon Justice Shri Gorind Prasad Mathur
Member
Hon Justice Shri Babulal Chandulal Patel
Member
Shri Satyabrata Pal
Member
Shri P.C. Sharma
Member
Ex-Officio Members
Shri Mohammad Shafi Queshi
Chairperson, National Commission for Minorities
Dr Girija Vyas
Chairperson, National Commission for Women
Legal Framework
Enabling legislation
The Protection of Human Rights Act 1993
India: Focal Point for human rights defenders
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India: States should make rights commissions more effective, says NHRC
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India: Urgent need to reform healthcare, says NHRC
Pointing to stark inequalities in Indian healthcare, the National Human Rights Commission has called
India: NHRC to launch rights training for police
The Indira Gandhi National Open University will join with the National Human Rights Commission to so
India: Everyone must be a human rights defender
The Commission hosted a seminar to assess the state of human rights in the country, as part of celeb
India: NHRC promotes human rights education in schools
If the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has its way, human rights is going to be included as
India: NHRC recommends compensation after Naxal attack
The National Human Rights Commission has described the recent landmine attack on police personnel in
India: NHRC receives 94,000 complaints in 2008
Uttar Pradesh has topped the list of states with the highest number of complaints relating to human
India: Violations by paramilitary forces almost double
Human rights violations by paramilitary forces have almost doubled in the last five years, the home
India: Terrorism a mad violator of human rights, says NHRC
Terrorism is a “mad violator of human rights”, the National Human Rights Commission of India sai
India: Rights of prisoners must be respected
Coming out strongly against human rights violations of prisoners, the National Human Rights Commissi
India: Don’t extend deadline of scavenging, says NHRC
Describing manual scavenging as one of the “worst” violations of human rights, the National Huma
India: Maoists attack human rights team
The police claimed to have repulsed a Maoist attack on a visiting team of the National Human Rights
Indonesian staff exchange builds skills
Four officers from the Indonesian National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) recently complete
Food shortages a ‘silent tsunami’
May 2007: Described as a "massive violation" of human rights by the new UN food envoy, the rising co
Staff Placement - Indonesia and India 2008
Two Komnas HAM staff members, Mr Firdiansyah and Ms. Endang Sri Melani, were placed with the Investi
Justice Rajendra Babu, India NHRC
March 2008: The Chairman of India's National Human Rights Commission says education and employment a
International Coordinating Committee of National Human Rights Institutions (ICC): Meeting in Geneva
The ICC Expanded Bureau met in Geneva from 12-14 December 2007 to discuss strategic planning and gov
Staff Placement - India and Australia 2007
In early 2007 Mr Jonathan Hunyor, Acting Director (Legal Services), and Ms Bridget Akers, Investigat
Staff Placement - India and Australia 2006
Mr Anil Kumar Parashar, Deputy Registrar, and Dr Kamlesh Chandra Pathak, Director (Research), from t
