India Human Rights

KIIT row: Nepal human rights panel asks India counterpart to ensure justice

The National Human Rights Commission of Nepal has urged its Indian counterpart to investigate the unnatural death of a 20-year-old student at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) here and ensure justice for her. The alleged death by suicide of B Tech student Prakriti Lamsal and the subsequent attack on protesting Nepalese pupils at KIIT and their eviction from the campus created a furore, prompting the Nepal government to intervene in the matter. Nepal NHRC, in a press release, said it has written to the National Human Rights Commission of India requesting it to probe the suspicious death of the woman, who hailed from Kathmandu, and provide speedy justice to the students who were allegedly beaten up and mistreated at KIIT. It urged India's NHRC to ensure security for the Nepalese students and ensure that they can study in a fear-free environment, besides bringing the university officials and individuals involved in the incident to book. Based on the complaints received

Protecting privacy as a human right in digital age crucial: NHRC chief

NHRC chairperson Justice (retd) V Ramasubramanian emphasised that safeguarding "privacy as a human right" in the digital world is necessary, even as he pointed out that there is a "significant decline" in value systems and one must bear its consequences. The National Human Rights Commission chief's remarks came during an open house discussion on 'Ensuring privacy and human rights in the digital era: A focus on corporate digital responsibility' held at its premises, with some participants joining virtually, according to an NHRC statement on Wednesday. Some of the important suggestions that emanated from the discussion include simplifying user agreements and policy frameworks to enhance consumer understanding and control over personal data; establishing "clear accountability" structures for data breaches, especially for research institutions and third-party data processors; and strengthening user consent frameworks for greater transparency and informed decision-making. Having "explic

NHRC launches new probe into discriminatory hiring at Foxconn's India plant

Foxconn, which manufactures iPhones in India, was accused of excluding married women from assembly line jobs at its Tamil Nadu plant

PM-led panel meets to select new NHRC chair; Kharge, Rahul attend

A high-powered committee led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi met here on Wednesday to select the next chairperson of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), sources said. They also said Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi attended the meeting as leaders of the opposition (LoPs) in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha respectively. The sources said the two LoPs are likely to submit a dissent note on the selection process, as the names were not shared with them in advance. The post of NHRC chairperson has been lying vacant since Justice (retd) Arun Kumar Mishra completed his tenure on June 1. A former judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Mishra served as the eighth chairperson of the rights panel and was appointed to its top post in June 2021. According to the law governing NHRC, while the committee which selects the NHRC chief is headed by the prime minister, it has the Lok Sabha Speaker, home minister, leader of opposition in Lok Sabha, leader of opposition in

Will make proposal on financial aid to rescued bonded labourers: NHRC to SC

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Friday told the Supreme Court it would hold discussion with stake holders and come out with a "concrete proposal" to resolve the issue of immediate financial assistance to the rescued bonded labourers. A bench of Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan was hearing a petition seeking enforcement of the fundamental rights of people trafficked as bonded workers. The issue of immediate financial assistance to them cropped up during the arguments in the matter. Senior advocate H S Phoolka, appearing for one of the petitioners, said not even 10 per cent of such labourers were paid financial assistance or compensation. He said the petitioner organisation has rescued around 11,000 children but financial assistance was paid to only 719 of them. The counsel appearing for the NHRC said she can sit with the stake holders and discuss this issue. The bench told the NHRC counsel to hold talks with the petitioners and other stake holders finalise the

NHRC issues notice to health ministry, Delhi govt over shooting at hospital

The NHRC on Thursday said it has issued notices to the Union health ministry, the Delhi government and the city's police commissioner in connection with the incident of a patient being shot dead inside a hospital here. Issuing the notices, the National Human Rights Commission observed that apart from the medical treatment of the patients, their safety is also a crucial aspect to be looked into by the administration of the government hospitals. In a statement, the rights panel said it has taken "suo motu cognisance of a media report that a patient was shot dead by assailants inside a ward of the GTB Hospital at Dilshad Garden, Delhi on July 14". According to the media report, carried on July 15, anyone can enter the hospital wards without any restrictions. The security guards do not pay any attention towards the safety and security of patients, the statement said. "Those coming inside the hospital to meet patients are never checked by the security staff. There is no provision of ...

NHRC notice to Centre over 'anti-labour practices' at MNC campus in Haryana

The NHRC has issued a notice to the Centre over reported "anti-labour practices" at one of the warehouses of a multinational company in Haryana's Manesar, officials on Wednesday said. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has observed that the content of the news report, if true, raise a serious issue of human rights of the workers in violation of the labour laws and the guidelines issued by the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment from time to time. The NHRC in a statement said that it has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report that at one of the warehouses of a multi-national company in Haryana's Manesar "a 24-year-old worker was asked to pledge that they would not take toilet or water breaks until they finished unloading packages from six trucks, each measuring 24 feet long, after their team's 30-minute tea break had ended". "A female employee at the Manesar warehouse reportedly stated that no restroom facilities are available on the working sites," it ...

Significant human rights abuses in Manipur after ethnic violence: US report

There were significant human rights abuses in Manipur after the outbreak of ethnic conflict, the US State Department said on Monday in its Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has described the incident as shameful and urged action on the case, it said. In its annual report of the State Department, which is mandated by the US Congress, it also mentions the raids by tax authorities on the office of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the conviction and sentencing to two years of prison to Rahul Gandhi by a court in Gujarat. Released by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the report mentions some of the positive developments on the issue of human rights and freedom of expression and gathering in the year 2023, the duration of the report. In July, the government permitted a march in Srinagar, the main city of Kashmir, allowing Shia Muslims to mark the religious Muharram event. This procession represented the first government-sanctioned ...

India, US regularly consult on democracy, human rights issues: Official

India and the United States regularly consult at the highest levels on democracy and human rights issues, a senior US State Department official said on Monday, after an official report claimed that there were significant human rights abuses in Manipur last year. "The US and India regularly consult at the highest levels on democracy and human rights issues," Robert S Gilchrist, senior official from the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour, told reporters after the annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices was release by Secretary of State Tony Blinken. "We strongly encourage, urge India to uphold its human rights obligations and commitments. We also regularly meet with civil society representatives both in the US and India to hear their perspectives, and those sorts of perspectives inform the human rights report, and we encourage the government of India to consult and meet regularly with civil society organisations representing a diversity of people," Gilchrist ...

World Introvert Day 2024: History, importance, how to celebrate and wishes

The date January 2 was picked on the grounds that it denotes the end of the holiday season beginning from Christmas to New Year and permits introverts to take a collective full breath

SC recommends setting up commission to probe human rights violations in J&K

Article 370 case verdict: In a ruling, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul recommended setting up a commission on the lines of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission

India must end crackdown on Kashmiri human rights defenders: UN expert

A top UN expert on Friday asked India to immediately end the crackdown on Kashmiri human rights defenders and urged New Delhi to release and close all investigations initiated against them. Mary Lawlor, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders made this comment days after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) formally arrested jailed Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society programme coordinator Khurram Parvez in connection with its NGO terror funding case. The NIA said the case relates to the terror funding of proscribed terrorist organisations, such as LeT and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, by certain NGOs, trusts and societies based in the Valley. Indian authorities appear to be intensifying the long-standing repression of Kashmiri civil society, Lawlor said. The State must respect its human rights obligations and be held accountable where it violates them," she said in a statement. Parvez has been in prison since his arrest by the NIA in November 2021 for anti-national ...

Significant human rights issues like arbitrary killings in India: US report

India experienced significant human rights issues in 2022, including unlawful and arbitrary killings, freedom of press and violence targeting religious and ethnic minorities, a US report claimed on Monday. Released by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the annual human rights reports of the State Department is a mandatory requirement of the US Congress giving details of human rights status in countries across the world. The latest edition of the annual report slams Russia and China for the massive violation of human rights in these two countries along with some other nations like Iran, North Korea and Myanmar. Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine beginning in February 2022 has resulted in massive death and destruction, with reports of members of Russia's forces committing war crimes and other atrocities, including summary executions of civilians and horrific accounts of gender-based violence, including sexual violence against women and children, Blinken said in the report. In ..

India can gain credibility from commitment to human rights: UN chief

India's voice on the global stage can only gain in authority and credibility from a strong commitment to inclusivity and respect for human rights at home, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday. Addressing students of the IIT Bombay here, Guterres said, As an elected member of the Human Rights Council, India has a responsibility to shape global human rights, and to protect and promote the rights of all individuals, including members of minority communities. The Indian model of plurality is based on a simple but profound understanding: diversity is a richness that makes your country stronger. That understanding is the birth right of every Indian, but it is not a guarantee. It must be nurtured, strengthened and renewed every day, Guterres said. This could be done by practicing the values of Mahatma Gandhi, by securing and upholding the rights and dignity of all people, especially the most vulnerable, by taking concrete action for inclusion, recognizing th

Meta platforms in India found exposed to human rights risks, says report

The report is based on an independent human rights impact assessment (HRIA) commissioned in 2019 by Meta on potential human rights risks in India and other countries related to its platforms

Hijab protests: Iranian women publicly remove veils to raise their voices

For months, protests against the hijab have been gaining traction in Iran. Human rights foundations had urged women to use '#No2Hijab' on social media, along with the videos

Candle light march in Kolkata pays tribute to Stan Swamy on death anniv

The octogenarian activist had been suffering from multiple ailments, including Parkinson's disease. He breathed his last in a Mumbai hospital on July 5, 2021

Respect for human rights inherent in Indian way of life: Minister RK Singh

Union power minister Energy RK Singh said that respecting human rights has been inherent in the Indian way of life since time immemorial, and much before these were defined by the West

Discussed sedition, terror laws and J&K issue with govt: EU representative

EU special representative for human rights Eamon Gilmore met the Indian government on Friday

Global image of India as a vibrant and inclusive democracy erodes

The international community has begun to view the central government more critically