National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Composition and its functions

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in India is a special government agency that looks after human rights. It was started in 1993 under a law called the ‘Protection of Human Rights Act.’ This law was changed in 2006 to make it even better. The NHRC’s main job is to make sure that everyone’s human rights are respected and protected across the country. This article of Human Rights Awakening Team aims to study in detail the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), including its composition, powers, functions, challenges faced by it, and other related aspects.

What is the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)?

– The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is a special group in India created by a law called the Protection of Human Rights Act in 1993.

– It’s not part of the Constitution but follows the rules in that law.

– The NHRC makes sure people in India are treated fairly and their rights are protected.

– It focuses on rights like life, freedom, fairness, and respect, which are also in the Constitution and global agreements.

– The main office of the NHRC is in New Delhi, but it can have other offices in different places in India.

sometimes, workplaces aren’t fair. Human rights help make sure everyone gets treated right at work, no matter who they are.

NHRC History

– In 1948, the United Nations made the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

– In 1991, the Paris Principles were made for National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs).

– In 1993, the UN agreed on these Paris Principles.

– In 1993, India made the Protection of Human Rights Act.

– This made the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

– The Protection of Human Rights Act also let state governments make State Human Rights Commissions.

Aims and Objectives of National Human Rights Commission

The National Human Rights Commission aims to:

Make the systems better for handling human rights issues more effectively.
Investigate complaints of wrongdoing independently from the government to show it cares about protecting human rights.
Support and improve the efforts already made to protect human rights.

Composition of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)

The commission is a multi-member body consisting of the following full-time members

Composition of NHRC
Chairman of NHRC	Retired Chief Justice of India
Member 1	One who is/has been a Judge of Supreme Court of India or One who is/has been a Chief Justice of a High Court
Three Members	Candidates with the knowledge or practical experience in the matters of Human Rights (at least one to be a woman member)
Deemed Members (Ex-officio Members)	Deemed members are chairpersons of the below national commissions: National Commission for Minorities National Commission for Scheduled Castes National Commission for Scheduled Tribes National Commission for Women National Commission for Protection of Child Rights National Commission for Backward Classes Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities

Appointment of NHRC Members

– A Selection Committee will suggest candidates to the President.

– The Committee includes:

– Prime Minister (Chairman)

– Speaker of Lok Sabha (House of the People)

– Union Home Minister

– Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha (Council of States)

– Leaders of the Opposition from both Houses of Parliament

– People interested can find more information on the official website of the National Human Rights Commission at https://nhrc.nic.in/.

Functions & Powers of NHRC

– Investigate any violation of human rights or neglect in preventing such violations by government officials, whether it’s on its own initiative, from a petition, or by court order.

– Get involved in court cases about human rights violations.

– Visit jails and places where people are detained to see how they’re living and suggest improvements.

– Review the laws and rules that protect human rights and suggest ways to make them work better.

– Look into things like terrorism that stop people from enjoying their rights and suggest how to fix them.

– Study international agreements about human rights and suggest ways to make sure they work well in India.

– Do and promote research about human rights.

– Teach people about human rights and how they’re protected.

– Support groups outside the government that work on human rights.

– Do other things it needs to do to make sure human rights are respected and protected.

Challenges faced by National Human Rights Commission

– Administrative Problems:

– Not enough resources like money and staff make it hard for NHRC to work well.

– NHRC doesn’t have enough power in how it runs things or how it spends money.

– Financial Issues:

– NHRC depends on yearly money from the Ministry of Home Affairs, which limits its freedom to spend money on its own.

– Not having enough money stops NHRC from handling new human rights problems and doing all its work.

– Staffing Problems:

– NHRC doesn’t have enough people working there compared to what it should, which makes it hard to do its job.

– The part of NHRC that deals with complaints and solving them doesn’t have enough people, which makes it hard to do its job well.

– Not enough experienced investigators makes it hard for NHRC to check places like jails where people might be hurt or kept unfairly.

– NHRC staff might not know enough about laws, investigations, or how to speak up for human rights, which makes it hard for NHRC to do its job right.

– Challenges in Working:

– NHRC finds it hard to meet the needs of people across India who face human rights problems, which stops it from protecting people like it should.

– It’s not easy for NHRC to help in faraway or places where people don’t get much help.

– Many people don’t know what NHRC does or how it helps, which means people might not tell NHRC about human rights problems, or get help from it.

The National Human Rights Commission shows a strong promise to protect human rights despite facing new challenges. By defending freedoms, fighting for fairness, and promoting respect for human rights, the NHRC not only helps people but also makes democracy stronger. To keep improving, it’s crucial to support and strengthen such institutions. This ensures that human rights are respected everywhere, leading to a fairer and better world for everyone.