INTERNATIONAL HERO — PETAL 006
Apr 29, 2025

India’s Human Rights Commission Faces Downgrade by Global Alliance

🧭 Thematic Focus:
Human Rights | International Institutions | Global Governance

🌿 Opening Whisper:
A nation’s strength is measured not just by power—but by how it hears its most silenced voices.

📌 Key Highlights:

• GANHRI’s Recommendation: The Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) has recommended downgrading India’s NHRC from ‘A’ to ‘B’ status, citing concerns over its independence and systemic effectiveness.
• Reason for Downgrade: The Sub-Committee on Accreditation (SCA) observed issues like police-led investigations, lack of gender diversity, and limited response to rights violations, undermining NHRC’s credibility.
• Paris Principles & Evaluation: GANHRI evaluates NHRIs based on Paris Principles—guidelines ensuring independence, pluralism, and adequate powers. NHRC currently fails to meet key criteria despite past efforts.
• Structural Weaknesses Identified: Criticism included executive influence in appointments, poor engagement with civil society, and minimal representation of marginalized voices, especially women.
• Corrective Window: NHRC has been given one year to rectify these deficiencies and provide evidence of reform before formal status demotion.
• Why This Matters: An ‘A’ status enables full participation in UN Human Rights forums. Losing it would reduce India’s voice on global human rights platforms.

📚 GS Paper Mapping:

• GS Paper 2: Statutory Bodies – NHRC, Role of International Institutions
• GS Paper 3: Internal Security – Human Rights and Police Reforms
• GS Paper 4: Ethics – Justice, Accountability, Institutional Integrity

💭 A Thought Spark — by IAS Monk:
Rights are not protected by silence or structure alone—
but by courage, independence, and the refusal to ignore the unheard.