Former President Ram Nath Kovind emphasises moral duty to protect human rights at NHRC’s 32nd Foundation Day

Former President Ram Nath Kovind Emphasises Moral Duty to Protect Human Rights at NHRC’s 32nd Foundation Day

Key Points:

1. Event Overview:
   • The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) celebrated its 32nd Foundation Day at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
   • The event included a National Conference on “Human Rights of Prison Inmates.”
   • Former President Ram Nath Kovind was the Chief Guest, addressing the gathering on the moral and ethical dimensions of human rights.
2. Human Rights: A Moral & Spiritual Duty:
   • Kovind emphasised that human rights protection is not just a legal obligation but a spiritual and moral imperative, rooted in India’s ancient philosophy of dharma, compassion, and justice.
   • He stated that a society’s true progress is reflected in how it treats its most vulnerable members.
3. Challenges in the Modern Era:
   • Kovind cautioned against new challenges arising from technological and social transitions.
   • He highlighted the informal workforce — drivers, sanitation workers, construction labourers, and migrant workers — as groups often deprived of their basic rights and protection.
   • He stressed that economic progress must always align with human dignity.
4. Climate Change and Mental Health as Human Rights Issues:
   • Kovind pointed out that climate change impacts human rights, especially through migration and displacement.
   • He called for mental health to be recognised as a fundamental human right.
5. Focus on Prison Reforms:
   • Reflecting the event’s theme, he asserted that prisons should be spaces for reform and rehabilitation, not merely confinement.
   • He urged prison authorities to ensure dignity, humane treatment, and reform opportunities for inmates.
   • The NHRC conference discussed gender-sensitive and child-friendly prison reforms and reintegration of inmates into society.
6. Government Efforts and Legislative Progress:
   • Kovind acknowledged progress in citizens’ welfare through access to sanitation, electricity, healthcare, education, and housing.
   • He lauded laws like the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 and the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 for strengthening India’s human rights framework.
7. NHRC’s Performance Highlights (as shared by Chairperson V. Ramasubramanian):
   • Since its inception in 1993, NHRC has handled over 23 lakh cases.
   • Recommended ₹263 crore in relief in more than 8,000 cases.
   • In the last year alone, it disposed of 38,000 cases and recommended ₹9 crore in monetary relief.
   • Formed 12 core groups with experts, NGOs, and government officials to improve policy evaluation and coordination.
   • Proposed creation of a forum of NHRIs from the Global South through international collaboration.
8. Technological and Global Initiatives (as shared by NHRC Secretary General Bharat Lal):
   • Citizens can now file human rights complaints online in 22 languages via the Human Rights Commission Network (HRCNet), linked to 5 lakh Common Service Centres.
   • NHRC has expanded global engagement through the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions, Asia Pacific Forum, and Commonwealth Forum.
   • India’s unopposed election to the UN Human Rights Council (2026–2028) reflects its growing global role in promoting human rights.
9. Kovind’s Closing Message:
   • Emphasised that “rights come with duties”, calling upon all citizens and institutions to uphold justice, equality, and compassion as lived realities, not just ideals.
10. Attendees:

• The event was attended by senior officials, judges, human rights defenders, state commission members, researchers, and prison authorities.

Static Data for Revision:

• Body: National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)
• Established: 1993 under the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993
• Current Chairperson: Justice V. Ramasubramanian
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Theme of Conference: Human Rights of Prison Inmates
• Chief Guest: Former President Ram Nath Kovind
• Occasion: NHRC’s 32nd Foundation Day (2025)
  
  Updated - 16 Oct 2025 ; 10: 21 PM | DD News