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JOURNAL O F THE 

N A T IO N A L H U M A N 

R IG H TS C O M M ISSIO N ,IN D IA 

Volum e9,2010 

EditorialBoard 

JusticeShriK.G.Balakrishnan,Chairperson,NHRC 

JusticeShriG.P,Mathur,Member,NHRC 

JusticeShriB,C PatelyMember,NHRC 

ShriSatyabrataPal,M em ber,N HRC 

ShriP.C.Sharma,Member,NHRC 

Prof.RanbirSingh,ViceChancelor,NationalLaw University,Delhi 

Prof.L.M.Nath,M emberyCoreGroup on Hea1th,NHRC 

ShriR.N .Trivedi,SeniorAdvocate,SupremeCoul-t 

ShriB.G .Vergese,Chair& TreasureroftheExecutiveCom m ittee, 

Com m onweaith H um an RightsInitiative 

Prof.J,S.Rajput,FormerDirecror,NCERT 

ShriK.S.M oney,Secretary General,N H R.C 

ShriJ.P.M eena,JointSecretary.)NHRC 

Editor 

ShriK.S.M oney 

Secretary General.N I'IRC 

EditorialAssistance 

ShriJ.P.Meena,JointSecretanr,NHRC 

ShriJaideep Singh Kochher,JointSecretary,NHRC 

Dr,Y.L.Tekhre,Director(Research.),NHRC 

ShriU tpalN arayan Sarkar,AlO ,NH RC

N ationalH um an RightsConunission 

FaridkotHouse,CopernicusM arg 

New Delhi110 001,India 

ISSN :0973-7596 

@ 2010 NationalH um an RightsCom mission 

Al1rkNtsreserved.Nopartofthispubtlcationmc bereproduced,storedina 

retrievalsystem,ortransmitted in any form orby any means , electronic, 

mechanical,photocopying,recording,orotherwisewithoutpriorwritten 

permisionofthePublisher. 

DISCLAIM ER 

Theviewsexpresed in the papersincorporated in thelournalareoftheauthors 

and notoftheN ationalHum an RightsCom m ission . 

TheJournaloftheNationalHuman RightsCommission 

Published l)y ShriK.S.M oney,Secretary Generalon behalfoftheNational 

Human RightsComluission,FaridkotH ouse,CopernicusM arg,New D elhi- 

11O 001,India. 

Publlshed on :10 D ecember,2217 

Price:k'15O 

Typesetting & Printed at:Dolphin Printo-Graphics 

4E/7,PablaBuilding,Jhandewalan Extension 

N ew Delhi-110055

JO URNAL OF TH E 

N ATIO N A L H U M A N 

RIG H TS C O M M ISSIO N ,IN D IA 

Volume 9,2010 

CO N TEN TS 

PR EFA CE 

JusticeShriK.G.Balakrishnan 

Chairperson,N H RC 

V 11 

From the Editor'sDcsk 

K.S.M oney 

Secretary G eneral,N H RC 

A RTICLES 

M ILLEN N IU M D EV ELO PM EN T GO ALS 

W hy isIndiaLagging Behind 

M ilennium DevelopmentGoals?A few Hypotheses 

N .C.Saxena 

NutritionalandFoodSecurivy and Human Rights 

D r.M .S.Swam inathan 

TheUnfinishedBatleAgainstHungerin India 

H arsh M ander 

IZ 

40 

India'sFood and N utrition Security 

D r.Prem aRam achandran 

TheRighttoFood 

D r.Am ritaRangasam i 

69 

AchievingtheMilennium DevelopmentGoals(MDG)of 

Eradicating Poverty and Hunger: 

Thinking Beyond PD S System in India 

P.K.layakrishnan

TheDream ofaHealthy W orldM ilesto Go . 

Alok M ukhopadhyay 

M illennium D evelopm entGoalsof 

AchievingUniversalPrim ary Education- 

TheRoad Travelled by lndiaso far 

Prof.J.S.Rajgut 

102 

1Q6 

RecentIssuesConcerningViolenceA gainstW om en 

BrindaKarat 

GenderEquality and theM illennium Developm entGoals 

Dr.RanjanaKumari 

Clim ate Change,Sustainability and the 

M illennium D evelopm entGoalsin India 

D r.R.K .Pachauri 

StatusofAchievingM ilennium DevelopmentGoalsof 

Ensuring EnvironmentalSustainability in India 

Prof.Satish C.Shastri 

13Q 

143 

152 

H U M A N RIG H TS IN CO N FLICT SITU ATIO N S 

Arm ed ForcesSpecialPowersAct:Theory and Practice 

Cham an Lal 

177 

RO LE O F CIVIL SO C IETY AN D H U M A N RIG H TS 

The CivilSociety and H um an Rights 

Prof.Yogesh Atal 

124 

RoleofCivilSociety andH uman Rightsin thePresentSituation 

Prof.RanbirSingh 

C O RPO RATE SO CIAL RESPO N SIBILITY AN D 

H U M AN RIG H TS 

CorporateSocialResponsibility and H um an Rights . 

JusticeG.P.M athur 

231

CorporateSectorand Human Rights 

A nu A ga 

CorporafeSocialResponsibility and H um an Rights 

Prof.S.Parasuram an 

CorporateSectorand H um an Rights 

Tarun D as 

241 

247 

258 

BO O K R EVIEW 

M obilizingforH uman Rights:lnternationalLaw in 

DomesticPoliticsby Beth A,Simmons 

Review by Prof.B.B.Pandc 

JusticeforthePoor:Perspectiveson AcceleratingAccess: 

Edited by AyeshaKadwaniDiasand GitaHonwanaW elch 

Review by Prof.RanbirSingh 

264 

269 

LIST O F C O N TR IBU TO R S

A'.% a&*y 

5 

: 8 

9. x; 

Tk -.qw qy? 

h'-w ase,s 

CH A IRPER SO N 

N H RC 

PR EFA C E 

TheNationalHumanRightsCommission oflndia RC) 

cam e into existence on 12th O ctober,1993 pursuant to the 

enactm entoftheProtection ofH um an RightsAct,1993.Since then) 

ithasbeen m aking determ ined effortsto preventviolation orneglect 

ofhum an rightsoccurring anywherein the countnrcom ing to its 

notice.Besidestheneed forprotection and prom otion ofcivilor 

politicalrightsofthecitizensofthe country,N H RC isawareofthe 

factthatalargenum berofcitizensalso suffer from deprivation of 

theireconom ic,socialand culturalrights.There isinter-linkage 

between theserightsasciviland politicalrightsm ay bem eaningless 

to aperson livingin abjectpoveny. 

In an effor'tto reducepoverty and laungerbesidesaddressing 

otherdeprivationsand inequitiesafflicting ourglobalSociety,in 

Septem ber2000,189 H eadsofStateand Governm entadopted the 

U N M illennium D eclaration asper which,eight M illennium 

DevelopmentGoals(MDGS)aretobeachievedby 2015thatrespond 

to theworld'sm ain developm entchallenges.Thesegoalsrelate to 

eradication ofextrem e poverty and hunger;achievem entofuniversal 

prim ary education;promotion ofgenderequality and em powerm ent 

ofwom en;reduction in child m ortality;improvem entofm aternal 

health;com bating H IV/AIDS,m alariaand otherdiseases;ensuling 

environmentalsustainability;and developing aglobalpannership 

for developm ent.

Theprotection ofhum an rightsofa1lconcerned in extrem e 

situationswherethelaw enforcing agenciesarefunctioning under 

severepressure isa big chalenge.Civilsociety hasan im ponantrole 

to play in ensuring a balanceand m aintenance ofsanity in these 

situations. 

Indian economy hasm adesignificantstridesin recentyears . 

Globalization and rem ovalofseveralrestrictionsearlierimposed 

upon thecorporatesectorhasassisted in thisphenom enon . Itis 

im perativetha:the corporatesector , which hasgrown asa resulț 

makeseffor-tsto give back to the society som ething in return . Ifthis 

rcsponsibility isadequately shouldered by ourcorporate sector , it 

willgo a long way in securing of hum an rightsto largesectionsof 

oursociety. 

ln orderto facilitatesharing ofideas,experiencesand information 

on human rightsissues,theCommission started an AnnualJournal 

in 2002.Theideawasto create an imponantplatform forbuilding a 

body ofhigh quality scholarship on human rightṣ Keeping thisin 

view,tlaeCommission hasdecided to focusthisyear'sJournalon 

fourim ponantthem esnam ely , M ilennium DevelopmentGoals H um an Rightsin ConflictSituationș Role ofCivilSociety and , 

H um an Rights;and CorporateSocialResponsiLility and H um an 

Rights. 

Isincerely hopethattheNHRC'Sjournalfor2010wilassistirt 

new initiativeson research and spreading awarenessregardinghum an 

rightissues. 

10December,2010 

(K.G.Balakrishnan) 

(vit)

InternationalLaw in Dom esxicsPolitics'by Beth A . Sim m onsand 

vheoxheron 'JusticeforthePoor:Perspectiveson Accelerating 

Access'lny Ayesha KadwaniDiasand GitaHonwana W elch . 

lhopetheCommission'slournalfor201Owillprovetobeuseful 

to a11those who are concerned with human rightsissuesand wil 

lnspirehetterprotection ofEuman rkhtsofall. 

1QDecember,2212 

(K.S.M oney) 

Secretary G eneral 

(x)

W hy is lndia Lagging Behind in 

M illennium D evelopm ent G oals? 

A few hypotheses 

N C.uî/zxea, * 

G ro 

,O utlaysand O utcom es 

In thelastclecaieand ah:fiatlniahu su= sc yemhmœdcconomic 

reform s,acuriousproblem hashaunted thecountry and vexcd itspolior 

makers:lndia'sexcclentgrowth hashad insuficicn:impac:on itssocial 

iadicators,and Indiaislikely to lnisachieving tl'teM ilennium Dmrelopment 

Goalsin respectofhcalth,nutrition,sanitation and gender.Thcproblem 

hasbeen compoundcd by thefactthatGO Ihasadopted more ambitious 

targecsth= theM DGS,asthe10th and l1th Plan documentstriveto achieve 

thcsam etarger.sby 2012,thatis,threeyearsbeforeothernationsdo i:. 

TheEleventh Plan takescognizanceofseveralshortcom ingsin policy 

and dclivery,calsforfasterand m ore inclusive growth,and iaysgreatstrcss 

on artaining the M DG goalsthrecyearsLcforetheInternationaldeadline 

*Distinguishcd Fellow,Skoch DevelopmentFoundation 

l'ournaltl/t/g h'àtionalfA razaRightsCbrapazufsa,7il9,2010

Iournalt/r/zeNationalHunlan Afgâz.çComminion,W19,2010 

of20 15by rheend of20 1l-12)which isalso theterm inalyearforthePlan 

period.Forthispurpose27 monitorablctargetshavebeenidentifled atthe 

nationallevel.Someof thetargctsfor2012 are: 

* Reduction in thedropoutratesof children attheelementary lcvel 

from 52.2% in2003-04 to 20% 

* Increasing theIiteracy rate forpersonsofage 7 yearsormoreto 

85% 

* Reducing thc gendergap in literacy to 10 percentagepoints 

* Infalrmortalityratc(lM R)tobereduced to 28andmaternal 

mortalityratio(M M R)to1perl000livebirths 

* 'l-o:alFcrtility Rateto bereduced to 2.1 

* M alnutririon among children ofagcgroup 0-3 to bereduced to 

halfitsprcsentlevel 

@ 

Anaem iaamong women and girlsto bereduced to half itspresent 

Ievel 

* Sex ratio forage group 0-6 to be raiscd to 935by 20l1-12 ancl 

to 950 t)y20l6-17. 

@ 

Cleandrinking waterto l)eavailablefora1l)y 2009,ensuring 

thatthereareno slip-backs 

* Ensuretharatleast33% ofthe directand indirectbeneilciaries 

ofalgovernm en:schem esarewomen and girlchildren 

* EnsurethataI!chilirenenjoyasafechildhood,withoutany 

compulsion to work 

1:isobviousthattheseam bitioustargetscannotbe achieved through 

a'businessasusual'approach,aspastperformancehasnotbeen fastenough 

togiveushopethafwewould beableto reach thenationalgoals. 

Forinstance,the M DG targetofreducing infantmortatity rate to 27 

per1000 birthsby 2012 and even by 201j wilsurely be m issed ifthe 

presentslow rateofdeclinefrom 60 in 2002 to 54 in 2007 continues v-f'he 

progresson imm unization hasbeen equaly dismal,asithasimproved 

only byonepercentagepointfrom 4 . 3to 44% in thelasteightyears,which 

isfarbehiad the desired goalof90% to beachieved by 2012/20 l5 . Despite

GDP rising by eightto nineperceltevery year,CheN FH S3 datashows 

thatmalnusrition in theagegroup0 to 3yearshasdcclined olly blrone 

percentage pointin thelastcightyears.M orethan halfofthcchildren l-5 

yearsold in ruralareasareunder-nourished,wirh girlchildrensufftring 

evcn lnore severe malnutrition.Internationaly,lndia isshown to be stlflkring 

from alarm inghunger,ranking 66 otltofrI4e 88developing countries 

studied(IFPRI2008).ThegendergapinSchoolatendancecontinucswith 

820/0ofboysattending schoolcompared Co 7210ofgirlsatthe primary 

stage,showing thatgirlsaremoredisadvantaged compared to boys.The 

declineinthejuvcniesexralioover(helascdecade,visiblein(hedalafrom 

Census2001,isan indication thattheConstitutionalasuranceogfreedom 

and equality f'orwomenisstili7arfrom being fulilled. 

Table 1:Progresstowardsachieving 

M ilennium D evelopm entGoalsin Indîa

M DG Gocal 

lournaloftbeNasionalHuman RightsCommiuion,Pil9,2010 

l n d icato r Year Va1ue Year VaIu e 

M DG 

targc! 

7 Houstholdswivu accessw l99 l 

im proveddrinkinswatcr 

55 .j' 2(10:$- 

2006 

$4 .5 77 .i! On track 

sou rce(%)rural(Census 

199 1and N FH.T3) 

7 l'louieholdswirhaccesto 

improved4 Jinkingwaler 

l991 81 .4 2001 h)5.0 90.7 On track 

source(%)urban(Censts 

and NFHS 3) 

7 Ilouseholdsusing voilrt 199l 9 .5 2005- 26.0 51.8 0fFtrack 

facilities(%)rural(Ccnsus 200 6 

and NPHS . ($) 

ltisamatrerofconcern thatlndia'spaceofimproving socialindicators 

seemsto be m uch slowerthan countriespoorerthan lndia , such as 

Bangladesh,Vietnam,M yanmar,and Bhutan asshown inTable 2: 

' 

Table 2 

; ndla 

Bangla- 

dtsit Myanmar Vietnarn Bhutan 

I nfantMortalityRatc i99 0 8.5 l0h 9l 40 91 

20 07 84 pi7 74 1 .:J h6 

Ultdenveightchildrcnunder5 4 . 

: .5 4 l 32 20 14 

Immunizetlagailtslnleaslcs 6 7 8 8 8 1 8 .5 9$ 

Rurulpopulatioltwithadeqtmçrs'anitadon 26 .3j 72 j0 70 

Atrentlanccrario olgirlsto boysin 88 l06 l02 100 91 

primaryschooI(nct)(%) 

lBasrd Jz?S'OîCC,UNICEF 2009) 

Theoptimism ofthel1thPlan'sgrandgoalswouldbejustifledonly 

when thereisashiftin rheway lndiaprioritizesforsocialsectorand addrcses 

cross-cuting systcmicisstteslike dilatory budgetaryûows,M & E of 

program mes,personneland adm inistrativereforms,and accountability 

Actionsareneeded along many criticalareas,and flrstand foremostthere 

m ustbe adequateand speciflcinformation regarding thereasonsforfailure . 

Thereforerhereisan urgentneed forstate-specific studiesto focusatenrion 

on such bo tlenecks. 

FactorsResponsible forPoorPerform anceon M D G S: 

Low N locationsforSocialSector 

Accordilpg to the EconomicSurvey 2009,the totalsocialsectot 

expenditurcby :heCentre and the stategovernmentscom bined asa

percentageofGDP hasincreased froln 5.57% i1)200.3-04 fo 6.72% in 

2008-09 (BE).Thisisprimarily becatlseofthe factthatG01alocation 

foreducation,health and orhersectorsrelevantto M DGShasincreased 

signiflcantly overthepastfew years.However,parrofthisinc'reaseisilusory 

because thePay Com mission Award hasadded ro thesalary burden.Thus 

thebtldgetincreasemay norhaveresulted in corre-sponding increasein tlàe 

numberofteachersordoctors.Second,70 to 80% ofthetotalexpenditure 

on socialsectorisbornebythestates,butthey havenotbeen ableto arrest 

(hedeclinein socialexpenditureasaproportion oftotalexpendittre,as 

shown in Table3. 

Table 3 

Yiar Eclumtion 14+ + 

2000-0 1 17.1 4.7 

200 1-02 26.l 4.z; 

2002-03 15.0 4.l 

200:5-04 12.6 .5.j 

2004-05 12.7 5.5 

2005-06 14.2 5.9 

06-07(RE) 14.2 4,1 

07-08(BE) 13.9 4.1 

(RBI Jpp/p 

Itislikely thatasG0 1stepped up itsshare in socialsectorexpenditure, 

statesdecided to cutdown on(heplan schemesthatrhey wererunning til 

thelastdecade.Howcver,thiswould nccd ftlrtherilvestigatiol.State-wise 

figuresaregiven in theRBIrcport. 

Outlaysshould notbeconsidcred asan end inthelnselves.Deliveryof 

socialservicesrequiresincreasing financialresourcc,btlrmoreim portan:is 

thequality ofpublicexpenditurcsin thesearcas.-f-hisin rurn requiresimproving 

thecertainty ofbudgetary flows,monitoring ofoutcomes,governance, 

productivity and accountabilityofgovernmentInachinery,In contrast,over 

the lasttwo dccadestherehasbeen hardly any improvementinthequality of 

service.sbeing providcd bygovernmeltto itscitizens,especialy chepoor.'W e 

suggestsomeofthcfactorsrcponsibleforpooroutcomes. 

Budgetary Procedures 

DeépitepooralocationsitisironicthatsomeM inistrie,ssuch asHealth 

andFamilyWelfare,and somestatessuch :tsBihar,OrisaandJharkhand are

J/zrnzfoftbeNasozlafHumanRiglm Cbzrkrzih,fpzl,WJ-9,2010 

unableto spend even themeagrefundsthatarealotted to them . Forinsrance, 

thebudgetaryeétimates(BE)forMinist!y ofHealr.handFamilyWelfarelin 

GOlw:tsRs12023 crorein 200j-06,butitcould spend only lks9299 crore . 

Thusmorcth= ls2700crore(almosrUS$600milion)remained unspent. 

'lb a RajyaSabhaUnstarred question no 14,38,answered on 

24.08.2007,theM inisterforHealth and Family W elfareadmited that 

'dam on theextentofutili:mtion offundsbystatesrevealstlatoftheeighteen 

Stateshaving weakpublichealth indicators/weak infrastructure,identifled 

forspccialattention undertheNRHM ,eightstatcsviz ., ArunachalPradesh, 

A sam,Chhatfisgarh,HimachalPradcsh,M adbyaPradesh,M izoram , 

RajasthanandSikkim haveutilizedmorethan50% ofalocared funds 

whileorhershaveutilized fundsofaIowcrorder'. 

Alnongthestare-s,(herecord ofBiharisatrociousin using centralfunds. 

In onesectoralone,itlos:abotltR$.540 croreof Centralassistanceduring 

1994-2005in:heAccelerated Rural'WaterSupplyProgrammeIARXVSPI. 

Table4 

PerformanceinBihar:UtilisationofARW SP Funds(m .crore) 

Year Opening A location Release Total F-xpen- Closing 

balance by GOI availability diture balance 

of funds 

1994-95 50.58 54.70 28 .04 58.62 58.40 20.22 

1995-96 20.22 70.99 55.50 55.72 22.74 32 .98 

1996-97 32.98 77.95 31 . 13 61.11 54.24 29.87 

1997-98 29.87 95.80 0(1.()0 29.87 08.67 21 .2.Q 

l998-99 21.20 l17.69 00.00 21.20 08 . j0 12.70 

l999-00 12.70 93.80 46.90 59.60 08.70 50 .90 

2000-01 $0.90 46.61 0.0 50.90 57.19 l5.79 

2001-02 1.5.70 72.74 0.0 1:.70 9.32 4 .38 

2002-03 4.38 74.06 57.03 41 .4l 33.09. 8.52 

2003-04 8.32 63.2 31 .6 40.52 21.70* 15.62 

2004-0h 15.63 74.05 87.4 l 105 .04 62.21* 42.83 

Total 

(upto 

04-05) 839.59 299.61 245.76 

*Mastlyrzr/ièvrtf/tlptzac/pzfy/zandslmwnz?.çexpertditure.a/f/zt/tfg'/zat7/rzl/grtrTofactualrxprnditure 

p/rpdgrbrrn Jra/by f/ptpzzrlr/wzzrztoPHED. 

Aburce:t/kzrieftsannualre/mrfspftheRD Miniswp flxrtzl/yrtlc/zPaptrI/JP/Z:a PlanningCommision 

l-l-hiscxcludesfiguresforAYUSH .

ln addition to losing outon centralassistancehBiharisno:ableto use 

even itsown funds.During thcthreeyearsending 2005,toralstateplan 

alocation forBiharwaslks10220 crore,whereasi:could spcnd only Iḷ s 

7895 crore.Even salarlesarenotpaid on tim ein Bitnar.Ȧ.n evaluation of 

ICDS in Biharin 2007 by Uniccfshowed rhatonly Iessthan l0% of 

A'W'W sreceivehonorarium regularly,mostrecciveitonly rwicein a year 

ratherthan m onthly. 

W 'hileon tourtoLalitpur(UP):Ilearntthattheprogramofpromoting 

institutionaldeliverieswassu fering becausetherewasdclay in paymentfo 

ASHA workersand pregnan:mothcrs . Thiswasconfirmed b0th inthe 

field aswelasln ameeting ofASHA workefsfrom a1overthedistrict 

thatwe addressed on the21stAugust2007 in thepresenceof Additional 

CM O of thedistrict.Hein factadm ited rhe delay wasdueto thefactthat 

therehasbeen no releaseofftnd hom the stategovernmentën theyear 

2007-08.lasked him whethera(lem and had been sentto the ssate 

governmentthisyear.W eweretold thatthe proposalfordem anding funds 

from Lucknow had been sentonly on the7th August2007 . Thatexplitined 

thedelay.Even iffundswercto bereleased quickly by theStatcgovernmenț 

thedistric:lostthefirstsix monthsand non-paymenthmscertainly deaccelerated 

theprogram. 

Reasonsforpoorutilisation ofcentralfundsby the statesaremany , 

Som eofthccomm on onesthatneed furtherinvestigation are: 

* Statesare notableto contriburecounterpartfundsbecauseof 

flscalconstrainrs 

. Delayin theflow off'unds(atvariousstages) 

* Rigid conditionalitiesofCentraly Sponsored Schem ẹsprevcnting 

thcgovernmen:stafffrom addressing aIllocalneedsIeading to 

poorexpenditure 

* Long processof identiflcation of potencialbeneficiariesunder 

variousscheme.s(e.g.beneficiariesonly from BPL families,or 

SC/FT communities,etc.) 

. Capifalexpenditure(suchasconstruction ofschools)requires 

preparation ofestimatcsand floating oftenders , which rake.stime

Jourualof t/zeNationalSvplz;n RightsCommision,Wl9,2010 

@ 

Often estimatesneed to besanctioned by a competentauthority 

who isnotlocaly available,and filestravelup and down;thereis 

insufflcientdelegation 

Delay in thesupply ofgoodssuch asm edicines,foodgrains,etc 

* Poorbudgetary alocation forsupportservicesysuch astravel, 

telephones,which rcndersupervision inefl-ective 

* Governm entmachinery isused to working in a sequentia)order, 

whereasquickcompletion ofprojeccsrequiresundertaltingseveral 

activitiesconcurcntly 

@ 

Inadequate delegation of powerto District/Sub-Districtlevel 

governmentstafwith regard to spending m oney 

* Poorcoordination betwecn theLineDepartmentsand Pltls 

* Dil culty in dccision-maldng in thcElected LocalBodiesdueto 

politicaldifference's 

* Lack ofadequatenum berofstaff-to implemcnrschcme.s 

. Fundsreceived from GOIforM D G related programm csare 

diverted (o some othersector 

* lnsullcicntm onitoring of delay atcheseniorlevel,with theresult 

thatremedialaction to cutdown red tapeisnottaken prom ptly 

Fundsalocated to thedepartmentsin thestatebudgetsarenot 

rcleased during theyearin an orderly mannerand thatfartoo many 

referenceshavetobemadetotheilnanccdepartment(FD)forprior 

approvalforreleaseoffundson waysand meansconsiderations.The 

san?eisfound to be true in respectofreleaseoffundsto ZPs.Largefunds 

are*released attheend oftheilnancialyearresulting in man)rirregularities 

inbooking theexpenditure. 

Relemseofbudgetisneithercertain nortim ely Thebudgetcycleistoo 

shorrforfulutilisation of fundsforcapitalworks.Expenditurebudget 

should be valid fortwo years,so thatcapitalexpenditure canbe completed 

withoutsurrenderof funds.Similarly fbrcentraly sponsored schcmes, 

approvalofthestatelegislatureshould notbenecessaly forusing central 

fundsthataretransi-erred to thestateconsolidated fund.

Sim plifying procedures-GO lisued instructionsin December2004 

forincreasing ICDS centres,butthestatestook almostfouryearsin 

completing formalities.N ineChiefSecretarieshad to personaly appear 

ixforetheSupreme Courtand apologiseforthedelay Thestategovernlnents 

could cxpeditetheprocessand cu:down on posibledelaysby doing 

activitiesconcu rcntly in aparalelfashion , ratherthan do theln sequentialy . 

Forinstance,rley can complereseveralsteps(creation ofposts,recruitmcnț 

selectionofvilagesanë sites,advancebudgetprovision)simultancously 

ratherthan do oneactivity atatime , so rhatm uch of :hedelay can be 

reduced.Time thatwastakcn bydiferentstatesin operationalising the 

ncw ICDS ccntresshould Incstudied wirh a view ro identilkspeciflc causes 

fordelay and suggesting meaningfulm odificationsin procedures . 

Selecting N GOs-Severalprogrammes,such as1EC forsanitation are 

run by theN GOs.Howtxverthere isagreatdealof wastage , asofien tle 

procedureto screen outundesirableNGOsisnotin placc . A study may assist 

governmentsin framing new Guidelineswhich would help thedistrictsin 

idenvisinggoodNGOsinanobjectivemanner,sothatassistanceisextended 

only to thoseNGOswho havca good track record and proven compefence 

ini)communitymobilisatioa,il)implementation ofdevdopmentprojects 

through peoplc'sparticipation including expcnditute through people's 

committees,andthose i)whohaveworked forchecmpowermentofthe 

socio-econom icaly disadvantaged people.Itisofurmostimportancethat 

theprocessof selecting NGOsbecompletely transparent , 

Ine/ective M & E System s 

Atpresentoficialsata1lIevelsspcnd agreatdealoftimeincolecting 

and subm iting information,bu:thesearenotused fortaking correctlve 

and remedialaction orforanalysis , butonly forf-orwarding i:to a higher 

level,orforansweringParliament/AssemblyQuestions.Ofrendataon 

performancereachesIate,orisnotavailabledisrrict-wise ) with the resul: 

thataccountability cannotbeenforced .Forlnsfance,no flgurṛsare availabk 

fordistrict-wisechangesin poverty even overa five yearperiod . H ad Chis 

databeen available timely and forcacḣ dkstrict,itwould beeasyto ilx 

responsibility and help in outcome monitoring . 

Equaly,stategovernmenrsdo notdiscouragereporting ofinflated 

flguresfrom thedistricts,whichagain rendersmonitoring inefecrive . As

I JournaloftbeN/zrj/riz/fflzrlwrlRigbtsCommision,14l9,2010 

dataisoften notverifled orcolected through independentsources,no 

action istaken againstom cersindulging in bogusreporting.Forinstance, 

in UP thenum berof fuly imm unized children thatwasbeing reported by 

thestategovernmentwasalmostcentpercentin 2001-02 and 2002-03, 

However,theRapid Household Survey conducted in 2002-03 putthe 

flgureoffuly im munized childrcn in UP atlessthan 30% .Such case.sof 

ilagrantover-reporting should notgo unpunished)othem ise honest 

reportingwould bediscouraged. 

A 1Flagship prorammeshavemonitoring mechanismsbuiltin asintegral 

pm oftheseprogrammo.Elabomteformatshavebeen developed forcolection 

ofdatafrom theprimaorreponingunicssuch M SUI-PH C in cqseofNlkl-lM / 

RCH ,schoolsin caseofSSA etc.Theseroutinemonitoring systemshave 

severalshortcomingsand do notmeetm ostoftherequiremencsofa typical 

monitoringsystem.Themajorshortcomingsarelisted 

1. Lengthy and cum bersome formatsofreporting -errorsin 

compilation 

Dataon delivery ofservicesdoctored atthe primaly unitunit.s 

(artimesathigherlevels)to reflecthigherperformance 

Incom plctc covcrage 

4. Data flowsupward -no questionsasked on inconsistencies,no 

feedback provided 

5. L-ack ofanalysis 

Lack ofscrutiny and supervision 

7. No ownership and accountability ofdata atany level 

8. Too much data,notenough information 

9. Totallack ofquality and therefore)unusable 

lnappropriate system design ofcomputerization 

11. Delay in receiptofinformation ata1llevels-defeatsthepurpose 

of monitoring 

Thereiscertainly a feltneed fordiagnosisofthe existing data systems 

and capacitiesforrationalizing data colectionsand improving theirquality 

formonitoring ofa1cheflagship programmes.-fhisisapainstaking proces

and wilrcquireaIotofcffort,Eime and resourcesand shoulclt,esupported 

by thc Panning Commission and GO IM inistrieṣ 

Given theincreased Bcuson outcomes,rhe cmcient:y of Governmcnt 

department-swilincreasingly comeunderscrutiny . Organizationalreviews 

bccomeim portantin thiscontextto hclp systemsunderstand the strengths 

and weaknose.softheirrecruitmentsptems,personnclpolicics , and theway 

these departmcntsmonitorrheiractivitiesand outputs . Finaly,such redc'ws 

shotzltlslggotcstem icchangesto bring morecmciencyand publicsatisfaction . 

PersonnelIssues 

AIlstateshaverecruited alargenumbcrofteachers,A s , A N M S, 

and othcrmedicalstafin thelas:ilveyearș Procedurefordoing so varies 

from stateto state,and some Staresare able to com plcte recruitmentwirh 

minimum complaincsorlitigation,becausethey folow afairand transparent 

procedure.Ifappoinrmentisforaparticularpost(andnottothecadrelz 

postingsto remoteand dim cultplacesdonotposeaproblem.In somc 

states,such asBiharanclOrissa,salac disbursementto contractualstaf is 

delaycd by severalmonthsleading to demoralization and dem otivation 

amongstthe staf Thisagain can be avoided through m oreinnovativc 

procedures.Therc lsalso agrcatdealofvariation lzpromotionsoi-para 

teachersto regula.rposts.Some srares,such asKarnataka , cvolved a 

(ransparentprocedure forannualtransfersand placcmentofteacherș 

However,theseprocedureswere notfolowed every yearuniformly,and 

may have been totaly dissipated Ly now.1aKrly the proccdureforrecruiting 

contractualstafvariesfrom state to state. 

ln thecaseoftransfers,although some critcria are deveioped from 

tim eto timc,they areno:ncccssarily folowed in a1cases.The transfcrof 

I.A.S ollcers,teachers,ruraldevelopm entengineers , and doctorsisconsidered 

to beoneof themostpoliticalysensitive areas v-rhese arepowerfulgroups 

and transferisseen a.sapolitician'stoolforobliging , reprimanding or 

exlibiting dwiriniluence in the government . Foral1thoe reasons,politicians 

areopposed to having astatutory polioṛIn Rajasthan,in rhelate1990s)a 

commiteeundrrthe chairmanship ofM rBordiahad subm ittcd a report 

rccommendingatransferpoliorbasedon an objcctivese(ofcritcria.The 

then governm entmadeamove to m akethisinto an Actbutthc Assembly 

did notpmsit.

JournaloftbeNzrzoaa/HtmdnRk/JtrCommision,WI9,201: 

Atthesame tim eitm ustberecognkzed thatsome postswould have 

moreattraction forthe employeesthan others.Thesem ay be due to better 

location wheregood schoolsorcheap governmenthousing isavailable, 

morechalenges,thepulofprivatepractice fordoctors,orsimply more 

opportunitiesto makc money.ExceptfortheIndian Foreign Service,no 

otherservicecategorisespostsaccording to itsdcmand so asto ensurethat 

evelyonegetsafairchancetosel'veon 60thimportantanddifilcul:(such 

asinremoteandtribalareas)asignments,Oneshould categorisepostsin 

each departmentaccording to thenature ofdutiesand geographicallocation 

into A,B and C posts,and chartouttheltind ofmixthatshould dictate 

rhcavcrageom cer'sspanof carecnAtleastforGroupA officers,oneshould 

lneableto know through websitesthattotaltransparenc isbeing observed 

and whcthcrsome 'welconnected'omcialshave notbeen ableto get'plum ' 

postingsand avoid difilcultareas, 

O nc progresive elementintroduced Iny somestate.srelatesto thc 

computerised counseling system bascd on transparentconsultation with 

departments,wirh decisionson transfcrbeing related to incentive.sand 

objectivecriteria.Bascd ontherecognition thatstafftransfersin thepast 

havebeen toofrcquent,and notsufficiently based on mcritcriteria,itis 

importantthattransparentpoliciesare adopted,which increasecm ployces' 

m oraleand faith in profezsionalism . 

Governmentpositionsin rhesocialsectorshould havean adequate 

rcprcxntationofwomen.Insomestates,suchaslajasrhan,themdreofCDPOS 

isnotresenred c'xclusively forwomen,with thercsultthat88% of theserving 

CDPOSaremale.'fhey areoften on ëepufation from othcrdcpartmcntsywhic.h 

reduce.stheirsenseofownership 'with the ICDS.In moststate-s,avenue.sfor 

promotion forAW W sand Supcnisorsarelimited,and stagnation secsin their 

mid-career.Itwould bc bctcrifalSupenisom areselected from eligibleAW W s, 

where.tsSupervisorscan bepromoted MACDPOS. 

Somcofthesuggcstionsgivcn herecould be incorporated in the form 

ofalegislation on thepattern ofM aharashtra to improve theprospectsfor 

eflkctiveimplementation. 

ltmaybementionedherethatcountrieslikelapanandSingaporedo 

notpursuethepractice ofannualtransfers.Ifan employce iscorruptor 

inefficient,(hetraitswould getdisplayed whcrevertheem ployee isposted. 

W hatisrequired isefective supenrision and the prom ptcomm encem ent

ofdisciplinary action againstsuchem ployeesinstead ofshiftingthem to 

anotherplace. 

A study ofinter-state variation in these personnclisue-s,aswelasstudy 

ofthe same state on aparsicularissue overaperiod ofa decade orso wil 

show theway to hcalthy practiccsin recruitment,postingsand promotions. 

N RH M Evaluation 2009 

ThePlanningCommisionrcccntly (2009)evaluatedquantityand 

quality ofservicedelivery in ruralpublichcalth faciliticsunderN ltl-lM in 

fourstateà,U IBihar,Rajasthan,and AElpsfindingwasthatthehuman 

resourcepap remainsthesingularmos:importantchalengein strengthening 

the public health system and m eeting the N RH M goals.M edical 

profesionalsavailableinthccountly cspccialyspecialists,arenotjoining 

thepublicsenices.Somespccialitics,such msanacsthesiaand psychiatry, 

havevery few professionalsbeing produced in Che countly Nursing coleges 

arefarshortofrequirements,and AN M -fraining Centreshavebeen nonfunctionalforaboutadecadein 

severalstates,leading to non-availability 

ofstaffnursesandANM sforrecruitmcnt.Paramcdicalpersonnelsuch as 

I-aboratolyTechniciansareagain toofew,ornottrained and regisrered as 

perstandards.Few of thecadreshavean orientation ortraining inpublic 

health planning and managemcnt. 

StaF atCH CSpresentattimeofvisit-Figure1below describesthe 

physicalavailability ofstaf atthcCH CS. 

Nutritionalstatus ofGhildren and adu1t:-NFHS 3 

Dte trztkm @NImt,IDclv

pt?l/rzw/oftbeNZZINyCJNZ/AZPZ/ Rtkhn C'tmrazàW/a,Fil 9,2010 

lftheM edicalOfflcerin Charge(M OIC)isnotprcscntto 

m onitortheattendance ofthoseoperating undrrhim 1herin PH FS 

(including notjustparamedicalstaffbutalso techniciansand 

pharmacistsetceteral,itismorelikclythatthcywilabscond from 

theirdutiesaltogethcṛ 

Concentrate on the excluded groups 

Iriswelknown thateconomic and socialprogresshasgcneraly 

bypassed thcdalits,Scheduled Tribcs ,women,and peopleliving in 

remotcareas,who haverem ained voicelessand ignored . Thc crux of 

such a.hopclessituation forthem licsën theirinability to accessand 

retain theirrightfulentitlcm enfsto publicgoodsand servicesdueto 

institutionalised structuresand processcsofexploitation . Thiscan br 

changed through dissem ina:ion of-studiesthatanalysediscrim ination 

and neglect,and suggestpracricalstcpshow the situation can be 

improved. 

Excluded groupsaredisadvantaged in manywayṣ They are victims 

ofprejudicc,azeignored,and areoften treatcdaslcssthanhumanbeings 

by thc vilagc elite and governmentoë cials .They livein rem ote hamlets 

and arcthusgeographicalày separated from thecentresofdelivenc-fheir 

hamletsare scattercd so thatthecostof contacting them ishighcṛ Finaly 

itisrheirextremepoverty thatpreventsthem from taking advantageof 

govcrnmentschemes,whetheritisfrec schooling (children are 

withdrawn because theirlabourisnceded athome orforwork) , or 

immunization (they migrate along with tlwirparetatsand thereforenot 

presen:infhevilagewhenANM visits). 

Forinsrance,despiterhrecBPLZsurveys(1992,1997 and 2002) 

thcerrorsofexclusion and inclusion in thclistremain above acceptable 

limits(Himanshu,2008).Errorsofexclusion arcthosethatmisclassify 

thepoorin the non-poorcategory , wkile errorsofinclusion include 

che non-poorin thepoorcategory . Accordingtothe11th Plan (volume 

2)chapter4),therearehugeexclusionand inclusioncrrorsinidentiYing 

thcpoor,asseen from Table5 . 

2 Below (hepoverty Iinc

Table5 

Distribution of cardholdersamong poorand non-poor 

A'opoorwithno % peorwith % BPIJAAY cards 

I'ationcard BPIJAIW cards with non- r 

Ra'asrhan j.0 23.6 65.2 

UP 16.1 22.7 48.7 

Bihar 25.5 21.2 45.1 

Assam 25.7 23.3 56 

harkhand 22.1 3l.9 42.1 

O rissa 29.3 54.8 38.1 

Chhartisark 24.1 47.9 47 

M P 30 ziI.9 46.2 

A1lIndia 19.1 36 59.8 

Thusm orethan halfofthepooreitherhaveno card orhavebcen given 

APL cards,and arcthusexcluded from CheBPL tlenefits.Thcscm ustbe 

presumably themostpoortribalgroups,women hcadcd households,and 

pcople living in remoteham letswhcreadm inistration doesnotreach.Thus 

the people most(Ir-serving ofgovernm enchelp are deprived ofsuch assistancc. 

O n theothcrhand,almost60% ofthcBPL orAntyodayacardshavebeen 

given to householdsbelonging to Chenon-poorcategory.Thisnccdsto bc 

correcred by launching adriveto weed outerrorsofexclusion and inclusion. 

lrrationalculturalpractices(notstartingbreastfeedingsoon afterbirth) 

can l)e corrected through training and advice,butIEC isoften notgood 

cnough to changehousehold decisionsbased on economiccompulsions 

(withdrawinggirlsfrom schooltolookafteryoungersiblings).Thusthc 

participation of the cxcluded groupscannotbesecured in socialsector 

schemeson asustainablcbasisunlesstheirlivelihoodstooim prove.For 

instance,the proposed studiesby the Planning Com mission should 

documenthow to ensurethatthey getaccessto cheap grainsthrough 

Antyodayaschcmc,orjobsunderNREGA,orfacilitia availabletomigrant 

workers,Ifcom munitypresurecan besupplemented with improvement 

in livelihoods,successislikely to be sustained overa longerperiod. 

Slm m ing U p 

Itisproposcd thatGOImay undertakcstate specificstudiesto unearth 

theconstraintsthatare responsiblcforpoorperformance.Such knowledge

JoutmaloftbeN/zfz- lAsrzlzm Rklm Cbrzlwzlç,ft?zlaWI9,2010 

managemenrwilfac itate exchangeofideas,experiences,policiesand 

practicesam ong thestates.Thesestudieswould notonly show how 

program mesc'tn bebeterim plementcd within thcframework ofprevailing 

politicaleconomy,butwilalso help in ilentifying proceduralbotlenccks 

thatneed to beovercomeforbetterresults. 

ln addition such studicsshould also focuson the bestpracticesin the 

states,howeverlimited theirimpactmay havebeen on theoveralmovement 

ofM DG indicators.M any of thestand-alone experimentsofgrassroots 

intervention have contributed positively to sustainabledevelopmentbut 

haverem ained oasisofsucces.Thechalengeisto weavethesesucccssful 

storiesinto pro-active policies. 

Stategovernmentsthrough theATIsand SIRDSshould br fu ly 

involved in thisexerciseof facilitating such studiesand disseminating their 

resultstoalconcerned. 

Tlw problem ofpoordelivery isa complc oneand noteasily amenable 

to solutions,H owever,GO I can help the states in im proving 

implementation by moremeaningfulanalysisoffactorsbehind lim ited 

successon rheM ilennium DevclopmentGoals. 

References 

H im anshu,2008:Counting the poor:some m ethodologicalissues,M int, 

24th September,N ew D elhi 

IFPRI2008.F/7eIndiaStatrHungerIndex:ComparisonsOfHunvrAcross 

States,PurnimaMenon,AnilDeolalikar,AnjorBhaskar,Octoberl4,Ncw 

D elhi 

Planning Commission 2009:E valuation of NRHM infourstatrs, 

N ew Delhi 

RB12008:Stat.Finances,.dStudyt/A JJrIJ01-2008-09,Mumbai 

UNICEF2009:F$rStatep/lpir/z/kCbiuren200% New York

. ' kournaloftbeAkfibr/izfHumanAJj/JtçCommision,Wl9,2010 

by 20lj,Under-nutrition and malnutrition are stilwidespread.National 

SampleSunrey(NSS)datashow acleartrendofdeclincincaloricintake. 

In rurallndia,theaveragc calorie intake percapitaperday fclfrom 226614 

kcalin 1972-73 to 2183 kcalin 1993-94.Itfelfurtberto 2149ccalin 

1999-2000,among thelowest.30% ofruralhouseholdsin respcctof 

consumerexpendifure;thcpercapitacalorieintakc f'elfrom 1830 kcalin 

1989 to 1600 kcalin 1998.In 1999-2000,almost77% of the rural 

population consumed lessClaen thepoverty linecalorierequircment0f2400 

kcal.-f'heaveragecalorieintakein 2004-05acrossthe eightStatcsofKerala, 

Karnataka,Tam ilN adu,Andhra Pradesh,M adhya Pradesh,O rissa, 

M aharashtraand W estBengalwasonly 1907 kcalaspcrprovisionaldata 

released by theNationalNutrition M onitoring Burcau (NNM B), 

indicating a declining trcnd.Furthcr,35.5% adultsin theseStates,sufered 

from Chronic EnerprDcficiency and 54.4% childrenin thcage-group1- 

5yearswercundernourished with l6.jtyosuffering from severeundernutrition.M 

aternaland foetalunder-nutrition resultsin thebirth of babies 

with Iow birth weight,which reinfotcesitselfin theabsenceof corrective 

m easurc . 

H ungerH otspots 

TheNationalInstituteofNutrition(NIN)Survcy2002,coleted 

dctailcd datafordifferentagcgroupsbased on the Recomm ended Daily 

A lowance(RDA)specifledbytheIndian CouncilofM cdicalResearch 

(ICM R)forspecificageandsexgroups,including extraenergyneededfor 

Specialgroupssuch msexpectantand lactating morhers.Therearc 7-ageand 

sex groups'forwhich calorieintakedatahasbeen collccted and com pared 

with therecommended daily caioriein'takcforthatageand sex group,The 

daraishowcvcravailableforonly 9 Sratesof Indiaexcluding largepopulous 

Statessuch asUI.Ialthough UP isin thelistofN NM B Statesfornutririon 

monitoringand refersonly to ruralarcaoftheseStates.Thefindingsof 

thestudy in rcspcctofmcdian caloriesintakeoftheStatesforeach ofrhe 

l5 ageand sex groupscompared to thcrespectiveRDA wirh very Few 

exceptions,isfarbelow thcRDA levelsin altheStatesforalgroups.ln 

altheagegroupsof children:l-5 yrs,4-6 yrs,7-9yrs,theRDA ishigher 

than themedian calorieintakein a1thcnineStates,thesccnario forpregnant 

women being theworstin KcralaandW estBengaland forIactating mothers, 

inTamilNadu,M adhyaPradesh and M aharashtra.

N utritionaland Food Security and 

H um an Rights 

D n M S.uçwarzlfrlarâaa' 

N utritionalsccurity involvesensuring evcry child,wom an and man 

physical)economicand socialaccesstobalanced diet,clean drinkingwater, 

environmcntalhygiene,prim ary health care and nutrition education. 

Achieving thegoalofnutrition security wilinvolveconcurrentattention 

to food availability,which .isfunction ofproduction,food acccss,which is 

afunction ofpurchasing power,and food absorption in thebody,which is 

afunction of clean drinkingwater,sanitation and primaly healthcare.-rhtks, 

b0th nutritionaland non-nutritionalfactorsare involved in building a 

nationalnutrition sccuritysystem . 

In reccntyears,therc isawelcomeshiftfrom apatronageto rights 

approach in areassuch asinformation,education and em ployment.The 

latcstin theseriesofrightsistherightto food.The draftNationalFood 

SecurityAct,now underpoliticaland publicconsideration,aimsto empower 

thepoorwith accessto food atahighly subsidized rate,If theaim isfood 

security at:helevclofeach individual,concurrentatention wilhave to be 

paid to aI1theaspectsoffood securirs namely availability,accessand 

absorption(seeFood Insecurie AtlasofRuralIndia(2001,2009)and 

FoodInsecurityAdasofUrbanIndia(2002,2010). 

TheNarionalCommission on Farmers(NCF) in theîrReport 

submittcd in 2006,dealtwith in detailthe stepsneeded to makehunger 

histoly Thcrccom mendationsof NCF arerelevantin thecontextofthe 

NationalFood Security Act. 

TheM id-term appraisalofthe-fenth Plan revcalsthatwearelagging 

behind in achievingtheM ilennium DevelopmentGoalofhalving hunger 

*Chairman,M SSwaminathanResearch Foundation 

Journalo/z/leNationalHuman slk/?trCommùwion,F:/.9,2pJp

. 

TheNNM B databeingpartialin covcrage(leavingoutmanyStates 

wherethehungersituationmightbeworse)andbeingStatelcveldara,are 

notparticularly helpfulin identifyinghungerhotspotsin thccountry. 

Anothersourccofdataon food intakesand energy levelsisthc lndia 

Nutrition Profile (1NP),lastpublishcd by theW omen and Child 

DevelopmentDepartm entoftheGO Iin 1998.Thisalso hasthelim itation 

ofpartialcoverage,in thatitisconilncd toa few States.However,ithas 

the meritof providing districtleveldata.Since itsunlikely thatdramatic 

changesforthe betterwould haveoccurcd in respectof nutrition bctween 

1998and now,oncmay use(he1N P datato throw lighton somehunger 

hotspotin thecountry.Using INP 1998 data)alis:ofthedistrictsofthc 

SratesofAsslm,Bihar,Haryana,Punjaband Rajasthan,whichreporta 

mean leveloftherelevantvariable(intakctocerealsand pulsesingramsper 

consumption unitperday,encrprlevelin kilocaloriesperconsum ption 

unitperday)helow theRDA specifiedbytheICM R.Itcouldbeseenrhat 

thesituation isespecialy seriousin termsoftheintakelevelsof pulses. 

The abovcfindingsareforebodingsofseriousconsequenceforthe 

future physicaland intelectualcapitaloflndiaand need ro behecdcd 

posthaste.The conscqucncesofchild under-nutrition formorlidity and 

mortality areenormous.Child m alnutrition isrcsponsiblefor22 pcrcent 

ofthe country'sburden ofdisease. Them inimallossro GDP dueto 

Vitamin andM ineralDcficiency D)malnutritionperyearisreportedly 

lks.27,720 crore.ln such ascenario,addresing food and nutriCion security 

and building asustainablcfood and nutrition Security systcm haveto be 

flagged asurgenttasl:sforsustained econom icprogress. 

Food and N utrition Security 

The conceptof food and nutrition security implicsthat 

Evcnrindividualhasthcphysical,economic,socialandenvironmental 

acce-sto a balanced dictthatincludesthenecessary macro-and micronutrients,safedrinking 

water,sanitation,environmentalhygiene, 

primazy healthcareand cducation so asto lcad ahealthy and productive 

life. 

i) Food originafesfrom efxcientand environmentaly bcnign 

production tcdm ologiesthatconserveand enhancethenaturalre-source

1 kournaloftheNationalHuman Afg'/o Commisioœ Pi/.% 2010 

bascofcrops,farm animals,forestly,inland and marinc fisherieṣ 

(ScienceAcademiesSummit)M SSRF,1996) 

Thiscomprehensivedegnition offood and nutrition security provicles 

guideline.sfordevcloping an efl-ectivcoperationalstrateprforachieving the 

oalof freedom from hunger. 

Hungerhasthreemajordimensions: 

Chronicorendemichungerresulting from povertp included under 

nutrition. 

i) Hiddenhungerarisingfrom micronutricntmalnutrition,causedby 

thedeflcienclesof iron,iodine,zincandvitam insin the diet . 

Transienthungercaused byseasonalfluctuationsin food availab ity 

antldisruptionsin comm unication and transportarising from nan,ral 

orm anmadedismsters. 

A sustainable nationalfood and nutrition security system sKould cover 

a1ltlzese dzreecategoriesof hunger.Itm ustalso addressthe threeissucs 

au ilability,accessand absorption. 

i) Avaiobility offoodatthehouseholdleveldependsupon (a)food 

production,and :he operacion ofaresource-poorconsumer-friendly 

PullicDistributionSystem (PDS)operated with homegrown food 

grain stocksand orlm ports 

i) Accesto fbod depcndsonlivelihoods/purchasing power 

Absorption of food isinfluenced by accessto clean drinking water , 

environmentalhygicneand primalyhealthcare. 

In recentyears,there iscausc forconcern on a1thethreecountsof 

God availabilitp food accusand food absorptlon . 

Food Availability 

ln the Nineties,food-grain growth ratehasslowed down drasticaly 

to 1.7% and hasfalen below thcpopulation growth rateof 1.9%0 , so that 

perhead annualnetfood-grainsoutputhasfailen by about3 . 5kg from 

peak ofl8O kg in thc threeyearsending in 1994-95to , 176,5kg by the 

three-yearsperiodcndingin2000-01.(UtsaPatnaik,www.macroscan.org, 

August2002).Thesituatjonhasnotimprovedsigniflcantlysincethen.

Thedecline in percapiranetavailahili:y ofcerealsand pulsesover:he 

last15years(from 5l0gramspercapitaadayin1991to463gramsin 

2004)hasbeenunpreccdcntcd.Estimateofrequirementof-cerealsin 2020, 

range.sfrom 224 milion tonncsto296 milion tonnes. 

Thehigh levelCommiteeon Long-lkrm Grain Polics 2004 arrived 

ataprojectionof260miliontonnes,i,e.productionwillhavetoincreasc 

by 69 milion tonnesfrom thcpresen:levelofl91milion tonncs,i,e. 

doubling ofthecurrentrateofproduction.Thedcclinein percapita 

food grain availability and itsunequaldistribution have serious 

implication forfood security in both nzraland urban areas. 

In 1990-00,theaverage calorieconsum ption ofaconsumption unit 

in urban areaswas2637 kcal/day,notmuch highcrthan thenorm of2100 

kcal/day,setforan urban adult. Itisespecialy imporCantto note tha .t 

whilethere are visiblesignsofan enorm ousincrease in conspicuous 

consumption by the urîan rich,thereare also signsofincreasing inequalitz 

in urban arcasin l999-00,thebotom 10% ofurban population obtained 

on theaverageconsumption ofonly l890 kcal/day.Thatis,ncarly 28 

m ilion people in urban areashaveunacceptably 1ow levelsof calorie 

consumption,(FoodInsccurityArlasofurbanlndia,M SSRF-'W'FP 2002) 

ThePlanning Com mission had earlicrcstimated theproportion of 

population below thepovcrty lineat27.09% in ruralareasand 23.62% in 

urban areasin l999-2000.Howcver,thesehighly conteszed estimatesnow 

stand revised.ThcD raftApproach Paperforthe1lth Plan notesthatthe 

proportion ofhousehold below thepoverty linc wasashigh as28% in 

2004-05asperthc mostrecentNS6 fullsam pleround.Thisisclosc to 

300 milion persons. Theproblcm athand istherefore ofenormous 

dim ensions.Bcsides,thereareregionalvariationsaswclin theincidcncc 

ofpoverty.Acrossthenation,thepoorestState,sareO rissa,f'olowed by 

Bihar,M adhyaPradesh and Assam. 

Though officialdataon poverty suggestareduction in the percenragc 

of population bclow thepoverty line,thereisrcason forpresuming that 

the incidence ofhungcrisincreasing.Dataon nutritionalintakessuggest 

thatincome poverty isincreaingly divorccd f'rom the calorienorm of2400 

kcalperconsumption unitperday underlying theoriginaloficialdcflnition 

ofpovertyline.Thedatashow thatthepercentageofpopulation consuming 

dietsproviding lesthan 2400 kcalpercapitaperday ismuch highcrnow

JountaloftbeN/zopa/Human Rfg/ztsCommùsion,Wl.9,2010 

than thc pcrcentagc below poverty lineasestimated by thePlanning 

Comm ision.Recentwork by ProfcssorV S Vyassuggeststha:in asmany 

aseightmajorStates,theproportion accessinglessthan l800kcal/day(the 

levelbelow which malnutritioncancauseirreversibledamage)exceeds50 

percent.Thisisindecd causcforconccrn. 

An importantfeatureofthelndian situation in the areaofnutritlon 

security atrhe Icvelofeach individualisthattheproducersof agricultural 

commodities,i.e.farm menandwomen,constitutcthemajorityofthe 

population.H cncc,thenutrition security offarmcr-consumcrsbecomes 

importantto achievethcgoalof hunger-free India..hsmentioned earlier, 

in 1999-2000,aimost77% of theruralpopulation consumed lessthan 

the poverry line caloric requirementof 2400 calories.Low productively 

and incomeappcarsto bethesinglemostim portantcause ofendem ic 

under-and malnutrition am ong farmer-consumers. 

Food Access 

Accessto food grain isrclated to the purchasing powerofthe 

population and thc natureof public distribution system thatisprevalent 

anë in urban areasweakening ofti4ePDS hascxacerbated theproblcm of 

Food insecurity 

RuralFood Insecuriv 

Severalstudieshaveshown thatthe poverty isconcentrated and food 

deprivation acutein predominantly ruralareaswith limitcd resources 

such asrain-fed agriculturalareas.Agriculturallabourand migrant 

labouraresuscepriblcto hunger.ln India,of the310.7 m ilion rural 

workers,103.12 m ilion areagriculturallabourers.O fthe-se,about 

48.37 milion arewom cn.Femaleagriculturallabourcrsareespecialy 

vulnerableto food insecurity becauseoflowerwagcsaswelasthe 

efectsofm igrarion,One-third of theruralwork forceisdependcnt 

on casualemployment.Thissegmentfacesuncertaintie.soi-wageand 

work and ishighly susceptible to food deprivation. 

About40.14% oftheruralworkersarecultivators.O fthetotal124.68 

m ilion cultivators,about40.64 milion cultivatorsarewomen with 

inadequateresourcesand credirfaciliries.In hily areasand rain-fed

underdeveloped arcas,often therearemorewomen cultivatorsthan 

male.Beside.sruralagriculruralantlnon-agriculturalIabourcrs , smal 

and m arginalfarmersalso faccfood insccurity . Notonly do thcy not 

getrem unerative pricesfortheirproduce,they arcalso afected by the 

risein retail/pD sfood-grain prices,being netbuyersofgrain , input 

costs are constanfly going up,whilc outputdocsnotshow 

com m ensuraterise. 

U rban Food Insecurity 

i) Itisoften prcsumed thatsinceurban areasarccovereclby PDS , food 

sccurity isno(amajorissueinurbanareas.Thisisnot(rue.During 

thel990s,thePDS hasbeen weakcncd , $0th by repeated increa-sesin 

thepriccsof feod-grainsand by che savitch to asystcm of targeted 

PDS,Studiesshow thatthe tlotom 10% ofthe urban population is 

notreally affected by thcprevalcntsystem ofPDS foracccssing foodgrains.In 

1999-00,averagecerealconsumption ofbortom 10% of 

urban population was9.55kg/month in urban India . O fthis,less 

than onekg/monthwasaccessedfrom PDS(FoodlmecurityAtlasof 

Urban.Jp7lb,M SSRFYWFP 2002). 

Thisbringsouttheneed to have a system of PDSthatisflexibleso as 

ro ensurelargercoveragc. Pcople sltould beableto accessgrains 

&om PDS wheneverthey want,whenevcr they wantand in any 

quantiey they want,subjectto afew ground rulesto prevent 

purchaseforhoarding and subsequentsale athigh prices . Thatis, 

flexibility with rcgard to time , place and quanrityofpurchascaeeds 

to be fitted in to thePD S . Acccssing sulsidizcd food-grainsis 

absolutely essentialnotonly forthcsettled urban poorbutalso for 

the mjgranfpopulation from vilagcs . 

i) Asforpurchasingpower,thequalityand quantum ofempioymentof 

thepopulation determ ine theirincom eearning ability and therefore 

theirabilitz ro purciaasefood-grainsin che m arkct ,Casualcmployment 

norm aly fetchesan income thatis1ow and irregular;regular 

em ploymenton adecentwageensurea relatively bettcraccessto food . 

in 1990-00,in urban India only 4 outofevely 10 workcrsbclonged 

to the regularwage catcgory;am ong :hebo tom 10% ofurban 

population)nearly4 outof 10 personsareca - suallabourers.Thenaturc

JournaloftbeNationalHuman A,k/?a Commùsion,Fél9,2010 

oftheem ploymcntproblem variesacrossdiferentsize classe.sof 

towns.Proportion ofcasuallabouram ong malesasweilasfem aleis 

much higherin smaltownscomparcd to them etropolitan citiesor 

big towns.Sim ilarly,theproportion of workersin regularemployment 

ismuch lowerin Smaltownscompared tobiggertowns(Food 

N lrcsfrl'ḷzAtlasofurbanInditzx&fs'.S'AFWJP 2002.). 

iv) iv)Giventhemagnitudcofthecmploymentproblem in urbanlndia, 

particularly in thesmaltowns,thereisa strong casc foraN ational 

Urban EmploymentG'AarnnteeProgmm me,aspartoftheNew 

Dealfor Urban Areas.Such an Em ploym ent Guarantee 

Program me could beused foractivitie.slilce sanitation,polution 

control,tree planting and protection,energy generation from 

wastesand com postmakinp 

Food Absorption 

i) Slumsthathaveinadequatefacilitiesofsanitationanddrinlcingwater 

provideshcltcrto nearly 22% of urban population in thecountry.ln 

theearly nineties,onethird ofslumsdid notLaveany drinkingwater 

facility and ncarly half theslumsdid nothave toiletfacilities. 

i) Acccssto basicamenitieslikesafedrinking water,toilcts,electricits 

arcmuch lowcrforhousehold living in smaltowns. 

i) In1998-99,15,4% ofchildrenwercscverely stuntedand11.6% were 

severely underweight. 

iv) Xvhilethcrcarewidevariationsinthcnatureandextentoftheproblem 

offood insecurity acrossurban areas,smaltownsare cspecialy 

vulnerablc. 

v) DisemscsIikeHlv/AlDs,TuberculosisandM alariaarespreading. 

A NationalFood Security System should thereforegiveconcurrent 

attention tothc landlesspoorin vilagcsand to casualand m igrantlabour 

familiesin urban areas. 

H unger-Freelndia;Com ponentsof Action Plan 

A six-pointAction Plan issuggcstcd below forachieving thegoalof 

Hunger-FrccIndia.

Reform of theD elivery System 

The overalapproach should belifccyclebased and involvc appropriate 

supptementation programmeṣThe delivery systemsrelatlng to alnutrition 

Supportprogramme.smustIne rcstructured on a lifecyclebmsiș startingwith 

pregnantwom cn antl0-2 infantsand entling with o1d and inflrm personṣ 

An ilustrative listof thcprogram meș which wilbenefitsfrom alifecyclebased 

delivery systcm,isgiven in-rablelbelow ElecteclPanchayatsand lo cal 

bodicsshould beinvolved in restructuring t%edeliveg system . A lthese 

programmesshotzld bcimplemen:ed throughoutthecounsr)c 

Table 1:CurrentStatusoflntenrvntions 

S.No Stag .tofLiftcydt Intewention/Action 

1. PregnanrM others FooclforNutrition to avoid lnaternala nd foeralmalald 

under-nutritionresulting in LBW children 

2. Nursin: Motlwrs Supportneeded forbremstfeeding 

, foratlcastsix 

Inonths 

.3. lnfants(0-2years) NorbcingreaclacclbyICDS 

4. Pre-schoolChildren 

(2-6yeafs) 

InregratcdChildDevelopmentSenriccs 

5. Youth going ro schoo) 

(6-14years) NopnMcitlProramme 

6. Youth going to scllool Notbcing artended to 

7. Adults(!8-60 years) FooclForEco-i7eveloprnent(SampoornGrami l) 

RozarYbjana),PDS,TPDS,AntmdayaAnna 

Yojana,Ernploymen:programmesundcrrlcREGA 

8. OId & lnfinn Persons Annapoornaand Food forN utriti on Programmes 

9. Emergencies Food during naturalcalam i tics 

'W ith regard to PDS,itishigh time we wentback from (heTPDS to 

auniversalPD Swirh uniform prices . The alocation perhousehold in 

PDS should bebased on thcnum berofconsumption unitsin the houselaold 

. 

Thccostim plicationsofuniversalizing PDS arcgiven in thcb elow.

lournaloftheNationalHuman##âtrCommiuion,Wl9,2010 

Box l 

IS U N RSAL PD S ECO N O M I W FM SIBLE? 

a. LetusassumethatPDS ismade universalin thesenseofreaching 

around 80% ofourpopulation who areeithermalnourished orat 

theriskofmalnutririon,rhatis,food insecure.ThePDSshould 

only eaclude(ifnecesaly by sclilselection orvoluntarily)therichest 

20 percentofourpopulation.So the targetgroup isabout800 

Inillion persons. 

b. I.etusassumethat80% of:hepopulation isgiven thepresentBPL 

alocation and price,thatis,35kg.ofgrain atthesubsidized price 

of1ts4.l5forwheatand l-s5.65forrice 

c. lftheeconom iccostisRs 1286 pcrquintalofriceand Rs983pcr 

quintalofwheat(cstimatesfor2005-06,in theM ilion Survey), 

rhen theunitsubsidyis1ls7.21perkgofriceand 1ks5.68perkg 

ofwheat. 

d. If800 mitlion personsarcto beincluded,itcan beasumed tolx 

160 milionfamilies(averageof5personsperfamily). 

e. So,first,the grain rcquirem entforthe PD S wilbe l60 m illion 

rime-s35 kg (cciling)or56 milion tones. In 2005-06,thePDS 

oftakewas49,7 milion tones(including Antyodaya),so thisis 

quitefcasible.(In 2004-05,theoftalcewms30miliontones). 

f. Thecosfofthefood subsidy,asuming :11thcgrain isdistributed 

atrhcsam epricewillbe 

For30 m illion ofwheat 

ls.17,040 crore 

For26 m illion ofrice 

lks.18,746 crore 

Total 

ILs.55,876 crore 

Tlae above estim atcsofa grain requirementof56 m illion tonnes 

and asubsidy ofP.s35,000 croreisan overestim atesince alll60 

million householdsareunlikely topurchase35 kg ofsrain amonth. 

Further,thetotaisubsidy worksoutto justaIittleover1t/'ooq 

GD I! ltcantaxto GD P ratio,whichhasfallensince199 1,can be 

raised by 1percentagepoint,thenthiscan beeasily financed.This 

expenditurewilbemorethan compensatcd by therisein national 

incom earising from higherproductivity asa resultofelim inating 

endcmic hungerand malnutrition. 

Souxr DrNzarfivr,Swaminathan,IS1Kolkata

Besidesfood-grain,otheressentialcom moditiẹssuch aspulses,edible 

oil,(10th,saltand otheresscntialitemsofdaily consumption should also 

bcdlstrkbuted by thePD S.Thiswilalso help ensuretheviabîlity oft14e 

PD S outlet.Ration shopsshould bestrengthened and madeviable through 

theprovision ofappropriatem argin orsulsidieṣ To ensureeffective 

utilization ofthe PD Sby thcpublic , thePDS outletmustremain open on 

al1days,Further,thepublicmustbe freeto draw theiralocation on a 

weeldy basis.M igrantsshould bcableto accesPDs alocationsin the area 

whercthey work. 

Thecentralization thattook placeundertIACTPDS should bcreversed 

and S:ategovernm entsshould,in thcfirstinstance , have the rightto 

determ lne the required allocation underPDS fortheirState , PRlsm ay 

also beactively invoived in themonitoring of thePDS . W omen SH GS 

supporred by micro-creditoperatethcPDS , whereverposible. 

Com m unity Food Security System s 

W hile auniversalPD Sand appropriate supplementav programmes 

funded l)y :he governm entare criticalto ensuring food security , (hereis 

also an importantroteforcom munlv based food securiv systems , such as 

Community Food-grain Banks(CFB). Community f'ood security 

systcm sappearespecialy relevantin socialy cohesive com munkties 

characterized by lim ited income inequality and in locations , which find ic 

difficuitto acccssocherdclivcry mechanismssuch asPDS . To ensure 

sustainability,such initiativesm ay work closely with clected Iocalbodies . 

Policy mustpromote rhe establishmentofComm unity Grain andW ater 

Banlçs,involving Panchayatsand otherlocalhodics . Thisprogram me 

should be based on theprinclpie 'storegrain and watvreverywùere' . 

TheComm unity Grain/Food Bank system wilhclp to widen :he 

food security basesby including awiclerangeof milets , grain legumcsand 

tubers.W 'hilethesecan beopemted l)y the nearly 240 , 000 Panchayats 

and UrbartLocalBodiesin tlw coultrp using flexible im plementation 

mechanism ssuited to localneetls,the program me should financialy 

supportd and regkzated by the State to ensm esocialinclusion and 

sustainabilinr.The stepsinvolvcd in seting up and operating CFBShas 

been dcscribed in dctaiin Chapter11oftheSecond Reportofthe NCF 

(NCF sccond Report,August2005).

: JoxrnafoftbeNzlftlna/HumanAè/Jt:Commision,W19,2010 

There isan urgentneed to prom otcthcgrowth ofcomm unitywater 

security sp tem sbased on as-pronged stratcgy consisting ofthefblowing: 

Augmcntation ofsuppliesthrough m andatory waterhatvesting and 

conservation 

Giving atcntion to demand managemcntby eliminating al1sources 

oftlnsustainableuseofwarcrand promoting 'morecrop and incorne 

perdrop'mcthodologiesofcrop cultivation 

i) Harncssnew fcchnologiesrelatingtoimprovingdomesticwateru5e 

eficiency,de-salination of seawatcr,brceding of droughtand salinity 

tolerantcropvaricties,biorcmediation,etc. 

iv) To begin with)each districtin thecountry could developmenta 

sustainablewatersecurity system.Comm unity action should howcvcr 

startat(hcvilage lcvel. 

Promoting seawaterfkrming through integrated agro-forestry and 

aquacultureproduction systemsin coastalareas. 

Paying atcntion to waterquality ofdrinking waterwhich is 

deteriorating due to pesticide and bacterialcontamination in ground 

water.Equalattention should be paid to theimprovcmentofdrinldng 

waterquality and theaugmentation ofwatersuppliu.Bioremediation 

tcchniqueswilihaveto beused forremoving arscnic and heanrmctals 

from tubcwclwater. 

Eradication of hidden h lnger 

H idden hungercaused by micronutrientdeiciencie.smtzstbeaddressed 

based on naturalfood cum food fortification approaches.Forexample, 

saltfortified with iron,iodine,mineralsand vitam ins,coupled with the 

consumption of beta-carotenerich sweetpotato orvegetableswilbevery 

helpfulto lghthiddcn hunger.LocalSH GScan betrained to make nutriencs 

biscuitsasan incomecarning activity. Nutritionalliterav should be 

promoted attheSchoollevcl.H igh priority should go to thcelimination 

ofiron deficiency anemiaamong pregnantwomen.Thefolowing basic 

rccommendationsarem adein thisregard: 

* Food sccurity isaprerequisitefornutrition securitlr,Hence stepstaken 

for m irigation ofm icro nutrientm alnutrition should also 

simulraneously addressProtcin Encrgy m alnutrition.

* 'Wrhilefood and nutririoninsccurity need to E)e addresscd atalstages 

oflifeczcle,certain groupssuch aspregnantand lactating m others, 

adolcscentsand children underthrceyearsofageneed to bcgiven 

Specialattenrion becauseofthcirphysiologicalneeds, 

. Food and nuxrition security necdsto addressed through integrated 

com plem entary strategies,nam cly dietary diversification, 

supplementation,food fortification and com muniv and publichealrh 

measures,along thefolowing lines: 

* Enùrgingtl.mFoodBtuket-m any mileṛsand othcrunderutilized crops 

likctubersare rich in micro-nutrientsascan be seen in Table 2 below. 

They should hencebeincluded in thePDS. 

Table2:Com parativeNutritiveValue of 

M iletsand otherStapleGrains 

Gmin Elwrgg flibero/i M iner.tl C.amg P mg Ironmg 

ke 

m 

Ricc 345 0.2 0.6 10 160 0.7 

Wrheat 546 1.2 1.5 41 506 5 .3 

M aize 342 2.7 l.5 10 348 2 . 5 

Finger 

millct .528 J.6 2.7 344 283 3.9 

Fovail 

mile: 3J1 8.0 .5,.3 31 290 2.8 

Llrtlc 

milct 34 l 7,6 l.$ 17 220 9 . 3 

Compared to rice: 

Ragiis>34x(times)inCalcium,5xinlron,2xinPhosphorus,2xminerals 

Littlc m iletis12x in iron,l.jx in calcium and Phosphorus 

Foxtailm iletis5x in m inerals,sx in Calcium,4x in lron 

* Dietary é;'?prrJJ#'ction-incrcasedavailabilityoffruitsandvegetables 

through horricultureintelvcntions. 

* Suppkmentation-ratherthan neglecting/abandoningthc programmes 

thatare poorly functioning (such as iron and folic acid 

supplementation)wenccdtostrengthcnthem systematicaliy.

I JournaloftkeAb/or-/Human Af.@> Commision,WI9,2010 

* FootiFortïh- czft?n-Iodinesupplementationthrough iodizedsaltshould 

bestrensthencd to ensurcuniversalavailability and accessibiliry and 

should be channclized through PDS,M DM anclICDS.Staple food 

should begiven priority forfortiflcation . 

* Commwnity jzzitf/,v/pfjcbealtk zn,afxrey-sinccnutritionalsccurity îs 

influenceë by healthcare,safe waterand Sanitation , thesem ustbe 

ensured through adequate public health measures. 

* Specialf/frdrirlba topandemics/ïlz HN IAIDS-there are indicatëotu 

thattheincidenceof HIV/M DS and tuberculosisisincreasing in rural 

India. The supply of frccdrugsshould beextcnded to vilagesin 

orderto contain thespread. 

Thequality ofservlcedelivery ncedsto beimproved.The ICDS isa 

very cri:icalintcrvention program mcand theanganwadiworkerplaysa 

key rolein thcconvcrgenceofservicesforthe motherand thechild undcr 

sixyearsofage.Shcshould berecognized asaregularfultim eemployee 

with speciûc skilsand hctremuneratlon should be revised accordingly . 

Enhancing the productivity and profitability of Sm all 

H oldings 

N early 80% oftheland holdingsin India arebelow 2 hectarein sizc . 

Unlikein industrialized countrie.swhcreonly 2 to 4% ofthepopulation 

depcndsupon farm ing forrhcirwork and incomesecurity agriculture is 

rhe backboneofthe livelihood security system fortwo-third ofIndia's 

population. Thereibrv,farm ersconstitute tl:elargtstproportion of 

consum ers.The smalerthcfarm ,thegreateristhenced formarketable 

surplusin ordcrto getcash incom e. H ence,im proving smalfarm 

productively,a.sasinglc developm entstrategykcan m akethegreatest 

contribution to theelimination ofhungerarzd poverty . 

lndian soilsare 170th hungry and thirsty . Hence,soilhealth 

enhancementand irrigation watersupply and managementholë thekcy to 

thc enhancemcntof smallfarm productivie . The folowing stepsare 

urgently needed: 

Nationalnetwork ofadvanccd soiltesting labomtorieswith facilities 

forthedetcction ofm icronutrientdelciencies.Asa singleagronomic

intervention,supply oftheneeded micronutrientsin thesoill'ïms 

thegreatestim pacton increasing yield. Hidden hungerisas 

widespread in soilsasin hum an beings.In fact,thetwo havecausal 

relationships. 

M ilion W elsRcchargeProgralnme 

i) Restoringwaterbodiesandpromotingmandaforywaterhanresting. 

iv) L tablishmentof50,000Farm Schoolstopromotefarmer-to-farmer 

learning. 

Organisation of SmalFarmers'H orticulturc,Cotton,Poultry, 

aquacultureand otherEstates,topromotegroup farming and to confer 

thepowerofscale to sm alproducers60th attheploduction and 

Post-halvestphascsof-farming. 

Farming isbecom ing a gambleb0th in themonsoon and thcmarket. 

Hencesmalfarmersurgentiy need proactiveadviceon land and water 

use,Land usedecisionsarealso waterusedecisions.Forthispurpose,State 

Land UseBoardsshould t)erestricted,retooled and rcactivated .F/J'Jtifz 

task oftheutmostprioriqv 

F/Jt'f veṛy14'/z< a KnowledgeCtwâz orG' - 

N N Ckaupalmovement 

can help ro givc farmcrsdynamicadviceon mescorological,m anagement 

and m arketing factors. 

support: 

W esuggestthatthefolowingareasmay receive priority in technology 

i) Short-and medium-term weatherf'orecasting,in ordcrto assistand 

useAdvisory Boardsto giveprotectiveadvicc to farmerson crop and 

varietalchoice. 

i) lapidand1ow costsoiltestingtechnologicsbasedon nanotechnolop: 

Thiswilenabletheapplicadon nced ilased macro-and micro-nutrients. 

Factorproductivity in relation to fertilizerapplication islow and this 

enhancesthecostofproduction.The average fcrtilized responseof 

foodgrain outputto NPK utilization worksoutto 7.8 kg grain per 

kg ofN PK.Thisisavcry low rcturn. 

Unlessfactorproductivity isincrcased,smalfarm agriculturcwil 

becomeun-rcm unerative,Thisisoncofthecausesfbrahigh pcrcentage of

Journalof t/zeNatiov lf'fvrz-rlRklm Commnsion,&N.9,20Jp 

farmerswanting to quitfarming.W e m ustrecognizcthcneed forincrcasing 

(heproductivity and profltability ofsmaland marginalfarmș in ordcrfo 

eliminateendemic and hidden hungerin thc familiessuch farmers . The 

folowing specificrecomm endationsarcm adcin tlnisregard: 

* Step-up pubicinvcstm entin irrigation and ruralinfrastructure and 

provideotherformsofStatesupportincludingcreditandpost-harvest 

storage and processing 

@ 

Providc crediton reasonableterms;acceptN cilrccom mendation of 

4% interestrateon agricultureloans.Targetcreditto themarginal , 

sm al,anc!mcdium farmersand adoptan integrated creditcycle 

approach. 

* Strengthen the S&T anclR&D systemsin agriculture ro generateand 

disscminaresmalfarmerfriendly tcchnologies,including with respect 

to sceds)othcrinputs,waterharvesting and machinefy,using theKzishi 

VigyanKendras(KVKs),VilagcKnowledgeCentres(VKCs)etc. 

* Ensuretheavailabiliv ofquatlv inputsatfeasonablc prices;by putting 

in placc an appropriarcregulating system and strengthening u tension . 

* Expand CheM SP system ,based on thecostofproduction including 

reasonablcrateofreturn on investm entanclensuring apromptand 

open-endedpurchasefora1majorcrops. 

* Coversmalfarmersadequately through effectkvecrop insurance 

schcm esusing thcrevenuevilageastheunit . 

* Encourageresearch on fechnology for(lrpland farming and maltethue 

technologiesavailableto smaland marginalfarmerṣ The reccntly 

esublished NationalRain fedAudzoritycan have asitssole mandate 

the launching ofasecond green revqlution in dry farm ing areas 

beginning with pulsesand oilseeds. 

* Promote waterSecurity through sustainable watcruse rainwatcr 

hawesting. 

D esigning and lntroducing aFood G uaranteeAct 

W ehavcoveraccntury ofexpericnceirtorganîzing reliefwork , under 

the provisionsoftheFam ine Codein the colonialperiod , and Food fbr 

work program mcsin thepost-independcnceperiod . Itisclcarthatour

agriculturchasreachcd astagewhen farm erswïllgrow moreonly ifwe c-an 

consume m ore.A NationalFood GuarantceAct,combining thefcatures 

ofthe Food forwork and Em ploymentGuarantee Programmes,wil 

representawin-win situation 170th forproducersand consumers.Folowing 

up on theM GNREGA and recognizing thatthcrightto food and the 

righ:to Iivelihood areintimately related,weneed ro movetowardsa 

com prehensivc 'Food GuarantccAct'. 

A NationalFood GuaranteeActshould lead to adecentralized network 

ofgrain storagestructuresand thereby help ro preventpanicpurchaseof 

food-grainsduring periodsofdroughtorflood.They wilalso help to 

preventdistressalcsby produccrsatthetimeofharvest.In addition,it 

wilheip to cnlargethe composition ofthefood security hasket. 

Brazil,Kenyaand a few orhercountricshaveannounced, 'Zero 

H unger'programme.lndiacan takethelead to p'vemcaning and contcnt 

to thezero hungerconcept,by developing a NationalFood Guarantee 

Ac't. 

ThemajorfeaturesofaNationalFoodGuaranseeAcrwercdïscuscd 

ataconsultation held attheM S Swaminathcn Research Foundation, 

Chcnnai,onlglunc2005.Theparticipano madcthefolowingSuggestions: 

* Themain aim oftheproposed legislation should beto integratethe 

featuresofEmploymentGuarantceActs(Nationaland Maharashtra) 

and Food forW ork Program znes,in orderro ensurczhatcvez'y child, 

woman and man hasphpical,economic,socialand environmentacces 

to balanced diet,clean drinking waterand primary healthcare.Thisis 

fundam entalto providing every individualin the country an 

opportunity fora healthy and productivc life. Ruraland urban 

populationsasweltsmigratory labourfamilicswilhaveto becovered. 

Socialinclusion should betheboccom line. 

TheNationalFood GuaranteeActshould begendersensitive.'Fhe 

conceptof 'W ork'should beenlargcd to covcralso skiled work related 

to human and socialdevelopmenr,such as,forcxam ple,escablishing 

and running crèches,balwadis,preparing noon meals,etc. 

Paym entofapar:of:hcwage in thc form offood-grainshas(he 

douîleadvantageofhelping farmersin the areaofm arketing,and 

consumersin the form ofobtaining Cheirbasiccaloricrcquirements

lournalf/râ:NationalHuntan AlkitfCommision,1i/.% 2010 

in theform ofgood quality food-grainsatareasonableprice . This 

wilalso help to enlargethecomposition of thefood security baskcṭ 

Food guarantee can lxcomea realty only iftlxreitan implementation 

mechanism characterized by low transaction cosț transparene and 

frcedom from corruption.TheGram Panchayao/elected localbodies 

may beablefo providesuch amechanism . The Gram Panchayat/ 

LocalBody can form in therespective vilagesa Consortium of 

AgencieslikeSHGS;M ahilaM andals,Farmers'Clubsetc , fo providc 

oversightto theimplem entation of theintegrated food forwork and 

em ploymentguarantee approach to the elimination of hungerand 

poverty.Tl:e Panchayatcan thusprovide a platform forpartnership 

atthegrmsrootlevel.HowevcrPanchayatswillneed thenecessary 

lcgal,ilnancialan'd technicalempowerm ent .Tlte 73rd Constitutional 

Ammeadmentassigned sweraltasksto Panchayatș butthe Panchayats 

haveno capaciw to dischargetheseresponsibilitieṣ Sincethey have 

notbcen legalyorfinancialyempowered to do so .Capacitybuilding 

ofwomen and men Panchayatmembersin undcrtaking such tasks 

hasto procced concurently with 6nanciatempowerm enṭ 

. Inform ation em powcrmenton entitlcmcnfisvitalforsuccess . 

Household cntitlementcardscan bcdistributeë and fulusccould l)e 

madc of M ision 2007:EveryvilageaKnowledgeCentre Programme . 

The lkightto Informatkon Actwiltalso faciltate the processof 

empoweringfheruralpoor(often iliterate)inunderstandingtheir 

entitlem entsundervariouspro-poorschemesofCenrraland Statc 

Governments. 

Tralning and capaclty bullding of allconcerned with the 

implementation ofthcprogram meisextrem ely important . Suitable 

institutionswilhavc to be identifleforim parting training to 

adm inistrators,Panchayatleadcrs,SH GSand otherswho wilbe 

involved in im plementing theFood GuaranteeAct . 

* TheActshould providescopeforincluding feasibleland reform 

measureslikcproviding datitsand thepoorwîth spacefora homestead 

garden wheretheneeded vegetablesand fruitscan be grown . SH GS 

can also begiven spaceon leasein common property land forraising 

nutrition gardensand fodderforfarm animals .

. lntcgration with primary healthcare isexcecdingly important.For 

exam ple,de-worm ing should bcm adecom pulsory atleastonce in 

two m onths.M uitipicfortificd saltscould l)cused in noon meal 

programmcsin ordcrto attack theproblem ofhidden hungercaused 

by micronutrientsmainutrition. 

*' 

The Actcould stim ulateamovclnentforstoring grain and water 

cverywherc through comm unity food and waterbanlts.A national 

network ofcom munit'y food bankscould becstablishcd. 

. N utrition ancleducation ax fundamenralto enabling evefy individual 

to experienccaproductiveand healrhylife.Thereforerhe cnactment 

ofaFood GuarantceActwilLethebestmethod ofensuring thatwe 

areable to accomplish thcUN M ilennium DcvelopmentGoals. 

* Thankstotheextcnsiveworkdonebothwithin the countryand outside 

on issuesrelating to 'Rightto Foodt',thercisconsidered Iegaland 

technicalexpertise available forpreparing aframework for lood 

Guarantee.W eshould thereforc proceed with thisinitiative. 

. Itwilibeappropriaccto operationaisethcFood GuaranteeAc:on 

August 15,2007,which marksthe60th anniversac of lndia's 

independencc. 

Thetwin advantage ofthisapproach wilbehigherfood production 

inducted byenhanced consum p:ion and :he achievementof :he UN M DG 

rclating to hungerand povcrty. 

Road M ap forElim inating H unger 

In acountnrwith ahigh prevalcnceofpoverty and m alnutrition,the 

Governm entofIndiaskould alwaysretain acom manding position in the 

managem entofthefood securiv system.-fhiswilcalforagrain purchase 

pclicy which takesinto accounstlxe changesin thecostofproduction, 

(suchasarisein dieselpricc),subsequenttotheannouncemcntofa 

Minimum SupportPricc(M S17),TenderswilgiveapriceaboveM SP 

when they expectthatpriceswith theIesonsoftheBcngalFamineof 

1942-43,where m ilionsdied outofstarvation notbecausetherewasno 

food in them arket,butbecausethe surpiusfood stocltswcrein thehands 

ofprivatem erchants.Building astustainablefood security system 'wil 

requireattention to bod:theavailability ofsum cicntstoclcsand control

Journal(/r/zeNationalHumanMj/ptsCommisitm,1il9,2010 

them.Theglobalwheatstocksaredown thisyearand thepoliticalleadership 

ofthe countlyshould decidchow to ensurethe food sccuritz of1 .lbilion 

children,women and men in an erawhere m uch of the food-grain stock 

will)econtroled by nationaland internationalgrain tradcrsand cartels . 

NationalFood Sovereignty should nott)elosṭ 

W hile imporxof wheat,pulses,sugarand oilseedsm aybenecessary 

occasionaly in orderto preventrising in prices , weshould avoid the 

dangerofm akingthisa habit.O urfood budgetshoutd be managed with 

homegrown food,Sinceagricultureisthebackboneofourrurallivelihood 

securiry system .Nvliatisim portantisto recogniẓethatim portofp tlses 

and oilseedsset've asindicators ofour failure to launch a green 

revolution in dly farming arems,ln spiteof having tlze technologicsand 

resourceto do so.lm portsofcropsofim portanceto theincomesccurity 

offarm familiesin rainfed areasimply generating moreunemployment 

and preventsmiscl'y in such areas. 

Im port/exportofpulses,oilseedsand wheatshould berestored to 

only when absolutely necessaly 

W aterisacriticaly importantresource foragriculture . lncrcasing 

privatization ofourfood and watersecurity hasim porrantimplications 

forthefood,incomeand work security of smaland marginalfarm ersand 

agriculturallabor.The W TO agreementcntered into atM arakesh in 1994 

resulted ln an unequaltradebargain . The growing privatization offood 

and watersecurity systcm sisalready leading to an unequalsocial 

bargam'.W ewilneverbeableto achimretheUN M ilennium Development 

Goalin :hearcaofhungcrand poverv rlim ination , ifwe do notinsulate 

thcfarmer-consumersfrom unfairtradc and socialbargains . 

Ifwearero achievca second Grcen Revolution covering rain fed areaș 

thefirstimportantrequisiteisopportunityforasstzred and remunerative 

m arketing fordry land farm productslike pulses,oilseedș m illets, 

vegetables,fruits,m ilrand meat.The decision to purchmseand includc 

ragi,bajra,jowarand otlaermillexsin PDS shouldbeapermanentone. 

Thiswilihelp to enhancenutrition security on the one hand , and thc 

productivityand econom ic sustainabilil of improved dry land agricultrc , 

on theother.Thcre isalargc untapped reservoirofdnrland farming 

technologicsand wecan see adrasticrisein productivityand production of

cropsin thesearcasif farm fam iesaresupportcd by crcdit,insurance,afair 

priceand assured marketfortheirproduce. 

Thesix-pointaction plan outlined below isbasedon (heconsiderations 

setoutabove.The plan recognizcsthatthcproblem offood sccurityis 

b0th m ultidimensionaland cutsacrostherural-urban divide.Sinceurban 

food insecurity and deprivation arcclosely related to ruraldeprivation,a 

com prehensiveratherthan asectoralapproach isrequired.Thesixpoints 

in briefate: 

* Reorganizethedelively ofnutrition supportprogrammeson alifecycle 

basiswith the participation ofPanchayatsand localbodies. 

* Eliminatemicronutrientsdcficiency induced hitltlen hungerthrough 

an integrated food cum fortilcarion approach. 

@ 

Promotethc establishmentofcom munity food and waterbanks 

operated byW omen Sclf-help Groups,based on theprinciplc'store 

Grain and W atcreverpvhere'. 

Help smalm arginalfarmcrsto im provethe producrivity,quality and 

proiltability offarm entcrpriscsand organize a RuralN on-Farm 

Livclihood Initiative. 

. lntroduceSupporrsystemsto SHGSto m akethem economicaliy and 

organizationalysustainable.Fztablish forthispurchase SH G Capacity 

Building and M entoring Centrcsand focuson developing M icro- 

CrcditBanltsinto SustainabieLivelihood Banks. 

. Form ulateaNationalFood GuaranteeActcontinuing theuseful 

fcaturesofthe Food forW ork and Employm entGuarantee 

programm esand introducc iton l5 Atègust,20l1. The Food 

GuaranteeActwilbc apowcrfultoolin achieving:hcgoalofahungerfreeIndia.By 

increasing demand forfood-grainsa$arcsultofincreased 

consumption by thcpoor,thecconomicconditionsesentialforfurther 

agriculturalprogresscan be crcated. 

Organization isrhegreatesthuman invcntion ofalItim e.O rganization 

isthesocialtechnology throughwhich human beingsaccomplish togcther 

farm ore than c'an beaccomplishcd individualy, Thisiswhy wehave 

placed greatem phasisb0th on Pitlsand SHGSforovcrcoming the chronic 

problemsof hungerand low productivitz.

Journaip/t/zeNationaiHuman Rfér/pzxCommAion,W/..9,2010 

Assuring lncom eSecurity to Farm ersthrough M inim um 

SupportPrices,and Food Security forthe Nation though 

a UniversalPD S 

W ehave proposed acomprehensiveand integrated Food and Nutririon 

Security System .Nvhich ifacceptcd and implcmentcd,wilhelp to m ake 

hungerfree Indiahistoly An importantrequisiteforachieving thesegoals 

isthedevelopmentof an incomeand work securiv system forsmaland 

m arginalfarmersand landlusruralmanu: labour. 

There isam plc evidencein thecountry to show thatourfarm families 

wilproduccnotonly morefood grains,butalso horticulturaland animal 

husbandfy productsprovided they have opportunitiẹsforassured and 

remunerative marketing.Progresin the production ofmilk and poultry 

productswastriggered by accessto rcm unerativcpricesand marketṣ W e 

thcreforcsuggestthe folowing operationalprocedures: 

* Announcethc M SP forawiderange of cropsof importance to PDS 

beforesowing,taking into accountthe recommendationsofCAC I 

* Fix theprocurementprice atthe time of hatvest,taking into account 

theprevaiking m arkctpricc.Theprocurementpriccwilltakeinto 

account the costescalation in inputslikc diesel,since the 

announcementof M S2 

* Sincegovcrnmentpurchasareforensuring ahunger-freeIndia,issuea 

SmartCard which wilentitlethose farmerswho seltheirproduceto 

PDS,purchaseinputslike seeds,fertilizers,veterinazy pharmaceuticals 

etc.,atconcessionalprices(such astenpercentle-sthanthemarkct 

pricc).Thiswi1beanappropriaterecognitionofthecontributions 

offarm fam ilieswho have decided to pm icipate in the N ational 

M ovem entforM akeûng H ungerH istoryk 

Through theabove3-pronged stratea Nationalfood security and 

sovereignty,a.swelasfmedom to farmersto getthebestpossibleprice, 

can be acbieved. Largccom panicswho wish to purchaseessential 

comm oditiesatalittle higherpricethan thatoffcred by theGovernm enț 

in theexpcctation ofm aking large profltslatercan also be keptunder 

chcck.W crequestthatfheabovethreeprinciplesm ay beconsidered and 

adopted in an appropriatem anncrassoon aspossible .

Conclusion 

TheUN M ilcnium DevelopmentGoals(M DGs)representaGlobal 

Com mon M inim um Programme in the arca of susfainablehuman wel- 

Leing and sccurity.W e should rhereforenotfalbehind in achievingthesc 

very m odatbutimportantgoals. Therightto food isabasichum an 

right.M atcrnaland foetalundernutrition leadsto thcbirth ofchildren 

with a1ow birthweight(i.c.lesthan2.5kg).Suchchildrensufferfrom 

scveraldefectsincluding im paired brain dcxvelopmentané cognitiveab ity , 

These children aredenied even atbirth an opportunity forthe ful 

deveḷopmentof his/herinnategeneticpotentialforphysicaland m utual 

develop'ment.Thls(sthecruelestofinequity Inequity in adultlifeis 

caused by chronicand hidden hunger.Thm,theadtzltpcrson isprevcntetl 

from enjoyingahealthyandproductivelife.Nutritionand educationarr 

thetwo lcgsof ahuman being.Conferring thc rightto L0th thcsevital 

neetlsto ensurethattheproposed Food SecurityActisformulated in such 

amannerthatfood foral1and foreverbecomes80th an achicvalleaswel 

asanon-negotiable goal. 

Referrnces 

* AnnualReport20062TheNationalCommision onFarmers(NCF) 

M ilrnium DevelopmentGb/zi,UNDP

T he U nfinished Battle A gainst 

H ungerin lndia 

Harsh M ander* 

Hungerlurksunseenandunacknowledged,notjustinthedistant 

teeming countrp ide,butalso in thegrim shadowsofthestreetsofglitering 

cities.Formilionsofpeoplein India,hungcrremainsawayoflife:insidious, 

furtive,unrem iting and unforgiving.Anything between eighty and two 

hundred milion men,women and children go to sleep hung!y eve!y night 

in ourcountry. 

In ayear-long study ofchronicfood deprivation,ruraldcstitution 

and hungerin AndhraPradesh,Orissaand Rajasthan,amongaged people, 

single women and people with disabilityl,we found thatthesemostdutitutc 

individualssunriveharsh,protracted and hopclcsswantin many ways,by 

simply dcnying :hemselvc.sand rcducing cheirfood intake overprolonged 

periods;orby foraging forfood in forcscsand eating food otherpeople 

would norm aly shun;by sending even smalchildren outto work,even in 

conditionsofbondage,so thattheyarcfcd;byseling theirScantbelongings; 

and alwaysasalastresort,l)y Ilegging. 

A tlourishing intelectualcortage indust:y hasgrown up acrossthc 

planetaround theworthy enterpriseof m easuring and estimating poverl 

and hungcr.M uch ofthepublished reamsofthisdebate -to which 

econom isto,nuririoniotsand publicplannerstirelesly contribure -would, 

Ispcculate,appearstrangely remoteto aperson who liveswith and battles 

hunger.Thedebatcswould probably seem strangely detached toherfrom 

theirdaily triumphsand defeats,from thc profbund suffering and 

powerlesnex ofwatchingone'schildren crythemselvestosleep on ahungry 

*Director,CcntrcforEqulty Studies 

Mander,Harsh.(2008)'Livingwith Hunger:Deprivationamongd:eAged,singlcWomen 

andPeoplewith Disability',Economictza#lib/frfrjd/Wi'e## 43(17):87-98 

Journalt/r/peNationalflra/rlR'kl,tsCommision,1/b1 9.2010 

I

stomach,from theshameofdepending on chariv , from m oralvictories 

and colapse,from thelonelincssoç m igration , from thehelplessnessof 

dclntbondage,and from Ioveand longingwhich issoterribletlecauseitis 

so hopeles. 

Policy makersand economistsexpend an enorm ousdeatofeflbrtand 

timcon atempting to measurethe scaleofhunger , povertyand destitution. 

Itison thebasisofsuch esfimatesthatthcStatesplan waysto combat 

theseand to alocateresourccsfortheseexertions , and to assessthcimpacr 

ifitscforts.erhereisabewildering and meandering m azeofdebatesabout 

deilning and m easuring poverty hungcr , m alnutrition and starvarion. 

M ostpoverty linesare constructed around thescvcrcly minimalist 

prcmiseofthcleastamountof m oney thatan alegedly 'averagc'man or 

woman would requireto buy thecheapcstfood that,when eaten , would 

metabolise info the minimum caloriesthathc orshe requiresto lead an 

activeand healthy life,Nutritioniststheworld over , Haveexperlmented 

withmany sccsofpeople(including,1learn,thoseconfined tojails)to 

constructcstim atesofthe minimum caloric rcquirementsof'average' 

populations.Thercquireddailyalowancc(RDA)ofcnerc hasLecnpegged 

by Indian plannersat2 100 kcalforurban and 2400 forruralpersonspcr 

dayfor'normal'work based on recommendationsby theNutrition Expert 

Group to thc Planning Comm ission in l969 .Yct,studieshaveestablishcd 

thatespecially poorlabourfr:g ptopteneed to expend fargreater(abour 

requiring substantially higherlevclsof caloricintake , rhcrcfbrepoverty levels 

arebiaed againstthosewho arcmosrdeprived . 

UtsaPatnaikzfinds:hateven theextrcmely modes:minim alstandards 

ofcaloricintakeprcscribed forcalculating poverty thresholds , havebeen 

quietly (and shebelievesdishonesdy)abandonedl)ypolicyplanncrsinIndia, 

to mychologisc aboutrapidly faling povertz levclsin theeraof globalisation 

and structuraladjustment inIndiasinccthel990s.Sheflndstharthe 

nutrition: normsof2 l00 and 2400 kcalwereactualy used to a csspoverty 

levelsonly in l973-74(the28th RoundNSSdata,whicharelarge-scale 

samplesurveysofhousehold levelexpendifuresl.-f'heruraland urbanpoverty 

line.swcrefixcd in thatyearataround 49 and 57 rupeẹ sperhead permonrh, 

becausc itwasfound thatrhismoney enabled purchaseoffood to ensurc 

2 Patnaik'Utsa.(2006)Péwrrṭy dzrz#Ne/-ffl.tvw/zb'ra in .&#zk,New Delhi:CentrefofEconomic 

studiesandPlanning,JawaharlalNchruUniversity

Journalofthes/zrforz;zlHuman#fX f,Commision,1W.P,2010 

rhem inim um necessae caloric requirements,Since then,thePlanning 

Comm ission neverannounced abéndonmentofthisnorm .Butin practice 

itassumed thatpeople'sconsumption basketwould remain completely 

unchanged in afastchangingworld (meaningtherewould benochanges 

in choicesof goodsand servicespurchascd,orin theneedsand aspirations 

ofthepoor),andmerely usedapriccindextoadjustupwardsthc1973-74 

Povrrtyline. 

Thcgreatcstlong-term consequencr.sofprolonged dcnialsofadequate 

andhealthy food areborneby childrvn and infants,and women-notjust 

in termsofprodigiouscm otionalburdensofavoidablesuffering including. 

through enorm ouslevelsofsilentinsidiousstarvation -butalso in terms 

ofsheerphysiologicalwasting,avoidaLlesicknessanddeath.Iriswhatlean 

Dreze and ShonaliScn aptly describeasa'pcrmanenthum anitarian 

em ergenc 'J . 

The datafrom thethird round ofthe NationalFamily H ealth Survey 

(NFHS3),released in2007,establishesthattherateofchildmalnutrition 

in India isastaggering 460,4,in otherwordsthatalmostevenrsecond child 

in lndiacontinuesto be m alnourished,de-spite galopingeconom icgrom h. 

Even moreworlying isthc factthatthisproportïon isvirtualy unchangcd 

from thetime sincetheN FHS 2 survey of1998-99 wasundertaken,which 

alsoestimatcd chepercentageofmalnourished children at47% (which was 

aperiodofacceleratinggrom h intheIndianeconomyl.-rhisisdoublethe 

rateof malnutrition forSub-saharanAfrica,which hasSom eofthepoorcst 

countriesin the world.Poorerncighbouring countrieslikeBangladesh have 

been moreSuccessfulthan India to combatchild malnutrition.About2.1 

milion deathsoccurannualy in under-jyear-old children in India.Scyen 

outof every 10 ofthesearcdue to diarrhoea,pneum onia,measles,or 

malnutrition and often acom bination of theseconditions. 

IfweusetheBodyMasslndcx(BM I)tocalculatethenutritional 

adequacy oftheIndian population,and take a 20-yeartrend analysis,we 

ilnd thatnearly40% oftheadultpopulation in thccountly have a BM lof 

lessthan 18.5.ThcW orld H ealth O rganisation clasilessuch asituation as 

' 

alarming'. 

.3 Dreze,Jean.,andShonaliSen(2004)Univrsalisatien w/l/lQuality:Anzfg'rp#.fzXrICDS 

(mimeo),New Dclhi:NationalAdvisoryCommitree

In contemporary lndia,large-scalefam ineshavebeen overcome.Thc 

nightmare of thecalam itousdecimation ofenorm ouspopulationsbccause 

they aredenied accescven to theminimalfood nccesa!y fortheirbarc 

sulvival,hasmercifuly pased into theyelowing page.sofhistoly Thelmst 

majorfaminethatbrutalyswcptaway3 milionliveswmsinBengalin1943, 

Sincelndependencein 1947,chcrehavebeen manymomentswhen checountry 

hastethered prccariously attheedgeof calam ity,such asthegreatBiharcrop 

decimation of1967,and large-scalefailure.sofharvestsin M aharashtra in 

1973,W estBengalin1979,inMadhyaPradcsh and Gujaratin1987.The 

countty hasalwaysdemonstrateclitsresilienccand capacitz to pulback from 

thebrink.Therchavebcenrepeateddroughtsin many S:ate.slikeRajasthan, 

Orissa,Chhatisgarh,Bihar,AndhraPradesh,Jharkhand.Smalfarmersin 

largepartsofthecountryrcmain criticaly dependenton themonsoons,and 

floodshaveracked farmerswith unfailing regularity in StateslikeAssam) 

Bihar,UttarPradesh;buttheimpactshave becn localised and whereassmaler 

numbersofpersonshavcsuccumhed tothesecalamities,thcmajorityof 

peopie have tcndcd to copcand sunrive-butwith intcnseavoidablesuffering 

- 

with migration,debt,rdicf hondage,accessto subsidised food in thepublic 

distribution systcm and employmentin pullicworlcs.d 

However,thebattleagainsthungerhasby no meansbeen won.Public 

prcsureand Stateaction have been farlessuccesfklin overcom ing endemic 

hungerorenduringdenialstoadequatenutritionnecessarynotjustfor 

sulvivalbuta hcalthy and activelife,than ithasbecn in averting famincs.It 

isestimated thatalthough much moredisperscd in timeand geography, 

and farlcssvisibleand politicaly combustible,contem poraly deathsby 

hungerand hungerrelared diseasesfaroutnumbererstwhiledcathsby famine. 

Innumerableindividuals,familiesand comm unities,in 170th vilages 

and cities,continucto strugglewith chronichungcr,which isforthem is 

embcdded asaway of life, Thesc rend to come from the inform al 

di Asobsenred by Sen,'IndiahasbeelSuccessfulinprcvcnting fam ines-dïerehasbeen no 

substantialfamineinIndiasinccindependcnt:ein1947...(Rlherehavcbeenmanyoccurrenccs 

of substantialcrop failures,oficn covering large regions,and somctimessharp declinesin 

natlonalfood availability,buttlae threafeningfamineshavebeen sropped'.This,according to 

him,wasmadepossible'bypubiicactionbeforetheycoutdbecomcmajork'llers.'Wrhilefhis 

h:tshappenedthroughou:rlzepost-indepcndenceperiod,tbcreisevidenceofincreasedelcienc)r 

inaverting Fam inccondilions.Forexample,thethrcatening fam incsin M aharashtra iIl1973, 

inWcstBengalin1979,inGujaratiI:l987havca1bcenprevent'edmuchmorespeedily-with 

rdativcl)rlitrlealvcrseimpacton nlortality rates-than happened in (he earliercaseofnear- 

Ikmincin 1967 in Bihan'

Journtd oftbeNzr/o zfHuman sè/atçCommàsion,Wf,9,.2010 

unorganised working classectors,such aslandlessworkcrsand artisans, 

socialy oppressed groupslikedalitsand adivasis,singlcwoman headed 

houscholds,destitutepersons,pcrsonswith disabilitiesand oId people 

withoutcaregivers,m igrantworkersand urban streetchildren . Thesilent 

daily tragedy continuesto play outin many homesand on thestreetsin 

ourcountry,thatmassesofpeoplesleep hungly and within m ostfam ilie's, 

women arethelastto eat,and iffood isscarce,they are likely to eatrhe 

least. 

The puzzle ofhungeram idstplentyhasdeepened further,becausethe 

governmentin Indiahmsiargcr,more extensivcand moreelaboratefood 

security schemcsthan mostcountriesofthe world,covering moststagesin 

theIifccyclcof apoorperson,from birth to date. 

The experim cntof freeIndiaisthatitscentraland stategovernm encs 

havc undertaken avariety of-program mes,to enablepeople to fecd 

themselves,and assistthem to wherethey cannot . Themajordutiesof 

narionalanclstategovernmcntsare to facilitatetherealisation of theright 

to food forpcopleby assuring thatthcreareenabling conditionsthatalow 

people ro providcforthem selves,and wherepeoplcare notableto feed 

themselvesadequately foreconomic,biologicalorsocialreasons,ro directly 

provideforthem . 

O ne way ofappreciating the shccrscope and ambition ofthcfood 

schemesin India isto recognisethatthecxtend food supportin virtually 

evely phmse in the lifc clrcleofperson who isimpoverished,from the cradle 

(andeven beforethisfrom thewomb)tothecremation ground.Evcn 

bcforcachild isborn,themothershould begetting supplcmentazy nutrition 

from the ICDScentre,and maternity beneûtsupportfrom thenearest 

Primary Hcalth Ccntre.Afterbirth,them othcrisentitled to continueto 

rcccivesupplementaly food aswdlasnutrition advice from the ICDS centre, 

includingforexclusivebreastfeeding untilthe agcofsixmonths,and the 

supply of suirableweaning foodsfortheinfantafterthat.From the agcof 

three,thechild can benefltfrom pre-schooleducation aswela-sahotmeal 

daily attheICDScentre.'W hen in primalyschool,thechildwilcontiaue 

to getanutritioushotmealcvely day shcorhe attcndsschool,and if shcis 

agirl,thisw ilcontknueeven into adolesccnce,again atthc ICDS centre . In 

adulthood,food isavailableforwagework in governm entpublic works 

programm es.ThePublicDistribution System ration shop isan important

sourceof subsidised food grainsBrthc entircfkmily.Ifthcfamily isstil 

shortoffood,they can demand now asa legalright100 daysofwork a 

ycarafstarutoly m inim um wages,closeto theirhomes.In oid age,thc 

individualwould besupported by aStatcpension.lfthelread winncrdie.s 

carly,then thercisalso afam ily insuranceto help thefam ily to survivethe 

cconomic shock. 

Yetthisgovem mcntseem specmcularly incapableof actualy reachingfood 

to itshungly and malnourished masofgirlsand boys,womcn and men. 

Dcm ocraticgovernmentstheworld ovcrguaranteealpeoplc who 

livewithin theirboundariesthemostesentialand basicofal1rights,and 

thisistherightto life.Thefundamentalrightto lifeisunderstood to 

imply that,forinstance,ifa pcrson isdetaincd l)y thc state,and dieswhile 

in irscustody,eitherbecauseoftortureorcxtra-judicialkillings,state 

authoriticsarecrim inaly liable forthedeath.Theactualrealisarion ofthis 

right,especialy by powerlessand disenfranchised pcople,remainsof course 

ilawéd and often biterly contested in Inany countries.Butthe theoryof 

such state accountability israrely contested within thcframework ofliberal 

democraty 

Thcrightto enough and assured food to livean activeand healthy life 

with dignity isin principlcalsoan essentialcom ponentoftlefundalnental 

righrto Iife,because lifcitselfis impossiblewithoutfood.Yet,state 

authoritiesare convencionaly nothcld responsiblewhen aperson losesher 

lifebecauseshecannotaccesssufficicntfood forhersurvivalin thesame 

.way asaperson who dicsbecausechc state dircctly (akcsherlife without 

re-sortto dueprocessoflaw.Thc death ofacitizcn'by starvation isscen a 

moralfailureofthestatc,lutrarely onc thatcntailsdirectpunishable 

crim inaloreven civilliability ofpublicautlaoritieswho wercchargcd with 

theresponsibility to ensurcthatevery m an,wom an and child in their 

J'urisdictionshaveaccessto suflcientfbod fortheirsurvivalwith dignity. 

Courtsand ConsCitutionshaveheld back from m aldng socio-economic 

rightslikcthatto food,shclterand health carelesaly binding,becauseof 

thefiniteavailabilit'yoffiscalresource-s.Jtisbelieved tha:decisionsregarding 

the amountof tax thatshould be im posed,on who these btlrdensshould 

faland how the-scresourccsareto bcinvested,area1ltegitimately political 

decisionsoftheexccutive,in which thelaw and courtsskould takecarcnot 

to tread.Thcrcfore,c-vcn whcn socialand economicrightsareacknowledged

Journtlt/tâ:NationalHuman AzkitrCommisionz#U.% 2010 

by couro and Constitutions , itismostlywith thecavcatthatrightsinvolving 

substantialstatecxpenditurcsuch a.sforfood and hotxsing shoulcll)e realised 

only to the extcntthatitisconsidered ilscaly fcasiblcby tlaeelectcd 

governmentofthcday to raisere-sourcesforthesc . However,whilepublic 

resourcesarecertainly finite and limitedyStatesneed to be constraincd to 

raisesufflcienrresourcesand to prioritise itsexpendituresto ensurethe 

survlvalofalofitspeoplewith dignits and tl-tiscan beensureé only with 

the intervention ofthc law and courts; 

Thcrefore,alegaly enforceableregimeofsocio-econom ic rightsm ust 

1ay a floorof human existenceand dignity bclow which no person can be 

perm ittcd fo slip.ltestablishcsthescafolding forhum anegovernance , 

which serslimitstotheenormousavoidallehuman suffering entailed l)r 

wantoffood,aroof to protcctonefrom thcextremcsofclim ate , and 

health care when oneisam ictcd . Itdemandsstateoflcialsto lneaccountable 

80th forwhatthey do and notdo forthemostvulnerableand defenceless 

in society.Itafirm sthatno human being isdispensable ,regardlesofage 

and wealth,gcnderand ability,and ofwhatthey are deemcd to producc 

and contributeto society. 

The uniqueexperience in Indiasince2001demonstrates:he practical 

waysin which arightasfundamentala.sthe rightro food can become 

legally enforceahle,and have extraordinaly im pactson the m assive 

redeploym cntof Statecxpenditure.sin favourofthedispossessed ,and the 

coverage with Statesupported food supply to m ilionsofchildren and 

women and men who liveroutinely deprived of adcquateand assurcd 

nutrition,Therecentlndian experienccoftherightto food isan extremely 

importanrilustrationofhowacombination orcivicandjudicialactivism 

hashelped claboratc an importantsocio-econom ic right yand progressivcly 

madesegmentsofitjudiciable.ThisexpericnccofIndian courtsand civic 

action in enforcing the rightto food isusefulalso to ilum inate thevexed 

andasyetunresolveddebateaboutthcjustiflabilityofsocio-cconomic 

hum an rightsIikctherightto food,orin simpletermswhetheraperson 

who isdenicd rhisrightcan go to court60th to getthe rightenforced and 

to ensure punishm entto tlzosein authority who denied herthisright . 

W hen theIndian Constktution -a luminousand exceptionaly 

progrcssive document-waswriten in thelate 1940s , itaccepfed thc 

prevailing accepted received wisdom of thosctimṟs,thatcivlarvd political

freedomsalone Iikeprotectionsagainstilegaldctention and freedom sof 

expression and association can beenforced through courts.Itlisted these 

in achaptcron Fundamentalm ghts.Itreserved anotherchapterforsocial 

and economicrights,which itcallcd DircctivePrinciplesofStatePolily 

which were moraly rathertlaanlegaly Linding.ln aliteralsense,itisonly 

in thischapterthatwefind mention ofrightssuch asto food and shelter. 

Themostexplicitrefercnceto therightto food can t)efound in thefirst 

partofArticle47 of thischapteroftheIndian Constitution. 

However,thehighestcourtsofthcland ovcrtheyearse-stablished that 

therightto food wasimplicit,cven ifnotspecilcaly mentioned,in the 

chapteron cnforceableFundam entalRights.Article21includcd in the 

Fundamentaim ghtsof theConstitution,en:itled 'Protection of lifeand 

personalliberty',guaranteesthat'N o person shalbedeprived ofhislifeor 

personalliberty exceptaccording to procedureestablished by law'.Over 

theyears,asericsofjudicialintcnrentionsandinterpretationshavcvastly 

cxpanded thefrontiersofthisrightto include severalothersocio-economic 

rights,including therightto food,rightto housing and righttowork. 

Even thisjudicialacknowledgementoftherightto food asa 

fundamentalrightdid notuntilrecendy havepracticalimpacton the actual 

realisation ofthisrightby girlsand boys,wom en and men who were 

routinely deprived ofadequateand assured food foran activeand healthy 

life.Indeed thiswastheexperienceeven ofcountrieslike South Africa 

which explicitly included therightto food in theirConstituLions.This 

was,in practice,becausea grcatdealof am biguity continued to surround 

theactualjusticiabilityofthisright,orwhctherapcrson whoserightis 

denied can seek redressfrom courts.Thisdcpcnded ultimatcly on the 

discretionandintcrpretationofindividualjudges.ln thecventofprogressive 

and responsivejudgeshearingthesematters,judicialinterventionhas 

cum ulatively strengthened therealization of thisright. 

In theyear2001,agroup ofactivistsundcrthebannerofthePeople's 

Union forCiviLiberties(PUCL),Rajmsthan,filedacaseintheSupremc 

Court,dem anding tha:therigh:to food should berecognized asalegal 

rightof every person in thecountly whetherwoman orman,girlorboy. 

The petitionersin thiscaseclaimed tharthe pcople of Indiaare confronted 

wich an unconscionablcsituation ofram panthungerand recurring droughts 

on theonehand,and governmentsthatfailto preventhungcralthough

) JourndloftbeNa/onz/HumanAiFJ:VCommLuion,VN.9,2010 

they have themeansto do so including overflowing warehousesofrotting 

food-grains,on theother. 

TheSuprem eCourtaccepted thcpetition asonethatitwould consider, 

withtheobservarions(madeonJuly23,2001)that: 

In ouropinion,whatisofutm ostimportanceisto seethatfood 

isprovided to theaged,inilrm ,disabled,destktutewomen, 

destitutemen who arein dangerof-stalvation,pregnantand 

lactatingwom en and dcstitutechildren,especialy in caseswhere 

thcy ormem tlersoftheirfamily do nothavesufilcientfundsro 

providcfood forthem.ln casc of fam inc,there may be shortage 

of food,butherethe situation isthatamongstplenty thereis 

scarcity.Plcnty oi-food isavailable,butdistribution ofthesame 

alnongstthc very poorand thedestituteisscarce and non-existent 

leading to mal-nourishment,stataration and otiïegrelated 

Problems. 

'f'heGovernmentoflndiaandvaziousstate.sresponded to theSupreme 

Courtwith claimsthatthc alreadywereim plementingarangeofschemes 

thatadequately secured therightto food of :1people.ln reply thcpetitioner 

requisitioned inform atgon from a stilincipientcivilsocictynctwork which 

caled itsclf(he lkightro Food Campaign to establish thegrave flawsand 

gapsin thccoverageand implcmentation oftheseprogrammes. 

TheIearnedjudgesofthcSupremeCourtwereconvinced bythe 

burgconing mridenccplaced beforethem,and they then took severalhighly 

signiflcantstcps.Thc flrstofthr-se wasto directa1governm entsthatthey 

could notwithdraw orabridgeany ofthebeneiltsthatwercprovided by 

therangeofeightfood,livelihood and socialsecurity schemcsthatwcre 

vitalfora1lpeopleto Securetheirrightto food.In otherwords,whatthe 

courtdidwasto flrstly convertfood,livclihood and socialsecurity schemes 

which arevitalto food security of vulnerablecitizens,into entitlem entsor 

rights.By this,theStatcno longerhastheoption to withdraw orrcduce 

any of thvtseschemesasthey had becom elegalrights.Itisobliged to atlemst 

rctain,orpreferablyenhanccthcse entitlements,and raise thenecesary flscal 

resourcesto providc forthem .Thisorderthuspaved theway foran 

enforceablerightto food forthe lrsttime.lthasbeen very efectivein 

Prmrcnting governmentsto remove ordilutetheseschemcs,underpressures 

to rcducefiscalburdens.Forinstance,theunion cabinctpaseclaresolution

to raiseprice.sofsubsidised food grainsavailablcunderthe publicdistribution 

system and to reducealocations,which would haveamountcd to gravely 

enfeebling thepublic distribution system .However,theComm issioners 

appointed by theCourtim mcdiately informed thecabinetthatthiswould 

bcaviolation ofthe ordersofthe highestcourt,and thcgovernment 

ulrimately wirlzdrcw thisorder. 

NcxttheSupremeCourtestabished itsown indepcndentmonitoring 

mcchanismsto cnsurecompliancewith the courtsordersand ro trackb0th 

hungerand thc performance offood,livelihood and socialsecurity 

programm esofa11governm entsacrossthecountry through thedeviceof 

appointingicsindependentCommisioners.(Initialy,:heCourtappointed 

Slksanltaran D CINC Saxena asCommissioners.M rsankaran subscquently 

resigned,andsincethen 1havebccnworldngwithDrSaxcnafortlaeCotlro. 

Apartfrom thepleadingsofthe pctitioncrand rcpliesand reportsof(he 

UnionofIndiaandseveralStateGovcrnments,rhejustice.softheSupremc 

Courthaverelicd signiflcantly on a seriesofReportssubm itted by (he 

Com m isionersappointcd by theSupreme Court,to assistitin its 

deliberationsin thiscase.In thcirReports,theCom missionershave 

atempted lrstly to monitorthe implementation ofvariousinterim orders 

passcd by theSupremeCourtin thccourseofthchearingsin the casc. 

They havefurtherreviewed and analysed theperform ancc ofcentraland 

StateGovernmentsin implcmentingvariousschcmesand program mcs 

related to thefood security ofthe people ofIndia,parricularly vulnerable 

peoplc,They have ihvcstigated and reported on compiaintsand reportsof 

localfailuresin food programm es,including starvation deathsand finaly, 

they havefrom timetotime,madcrecom mendationsto both governments 

and theSuprem eCour:oflndia forpossible stepsthattheymay consider 

todefend and promotethefood sccurityofthepeopleof India,parricularly 

vulnerablepeople. 

Thethird category oforderspassed by theCourthasbeen to expand 

thecontentand modesof im plem cnration ofthc variousschemes,which 

ithad converted into entitlemenLs.Forinstance,again on thcadviceofits 

Com miuioners,itruled thatschoolmealsshould belocaly produced,hot 

and cooked (and notdry snacksorgrain which many governmcnts 

distributeduntilthen),hygienic,nutritious(ofaprescribedminimum 

caloriclevel)andwith variedmenusforeverydayoftheweek.ltalso 

recognised thatschoolmealsarean instrumentto xach children social

JournaloftbeNlzftwkzlHutnan Alg/ztîCommission,Wl.9,Jp10 

equality,thereforeifruled thatprefcrence begiven to dalitcooks,In the 

ICDS(lntegratedChildDcvelopmentScheme),itbanncdcontractorsfrom 

supplying ready-to-eatfood to prc-schoolchildren,and ap in required hot 

cooked mealsforchildren,atleastthoseabovetheageof 3 years.Thiswas 

ablow againsrccntralised procurementand thepossibilitie.soflarge-scalc 

centralised corruption.Thepowerfulbiscuitmanufacturerslobby saw an 

enornaousopportunity forprofitin thcCourt-expanded programmc and 

recruited membersofparliam entacrossparty linc.sand an influentialcabinet 

ministerto demand thatlocaly produced and monitored hotmealsbe 

rcplaced by thc'em pty calories'ofbiscuits.erhisproposalwasfoughtby an 

informalalianceofconscientiouspuḅlic selvants,the nationalmedia, 

concerned professionalsand thecourtComm issioners,and although itwas 

a lloodied battlc,victoly atthetime of wtiting sccmsto bewith Court 

ordersfordeccntraliscd hotcooked m ealsprevailing in thcoverwhelming 

bestintcrestsofm ilionsofouryoung malnourished children.Likewise, 

the courtand Comm isionersrecom mended higherpensionsfortheaged, 

distributcd on time every m onth atthe doorstepsoftheim poverishcd 

elderly. 

And flnaly theCourtordered theuniversalising ofmany ofthese 

schem es.Untilnow,governmentscovered only a fraction ofthepotential 

recipientsoffood,wage orsocialsecurity benefltsprovided by these 

program mes.The SupremeCourtnotonly convertcd the schem esinto 

enforceableentitlements,italso ordered thatcvery potentialbencficiary in 

thecountry mustbccovered by thcprogram mewithin adefined time 

fralnepcriod.Thismcantin cvery instance the cxpansion oftheprogramme 

severaltimesbcyondwhatitwasbeforethcintenrention oftheCourt.Itis 

highly significantthattheSupreme Courtrefused to concern itself with 

the'fiscalfeasibility'ofitsordersto universalise variousentitlements.It 

entertained no caveatsthatitsordersdepended on theability oi-fhe 

governmentstoraisesum cientresources,orleftno escapedooropen for 

governmentsto defaultin complyingwith itsdirectionson thepleathatit 

failcd to raiseadequate resources. 

Thefirstsuch orderoftheCourtwasto universalisefora1children in 

Stateand State-aided schoolsone hotand nutritiousm id-day schoolmeal. 

These today bencfitonehundred and forty m ilion schoolchildren daily, 

making thisthclargestschoolfeeding programmein theworld.N'Vhen thc

executive had Co flnd waystoraiserhe rcvenuesnecded co operationalise 

theunivcrsalised entitlemenrs,and to ilnancemid-day meals,itactualy 

imposcd initialy aspecialeducation cessof rwo percenton a1fcderaltaxes 

foreducation including Schoolmeais.A second orderisthatz'vzby habitation 

ofevery viilageand slum musthave afccding centretosenreevery chid 

below 6 years,and a1pregnantand lactating mochersand adolescentgirls. 

Thelegislaturepasscd alaw foranationalcmploymentguaranteescheme 

which legaly guaranteesa1ruralfam ilieswhich seek work 100 daysof 

wage em ploymentayearatstatutog m inimum wagesand thcexccutive 

relented in expandingthccoverageofolclagepcnsionsfrom halfto every 

aged person who isidentifled ro subsisr'bclow thepoverty line'. 

ln more thanseven yearsof hearfng,theSupremeCourthaspassed a 

numberofsignificantordersto advance therightto food ofspecificfooddeprived 

populations.Theeffectivenessofcivilandjudicialintcrventionin 

sccuringthepcople's'rightto food'can bcassessed from :herangeofthe 

interim ordersofthecourtsof'ar.(Atthctimeofwriting,51interim 

orderspascdandhearingsofthecourtin thisca-secontinue).Thescorders 

havcim proved significantly thefood security ofliteraly m ilionsofpeople 

livingwith hunger. 

Thisexpcricnccilustratesthatalthough therigh:to food already 

existed asafundamcntalrightimplicitintherighttolifc(asdoorher 

rightssuch astosheltcr,health careandsocialsecurity),fortheserightsto 

bcactualy opemtionalised,courtsin response to civic action had ro claboratc 

the righcin termsofaseriesofspeciflc and explicitentitlements.Itwasnot 

enough todeclarethatevely citizenenjoys(hefundamentalrighttofood. 

Each categoty ofpeoplehasvalying food needs,denialsandvulnerabilities, 

and theCourthasin efect'explicated'orunpacked thcrightin relation to 

each segmentof people,Foran infant,thc rightto food translatesitsclf 

into the entitlementofsupplementary nutrition ofdeflned specilcations 

in feedingcentrcs.Foraschool-going child,tlaerightim plieshotcookcd 

schoolmealsatStatccxpense.Forpregnantwomen,itmcanssupplemcntary 

nutrition and maternitybenefits.Fordesignated poorfamilies,itmeans 

35 kg of Statesubsidised rice orwheatevcry m onth.Forthc able-bodicd, 

itm eansguaranteeoffood through wagcwork.Fortheaged,itmeans 

pensions.The unfinished agendaoftheCourt,lbelieve,isto securcthe 

rightsofindividualswho arcrxcluded from a1ltheseschemesa-sthey are

kournaltfréeNatiotalHutnan AzkâtfCommision,Wl#,2010 

currently designed,such asa child who cannotgo to school , schoolorof 

malnourished womcn who are notm othersorof migranfworkcrsand 

theirfamiles. 

In summary,schemesthatcatcrto thesocio-economicrigtztsof 

clispossessed populationsneed undergo a mefamorphosisfrom programmes 

thatcan bcwithdrawn orrrduced acwilby theexecutive , into aonnegoriablecntitlementswhich 

can bc expanded,notreduced . Second,the 

contentofsomeof theserightsneed fo beenhanced , such asrhc quantum 

ofpensions,orthefeaturesofrhehotcookcd m id-day mcalṣ Third,the 

entitlementsneed to beuniversalised,such asthrough itsrulingsthatevely 

child in StateorState-aided schoolsacrossthecountfy a 

m ustgethotcooked 

noon mcals.And an indcpendentmechanism necclsto becreated to monitor 

the actualrealisation oftheserightṣ-f'helessonsfrom thisexperience would 

resonateevcnwith orherbasicsocialand economic righo , such asto shelter, 

work socialsecurLty,cducation and Eealth care. 

Conclusion 

Untilthatdar dawns-when theequaiintrinsickuman worth ofevery 

person isfuly acknowledgcd and realised -in thelong dark shadowsof 

thisland,the silenttragedywould continue to play outfurtively , ofmilions 

ofwomen and men , boysand girls,who sleep hungry.Theexperienceof 

chronic hungerin distantvilagesasmuch ason citysfreetsisoneof intense 

yetavoidablesufering;ofsetf-denial;oflearnkng to lkvewith fartessthan 

thebody needs;ofmincl,sand bodiesstym ied in theirgrowth;of unrealised 

potentials;ofunpaid,arduousdevalucd work;ofshame , hum iliation and 

bondage;ofthcagony ofhclplesly watching one'slovcd ones - 

m ost 

heartbreakinglrchildrcn -in hopelesstorment;and ofthedefeatand the 

trkumph ofthehuman spkrit. 

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India'sFood and N utrition Security 

D n Prepz/zRamachandran* 

Introduction 

Theterm 'food security'wasflrstuscd in theinternationaldevelopmen: 

literatureof the 1960sand 1970s,and rcferred to the ability of acountry 

orregion toassureadequatcfood supplyforitscurrentandprojected 

population.M ceting thc enerc requiremcntofthepopulationswasthe 

majorgoal.FoodsccuritymeasuredE)yfood grainproduction,availability 

and acccssto food ataffordabiecost(o ward of famine,mee:rhe energy 

requirem ents,and preventchronicundernutrition.HoweverṟhisdeEnition 

doesnottakeinso accounttheneed forofm icronutrientsessentialfor 

health.Overdecades therchas been increasing recognition thatthe 

micronutrientdelcienciesarevery com mon and havcto be corrected . 

Thishaslcd ro theuse of thcterm 'hungcr'to denofe enerc dcficiency 

and tcrm 'hiddcn hungcr'to denotem icronutrientdeflcienorḷ Health 

professionalsstresson the importance ofsafc drknking waterand 

environmentalsanifation forpreventing infectionsand appropriarehealth 

careforreducing losof nutrienfdueto ilncss,O veryearsthcrewcrescveral 

attcmptto make thedeflnition offood securitym orecomprehensiveand 

indude supply ofgood quality food sruffsto provide balanced dietsand 

ensurethatthepopulationsrem ain healthy.TheW orld Food Sum m itin 

1996 dcilncd food security asasituation in which '.a1people , ata1times, 

have accessto sumcient,safe and nutritlousfood to meetthekrdietary 

needsand food prefcrencesforan activeand healthy life' .Thisdefinition 

encompassesawholelotofpre-requisitcsforfood security and also brings 

into focustheIinkagebetween food, nufrition and hcalth . Thcse newer 

*Director,NurritionFoundation oflndia,New Delhi 

kournald/réeNatiotlalf'Orzi/zrzRiglm Commision,14/,9,2010

JournaloftheAk/orz/Human Afg/ztrCommtision,14,l9,2010 

comprehensivc dcilnitionsareyctto become widely used and the term 

food securityisstilused mainiy to denote adequac of food grainsto mett 

the encrc needsorthe populationḷ 

Fram ework forAssessm entof Food Security 

Having delncd food security,itisesscntialto createaframework for 

a-scsing food sccurity FAO ha.sadvocated theapproach to analysefood 

security intheframework of'AAA'-Availability (productionfactors,ị e. 

agriculturalproduction,itsdeterminantsand availability tohouseholds); 

Access(household andindividual'sacce-sstofoodandfactorsdetrrmining 

it,i.e.povertyand literacylevels,vulnerabilityofpopulations);and 

Absorpdon(ability toabsorb food-hcalthcondltions,availabilityofpotablc 

warerandsanitation). 

Fooëinsecurity,(theaLsenccoffoodsecurity)canl)eeitherchronic 

ortransitoly Food insecurity can lead to fam ineduring which acute food 

scarcity affectsîargepopulation groups;orîtcan manifestathousehold 

lcvelaschronic orperiodichungcrand worry aboutsaf'ety orsecuriry of 

food among poorersegmentsofpoputation due to poverty and lack of 

purchasing power.FAO hasadvocated tlse of some wcldehned health and 

nutrition indicatorsas'Food lnsecurity Outcome'indicators;underfive 

and infantmortality,underfivc underweightratcsand low BM Iamong 

adults,aretaken asm anifestationsof food insccuritykFAO hassetup a 

globalmechanism forrneastrement , grading and mapping offood insecurity 

anclvulncrability using food grain availability ,hunger,and child undernutrition 

rares.Asthcrelationship between food and hungerisdirecț thcre 

isgood correlation bcrwcen available afl-ordableaccessto food and hungeṛ 

Underflvem ortali? and underweightin underflv:chidren do nothave 

aoneto onc relationship with food intake ;fhey arcinfluenced byweight 

atbirth, ilnessesand accessto lwalth care .Itisthereforeposkble that 

undercertain circum stancestheinspiteof food adequacy undenveightratcs 

in children continueto bchigh. 

Initiativesto Im prove Food Security in India 

W 'hen IndiaLccameindependent,t%ecountryfaccd two major 

nutritionalproblems:onewasthethreatoffam ineand the rcsultantacute 

stanution dueto 1ow agriculturalproduction and the lack ofan appropriate

food distribution system ;thcotherwashigh prevalcnccofchronicenerpr 

and m icronutrientdeilciencicsdueto: 

. 1ow dietaryintakelecause ofpoverty and low purchasing powcr; 

high prevalcncc of infection becauseof pooraccesstosafe-drinking 

water,sanitation and health care; 

poorutilization ofavailablefaciliticsdueto 1ow literacr and lack of 

aW A CrICSS. 

Indiahad recognizcd theimportanccofoptimalnutrition forhcalth 

and hum an development.Article47 ofthe Constitution oflndiastates 

'' 

theStateshalregard raising the levelofnutrition and standard ofliving 

of itspeopleand improvemcntin publichealth among itsprimary dutkes'. 

India'sfive-yearplans2,: 

enunciated the policies, 

laid down multi-pronged strategies 

outlined m ulti-sectoralprogramm esro improvefood security and 

nutritionalstatusof:hepopulation 

laid :he goalsto beachieved in specifled timeframeand 

providcd theneedcd fundsto implement:he programmes. 

Thccomprehensive,m ultipronged strateprforcombating acuteand 

chronicfood insecuriv consisted of thefolowing components: 

* effbrtsto im proveavailability offood by providing adequatepriority 

and supportforimproving producrivity,increasing food production 

and reducing wastage 

@ 

effortsto im provcaccessto food through 

creation oi-adcquatebufl-crstock to tidcovers> onal/regionalshortfals 

in food production improving household food sccurity (hrough 

. economic growth,poverty rcduction,im proving purchasing power 

interventionsaimed atreducing poverty and improving purchasing 

Powcrthrough employm entprogram mes,e.g,food forwork 

programme in theearlieryearsand currently the NationalRural 

EmploymentGauranteeScheme

' JeurnaloftbeNa/opyz/Humans@ l Commùsion,W19,2010 

eflkctive food distrlbution ofesentlalfoodstuffsatsubsidized costto 

the food insecure population through eflcientand cffectivepublic 

distributionsystem (PD8) 

* directorindirectfood subsidy forthepoorsuch asprovidingsubsidized 

foodgrainsthrough publicdistribution systcm (PDS)to poor 

(Targeted PDS)andprovidingfood atheavily subsidizcd costcot%e 

venrpoor(AnthyodayaAnnaYojana) 

* providîng food suppkementsforbridging thegapsbetwecn nutrient 

requirementsand dietanrintakesforvulnerablegroups such as 

preschoolchildren,pregnantandlactatingwomen(Integrated Child 

DcvelopmentServicesProglamme)and schoolchildren(M iddaymeal 

programme) 

efortsto improvenutrltionalstatusthrough 

reducing morbidity l)y improving cnvironmentalsanitation and 

accessro potablcwatcrsupply 

cffbrtsof shehealth sectorto tacklcadversehealth consequences 

ofundcr-nutrition adverseefi-ectsofinfection and unwanted 

fertility on the nutritionalstatusm icronutrientdeflcienciesand 

theirhealth consequcnce.s 

providc nutrkfion and heaith education so tbatthepeople 

optimaly utilise the availablcgoodsani servicẹsto improvcthcir 

health and nutritionalstatus. 

Food Production and Food Security 

Adequatc food grain production istheessentialprercquisite forfood 

sccurity in any large country.Indiawasanetimporrerof fbod grainsin the 

fiftie.sand sixties;:hecountry'sdependenceon imported f'ood wasreflected 

in thepicturesque term a'ship to mouth'existencc .Thosewho had lived 

through thatera,considerthegreen revolution asthebe 'stexam plc of what 

thecount:y can achieve,when itstrivesforattaining a cherished goaḷ 

H owever,the trchnotoprofhigh yielding warieriesprovided the neccssary 

imperus,policy initiativessuch asIand reforms , inve-stm cntin irrigation, 

fertilizersubsidy and program initiatkvessuch asinvcstm entin lab-to - land 

agriculture extension educarion,farm levelprocurementof food grainsand

minimum supportpriceplayedamajorroleinthecountlr achievingselfsuficiency 

in food production within adecade.Considcring thatthe 

agriculturalland in thecountly isprivately owncd,becomingselfsum cient 

in food production,isagood exam ple ofmission modepublic-privatcpartnership 

to achievea nationalgoalwithin adecade.Overthclastflve 

decades,increase in food production washigherthan increasein population. 

Thelastccntury ended with thecountry'soutputoffood grainscrossing 

200 m ilion tonnes,a fourfold increasc since1960-61. 

Em erging Problem sin Food Security 

Thevel successofthe drive to achieveselflsuficicncy in rice/wheat 

production broughtwith itsomemajorproblcms.Intensivemonocropping 

led to deterioration of soillnealth.M any statesattcmpted (o incremse 

production through subsidieson inputssuch aspower,waterand fertilizcrs, 

ratherthan by building new capitalassetsin irrigation and power. 

Unsustainablepracticeslikcexcessive useof waterand im balanced useof 

fertilizcrs,r-specialy in northern and norrhwestern partsofthe counrry, 

haveadversely afected soilhealth and environment,M any ofthecrstwhile 

high producing statesare experiencing grccn revolution fatiguc.Vel'y little 

attention ispaid to achievein:egrated farm ing system sthatwilensure 

sustainablcevcrgreen revolution essentialforappropriate dierary 

diversification to achievcnutrition security Poormonsoon and globalfoodgrain 

pricerisehad an impacton food price.sin thecountry.Lasrtwoyears 

witnessed huge f'ood inflation with alitsattcndantadverseconsequences 

on thequantity and quality offood consumed,cspecialy,by thcpoorer 

segmentsofthepopulation. 

Pulse.sarethemajorsourceof-proteinin Indiandiets.Puiseproduction 

doesnotrequiretoo much waterand isnotvcry labourintcnsive.Growing 

pulse.senrichessoil,Pulsescommand reasonableprice.ln spiteofalthese 

favourablcfactors,pulse production hasbeen stagnantforfivedecades. 

Gap between demand and supply necessitated im portofptlscs.The cost 

of pulse.ssoared.ln spiteofcontinued expcnditurcon pulses,household 

consum ption ofpulseshascomedown.Reduction in pulseconsumption 

wilhaveadverseeffecton nutrientintakeand nutritionalStatusof the 

population.

l'ournaloftbeNationalHumanAfgâtrCommision,%/.9,2010 

NationalFood SecurityM ission (NFSM ) 

NationalFood SecurityMission (NFSMI4waslaunched in August 

2007wëtlztheobjectivesto: 

* increaseproduction ofrice,wheatthrough productivity increaseand 

increasein pulse.sthrough ạre.-:apansion and producrivityenhancement 

in asus:ainable m anner; 

* restorc soilfertility and productivity atindividualfarm lcvel; 

* enhanccfarm leveleconomy (i.c.farm profits)torcstoreconfidence 

of farmersof:argeted districts 

The M ision fbcused on stafes/districtswith higheryield potential 

and largeyield gaps.Theimplementation oftheN FSM isexpected to 

resultin increasing :heproduction ofrice by 10 milion tonncs , wheatby 

8 m ilion tonne.sand pulsesE)y 2 m ilion tonnesby 2011-12 . 

N ationalH orticulturalM ission 

Fruitsand vegecable.sprovidecssenrialmicronutriencsvitalfornufrition 

and healtk.Indiaisflrstorsecond in production of vegetableṣ Export 

earningsfrom fruitsand vegctablesaregrowing butpcrcapitavegetable 

and fruitconsumption continuesto bc1ow gn allsegmentsof lndian 

population including fam klkeswith no econom icconstraintṣ Thisistlac 

majorfactorresponsibleforwidesprcadanaemiaand micronutrient 

deilciendesin the population . Nutritëon educatkon forincreaseinvegetable 

consumption wilsucceed only when vegetablesare availablcthroughout 

the yearatalordablecost . Thisca .n beachieved ifthe horticulturalmission 

focusesatention on production , processing and marketing of 1ow cosț 

nutrientrich vegetablcs. 

TheNationalHorticulturalM issionswassetup to mec:the increasing 

need forfrultsaadvegetabksand slmultaneously to facilitate dlversitlcation 

formaking agrictzlturemore profltablethrough cm cientland use , optim um 

utizationofnaturalresoarces(soil,waterand rnvironment)andcreating 

skiled employmentforruralpopulation . 

Someofthemajorintelventions 

necdcd include:

* Creation ofessentialinfrastructureforprcsclvation,cold Storagc, 

refrigeratcd transportation,rapid Cransit,grading,proce-sing,packaging 

and quality controloffruitsand vcgetabies; 

Providing nece-ssaneinvestmcntto enablethehorticulturalsectorto 

achieve itsfuleconomicpotcntial; 

Focusing on appropriatetechnology toreduccwastewilpreventdistress 

saleatlow costby the farmersand providc remunerativc em ployment 

to theruralyouEh. 

A1lthese effortswould make horticulturemorc rem unerative forthe 

farmer,reducclosesdue to was:ageand increaseavaiability ataffordable 

costthroughoutthe yearforthcconsum ersthereby improving food and 

nutrition securitg. 

Poverty and Food Security 

In theseventies,incomcwasoneofthemajordeterminantsoffood 

security;over7oloofhouseholdswerefood insccure,in spiteofhousehold 

expenditure on food being over70% ,and 70% children were 

undernourished.A l-lndiaruralantlurbanpoverty lincbmskets(PLB)were 

derived forruraland urban areasscpamtely,anchored in the pcrcapitacalorie 

normsof2400(rural)and2l00 (urban)perday.Thecxistingal-lndia 

ruraland urban oflcialpoverty ineswere originaly delned in termsof 

percapitatotalconsumcrexpcnditure(PCTE)at1975-74markctprices 

andadjustedovertimeandacrosstatesforchangcsinpriccs.Howevcr,the 

consumption paternsundcrzying theruraland urban PLBSrcmained tied 

down to thoseobserved morethan threedecadesago in 1973-74,A terarions 

in income,lifestylcsand consum ption patern ofa1segmentsincluding 

thepoorhasnotbeen rcflected in Ehe poverty line com putations. 

Consumption expenditure on food hasdecrcascd and expenditureon other 

itemssuch astransport,cducation and healch care haveincreased.-f'hecarlier 

poverty linesassumed thatbasicsocialserviccsofhealrh and education 

would be supplied by thestateand hencc,although privatecxpcnditureon 

education and hcalth wascovered in thebaseyear1973-74,no account 

wastaken ofeithcrtheincrease in the proponion ofthesc in totalexpenditure 

overtimeorortheirproperrepresentation in availablepriceindices.

JournalọJ'J7:NatiotulHum4n Jlf d jr/ptsCommisszon,Vi/.% 2010 

Planning Comm ision constituted an expertgroup to review the 

methodology forestimation of povertỵ Thiscommittec6had recommended 

thatactualprivateexpenditurepercapitaon food ,education ,nd health 

consistentwithoprim alnutritional ,educationalandhealth outcomesshould 

beused to define poverty line . -rhentw deilnition of poverty isbroaderin 

scope Using 

and fltswclwith thccurrentdefinition of food and nutriti on security. 

thcnew poverty line dclnition, the peoplencarthe poverty Iinein 

urban areasconrinuc to l)eable to albrd the originalcalorieno rm of 2100 

percapita perday,buttheiractualobselved calorie intake from the 61 Rolnd ofNarionalSampleSurvcy Organization(NSSO)is1776calories st 

percapi:a'.Thisacrualintakeisvezy closcto fherevised cxlorieinr ake 

AgriculturcOrganization(FAO)andICM 

norm of1770 percapktaperday currently recomm ended by th eFood and 

R . Actualobsewed calorieintake 

ofthosenearthenew higherthan 

povertylineinruralareas(1999caloriespcrcapît 

theFAO norm 

a)is 

. 

Atpresent,thcgovernmentprovides . 35kg of food grains,iscluding 

wheatand rice,to 65 . 2 milion familiescla ifled asliving bclow thepoverty 

line(BPL).The.sesubsidised rationsaremadeavailableatapriceoflts4 

. 15 

perkg ferwhcafand lts5 . 

65perV forrice.Forthe24.3millionikmilies 

ciassiflcd undertheAntyodyaschcme(alsopartoftheBPL categoly) 

, thc 

prlccof thesegrainsisfurtherreduced to Rṣ 2.00 forwheatand R.$ . 3.00 

f orrice.Theproposed NationalFood SecurityBIl1wilbc uskng tlw new 

methodology forpovcrtz estimatesand would coveralargerp roportion 

of the population 

Recom m ended D ietaryM lowancesfor Indians 

Advance.sin tcchnoloprhasenabled nutrition scientistto me asure 

requlrem entsofenergy and othernutrientaccurately unde rfreeliving 

coaditions.These data now clearly indicate thatactualcnerg y(and many 

othcrnutricnts)requirementsarelowcrthanwhathasbeen computed 

earlierbvThcFxpcrtGroup OfICM R'h:uspublishcd theReporton nutrient 

requiremcntsand recommended dietaryalowancesforlndianṣ Rcference 

b ody weightsforadultm an and woman werecomputed on the ba-sisof 

averageof the 95th centileweightsof the age categoriesl8 - 19,20-24 

and 25-29 years obtained from NatlonalN utrition M onitoring Bu reau 

(NNM B)10and INPIl surveys.Refcrence body weighffor boysand

girlswerecom puted similarly from the95th centile valuesofbody weights 

ofruralIndiafrom NNM B ald INP surveys.Forinfans and young children 

thedata from NV1-10 standardswhich corespond broadly toche95th centilc 

of theweightoflndian ruralchildren wercused .-f'fleICM R Expcrrgroup 

had recom mended thafactualrequirem cnrin specilcpopulation groups 

shouldbradjustedfortheactualweightandphysicalaccivity ofthat 

popularion especially when com puting the gap between energy 

requiremcntand actualintakethatneedsto befled by supplementation 

program mcs.Encrgy rcquirementsforthecu rentweightwere com putcd 

based on energy requircmentsperkg bodpveightgiven in thedraftRDA , 

compareé with theactualintake and gap betwccn dietaly intakeand 

requirementswereworked outand shown in Tablel. 

TablelEnergy requircments,actualintakesand 

gap between intake and requirem cnt 

Group refwt RDA RDA curtent Requi Actual G ap 

perkg mea .n m rement 

forcurrnt 

intake 

w t 

Adultman 60 27 .30 46 jl 2316 2000 - . 516 

Adulr 

womAn 5j 2230 ki1 d6 18 8(i 1758 -1di8 

Prenant +350 2256 l726 -510 

lactarin +500 2586 l8 . 78 -5l8 

1-3 12.9 10 t;0 i!0 l0 . j 84 0 714 -l26 

4 -6 l8 l330 7j l4 .6 10 9 j h)7 8 -l17 

7-9 25.l l690 70 19 . 7 1379 l2 30 -14 9 

Bo 

I0 -12 54.3 2i90 65 26 .6 l72 !) l47 3 -2jt; 

l3-15 ei7 .6 27 50 (i0 36.8 2209 l6d5 -56 3. 

l6-17 55.1 j50 20 55 45 . 7 25l4 l9l3 -60 l 

G irls 

l0-l2 35 20 l0 jj 26 . 7 l469 l> 84 -8 5 

1(5-l5 46.6 2> é50 55 36 .9 2050 !j66 -4 64 

t6-t7 ' j2.1 2.4 10 j0 zi2 .(k 

jnfants 

? .l50 l65 () -5(1B 

0-6 m j.4 49 7 92 4 .l 37 7.2 

t;-l2m 8.4 67 2 80 6 .7 536 

SourceAD./IJrIndians ICMR 2010 

*dlcnmputationslrf'xrmoderatdyflctfveprrynnl

Joutmalt?/ré:NationalHuman #zjâtrCommision,1*19.2010 

Data on energy gap in differentageand physiologicalgroupsfrom 

thiscomputation indicates that enerc gap iswidestin pregnantand 

lactating women,adolescentgirlsand boys;nexthighestamong men 

and relatively 1ow in preschool and primary schoolage children and 

women.Thisatfirstsight may appearcounter-intuitive and contrary to 

thc beliefthatthegap iswidestin pre-schoolchildren.ltiswclrecognised 

Chat asarcsul:of gap bctween requiremcntand acrualintake and 

nutritionaltolofinfections,there growt.h faltering and stcep increasein 

stunting betwecn 3and 25 monthsofage.Stunting isan adaptation to 

insufflcientenerr intake and cannotl)e reverstd.Thegap between the 

intake and requirem entsislowerin preschoolchildren bccause Stunted 

children havelowertlody weight. The widegap betwecn intakeand 

requiremcntsin thcadolescentsisbecauseoftheincreasing demandsfor 

adolescen:growth spurt.Datafrom N FH S 312 hasclearly Shown that 

if BM lisused asthe indicaror forassessmentof undernutrition, 

undernutrition ratesin preschoolchildren is17% while undernutrition in 

menis34% andinwomen is,:.$60/a(Figurc1).Thehigherundcrnutrition 

ratcsin adulrsascompared topreschoolchildren clearly imply thattherc 

has tleen adeterioration of nutritionalstatus during adolcscence and 

emphasisctheneed forimproving dietaty intakein thisgroup. 

Nutritionalstatus ofchildren and adults-NFHs 3 

100% '' - -- - .. . 

9 ()% .) . ;'i)''1' 9 

' . s1V .---- . x ..-.- -. .- 

8004 .i. . -),'k.4 4: . .- ( .- -.- 

' :p.yk.1.t :;, ... . . .. .. 

70% ) - jàeààz -.--.---.. 

6()% : - . yt4.' %'ît -. .--- .-. - ...- . 

' 

5g% - - Y VSX ' ' 

.- - . - 

' 

40% 4 .'lE4-% ttstz!')t/. $ - . ' ' a0% .1. .-v:.;4.7') -. -.. -- - - 

20 fh 4 ...-- . - '' ' 

yL$'l-A -....-.-- :$4 - a6 

j()OA .t.- -.-. jy . . ..- . 

0o ;o - 1 '' -. --g---- ' .-s- - 

Preschoolchifdren M en W omen 

U nderFive m ortali? and undernutrition 

In spiteofself-sum ciency in food production,adequate buferstock 

and relatively low food pricesoverthelastthreedccadesatthe national

level,rcduction in undetnutrritlon ratr.sin Indiahave been venrslow . D ata 

from Indiashow that undnernutrition rarcsin preschoolchildren are 

comparableto those in Sub-saharanAfricawith sunstantialy IowerGDI! 

However,infantand chld mortalktyratesin lndiaarem uch lowerthan 

thatin Africa-so caled South Asian Enigma . Low hirth weightratesin 

lndiaarchigherthanSuh-saharanAfrica,tlutmajorityoflndianlowbir:h 

weightneonatesare m ature;they have bettcraccesto heath carcand so 

under-lvemortality in Indian children arelowerthan Sub-saharan childrcn . 

However,hirth weightisan importantdeterminantofgrowth in childhood . 

Thelndian low birth weightchitdrenhaveatowergrowthtrajectoryand 

hencehavecomparableundernutritionrates(asase-ssedbyundclweight 

andstuntin: asSub-saharanchildren.Datafrom Indiasuggestthatthat 

ln countriesurtdergolng health.and nutrltion transition,improvementln 

health and nutritionalstatusmay nothappen simultaneously;in sifuations 

whereaccessto health care isbetter,reduction in under-lve mortality may 

befasterdun dectine in undernutrltion rates .t 

Letrge-scale sulveyskn lndiahaveshown thatthereare substantial 

interstatedifferencesin dietary intakes,undcrnutrition ratesand infant 

mortality rates.W ithin thc states,thereare largeinter-districtdisparitiesin 

food security and nutritionalstatusoç thepopulation . Somcpocketsin 

some state,scontinue to experience high levelsoffood insccuriry asreflected 

by theperiodic reportsof hunger , inadequatedietary intakes,high under 

nutrition ratesand occasionaldeathsdueto undernutrition .'WlzileO rissa 

isan example of sratewith 1ow GDP,high poverty,food insecurity and 

undernutrition rates,M aharashtra,isan exxm pleofastacewhere high per 

capitaincomeand economicgrowth co-exisfsuneasily with scverefood 

insecurity and undernutrition in somedistrictsof the statel . Datafrom 

surveyscarrled out6y the N ationalN utrition M onitoring Bureau 

(NNM BIIOindicatethateven in food sccurehouseholds,preschool 

claildren often do notgctadequate food . Surveyscarried outby the 

NNM B 10,NationalFamilyHealthSurvey(NFHS)12-l4,Districtlevel 

HouscholdSunrey (DLHS)15haveshown thatundernutritionin alagc 

groupsremainsamajorpublichealth problcm,espccialy,amongpoorer 

segmencsofpopulation.In :1segmentsofpopulation ,majorityareanacmic 

and havemicronutrientdcflcicncies;substantialproportion ofthe aflucnt 

segmentsofthe population also suffersfrom micronutrientdcflciencies .

Joutmaltl x/'rieNationalHumanAïrétrCommision,Wl% 2010 

M onitoring ProgressTow ardsFood Security 

Tenth FiveYearPlan 2 emphasised holisticfood and nutrition security 

asthegoaland suggcsted thatthere should beaparadigm shifrfroln mcre 

food(grain)securityatnationaland householdlevcltofood and nurrition 

security atthehousehold and individuallevel.India hassetup scveral 

mcchanismsto m ap food security and m onitorprogresstowardsfood and 

nu:rition sccuritythrough m ultiple indicesranging from food production, 

availability,accessataflbrdable cost,and dietazy intakeofindividuals,their 

nutritionalstatusand prevalenceof micronutrkntdefldencies.Swaminathan 

Foundation in colaboration with theW orld Food Programmchasbrought 

outthe Ruraland Urban Food InsecurityAtlasin 2003 and 2004 and in 

2009 and 2010,The Atlaseswerebased on qualitativeinform ation aswel 

asextensiveanalysisofsecondarydata(Census,NSSO,NFH S,DLHS). 

M inistry ofHealth and Family W elfare hasinitiated tleAnnualHealth 

Survey forproviding districtwisedataon health and nutritionalstatusof 

the population.Itsexpected thatthissuzveywilprovideinformation for 

decentralised districtspecific planning ofintegention programmesand also 

provide baselineinformation forase-sing improvementin termsofprocess 

and im pactindicators. 

Sum m ary and Conclusion 

Rcview oftheprogressovcrthelastsix decadcsshowsthatwith Green 

Rrvolution,thecountry rapidly attained self-sumciency in food production 

and builtup adequatc buferstoclts.Faminesno longeroccur,though 

pocketswirh pcriodicSeverefood insecurity persisteven today.Thecountry 

hadrelatively1ow grossdomesticproduct(GDP)growthtilthenineties 

butGDP growth accelerated in thelasttwo decades.Overyears,there has 

been aslow butsteady declinein poverl.Universalaccessto PDS,ICD S, 

healr.h servicesisareality today butcoverage,contentand quality ofservices 

provided issub-optimal.Inspite ofthe-serelatively Rvourablecirctunstances, 

theimprovementin thenutritionalstatusof thepopulation hasbeen slow. 

Therehasnotbeen any reduction in low birth weightrate.sand anaemia; 

decline in undcr-nutrition mtesisslow. 

Experienccin lndia and othercountrie.sundergoing cconomicand 

nutrition transition,showsthatself-sufficienc in food production isan 

essentialprerequisitebutby itsclfwilnot resultin im provementin

nutritionalstatusof tlzepopulation.Thecountlyshould continuethem ultipronged 

eflbrtsforimproving awarenessand accesto 1ow costbalanced 

dicts,jafc drinldngwarer,sanitation,education and e 'ssenrialprimanrhealth 

care.Convergence and coordination between al1the-se program mesatvilage 

/urban areascxan resultin substantialreduction in undernutrition and 

improvem entin nutrition sccurity especialy am ongvulnerablegroupsof 

Population. 

References 

1. Prema Ramacbandran N utrition T//z?ilik2?;inIndia 1947-2007 Nutrition 

Foundation ofIndia,2008. 

%ntbFive-PiwrPlan2002-2007.http:l/jlanningcommision.nic.in#lansl 

p&/irt,F//vyr/?w/cn?ae.sr/rt,&Jlaccrsed on2410.9110 

E Jepeal/Fivrli'zrPlan:Approach papertor& Eleventb Fivr-yearPtan 

btp.'l#lanningcommision.nic.in#lans/planrrlappll-l6jan.pdfacrso 

on 2010512010 

NationalFoodSecurityMision.OperationalGuidrlinesDepartmentof 

zlv ïcv/lvrr6 Cooperation.M inistnrofAgriculture.GovernmentofIndia . 

August,2007.lity lnjm.gov.inlNFSM.pdf -accesrdon201092010. 

NationalHorticulturalM ision http:lwww.indg.inlagricultître/rurab 

r-J4J-ral-Jciev::/aJlïJaa/-éprli> />rr--;'JJï/a/accessed on 2010512010 .. 

& PlanningCommission:Rrportp/k/rf-verrGroup torevirw 1/?emethodolo,z 

prrstimationofpovertyPonning Commision,New Dclhi,Nov2009 

NationalSampleSun'eyOrganizmion(N5SO).61stRound of Nsshtp.'l 

lmospi.nic.in/mospt' - nsso - reptp ubn.htmy'Iasttzt-celvz/on 1210912010 

8. FAO AezproftheJoinsFAOAVHOIUNU rxprrtconsultationonHuman 

faero rrquirrments-Food #iri# Nutrition technicalreportsrries1 Rome 

Tpt/z/ire /ztzvzaẓ/lp.orglhcrepl007%5686eh5686e00HTM /.02accesed on 

121091201tl 

ICM R Expertpwlf: N utrientrequirrmenn and recommrnded #;'L,l'gṛ )' 

alowanasJrIndiansICMR ,Nrtv,!%/>/2010 

10.NarionalNutrition M onitoring Bureau (NNM B).l979-2002.NNMB 

Reports:NationalInstituteOfNurition,Hyderabad 

11.DepttofW omenandChild Development.India Nutrition ./Jm .#/t'New 

D elbi1998

* lournal(/r/?:Nationalzflpvm Rigbt t/plrzifso?;,Fi/,.p,Jplp 

JJ.NationalFam ilyHralthSurvey (NFHS-3):htp:lmobfw nic.in1 

axj/tkry/l-l.htm;/z-çtacesed on24109110 

l3.NationalFamilyHealtbSurvey(NFHS-I).http:lwww.njbsindia.orgl 

indial.html;Iz4'ractsed on2410910 

14.NationalFamilyJfe/z/l/pSurvey (NFHS-2):btp:lwww.nibsindia.orgl 

faz/l'/îz.//rrzlt'Iastaccrsed on 24/0910 

15.DL HS DistrictLevelHousebold Survey >rr/.'//zI,wutrcbintlia.orgl 

#//?J - ïné2.irr/a'Iastaccrsed on 24109109

TheRightto Food 

D r.A m rita Rangasam i* 

ln thisenquiry lnto the lightto Food in India , itisnecessanrto 

acknowlcdgetherole oftheCourtsattheStatelcveland atthelevclofthe 

Supreme Courtof Indiaand therole of theN ationalH um an lkighrs 

Commission (NHRC).ItësimportanttorecognizethattheNHRC 

initiated theenquityinto starvation oficsown accord.-fhisenquily attcstcd 

theprevalenceof starvation,i.e.in theKalahandircgion of Orisa ,whcre 

theenquity wasconducted.The reference by theSuprcme Courtto (he 

N HRC ofthepetitionssubm itfed to itbroughtaboutan enquil'y thathad 

severaldimensions:the flrstofthese,wasthe enqui:y into thepremisethat 

theplan forthedevelopmcntof thercgion envisaged would bring about 

an end to theprevalentstarvation.Nvhatfolowed during the ycars1999- 

2000 to 2003,wasthatthe NHRC prim arily reviewed theprogrcssofthe 

implementation ofthedcvelopmentplan .erhisShiftin focus,to an extcnt, 

impliedjusticedelayrd. 

Thcsecond dimension wa.sthe Centrc forthcStudy ofAdministration 

ofRclief's(CSAR)pleathattheprevalenccofdcstitutionin theKalahandi 

region,berecognizcd.-f'hcCSAR submited thatthedesritution prevalenr 

in theregion could notl)eraken note ofby thcStateGovernmentunder 

the ruleslaid down by the nodalm inistry , i.e.theM inisf:y ofAgriculture 

thatreliefcould beasured only if anaturalcalamiv could bedeclared . 

Therefore,theStateofOrissawa -sconstrained fodeclare'drought'almost 

on an annualbasisfora period of nearly 20 ycarsto securethescantrelief 

thatthe Governmentof Indiaproviclcd.1:wasnotuntil2001 , when rhe 

NH RC agreed thartherewasnecd ro recognize the contgnuum ofdistrcss 

in the region thatcould notbe addresed underastart-halt-go scheme of 

reliefand decreed thatrelicfshould continuefrom yearto year , thatthe 

*CSR,ShaharvikasSansrhan 

JournaloftbeN/loaa/Human AkâtvCommision,1K #,2010

journalt/r/?eNationalHuman Alkâs a mmûsion,F#/.9,2010 

charade cam eto an cnd.Further,the CSAR raised the basicissue tha: 

although,a Constitutionwasfram ed and Rightsofcitizensrecognized,the 

rulesofgovcrnancewerereplicated from thoseoftheBritish period. 

Thispapcron the Rightto Food i.sdivided into foursections.The 

firstofferstheintroduction;thesecond,thehistoly of thelitigation on 

EconomicRightsinitiated by thcSupreme CourtofIndia;thethird,thc 

investigation by theN HRC into starvation;and thefourth,the evaluation 

of:hcdevelopmentprogram asremedy forstarvation;thefifth,the 

conslderationsofthe CSAR'Sreporton elimination ofdessicuczon.The 

StateofOrissanotonly considcred theReporxsympatheticaly,itagreed at 

ameeting Lctween thepctitioner,CSAR and theState of Orisa-ameeting 

addressed bythcpetitioneratwhich theSpeciallapporteurofthe N HRC 

wasalso presentin Bhubaneswaron December2,2002.ltm ustbe 

acknowledged thattheState of O rissa,in aresponsethatmay beconsidered 

rare in theannulsoflitigation,cameforward to illean am davitatthe 

NHRC almostimmcdiately The aflldavit,caseno,>7/3/97-LD ,Decem ber 

12,2002onbehalfoftheStateofOrissa,wasllcdbyShriR.L.Jamuda, 

JAS,Com m issioner-cum -secrctazy,RevenueDepartm ent,Governmentof 

O rissa. 

Theafldavi:sum ming up the petitioner'sargumentstated that(he 

Petitioncr'sreportsought 

(i) A bmsicchangein rclationbetwcenthegoverningand thegoverned 

thatthereshould beaparadigm shiftfrom thcdom ainsofState 

benevolenceto thatof citizensrîght. 

(i) Thatthereliefwhich ismadeavailabletotheafectcd community 

now falsundcrtwo m ain heads,i.e.'GratuitousRelief'which 

distributed freeand theFoodforW ork Program (FF'W'P)thatisfood 

in exchangeforwork.Thcse two issuesarevery much in contradicrion 

to :henotion ofPkightto Food and m ghtto W ork.Therefore,the 

Rightto Relief and m ghtto W ork should begiven the statusoflaw. 

(i)Theanchoringofcommencementofthereliefoperation dueto 

'drought'situation islinked to the assessmentofcrop-losatthetime 

ofhanw t,beshifted to the lean season:themonthsofhunger. 

Itreferred to thccontinuum of crisisfordistressprcvailing in the 

KBK districtsyearafteryear.

(v) Totalban onengagementofcontractorinreliefworksshould be 

enforccd. 

(vi) Theidcntiflcationqfthewageearnersandmarginalfarmersand (hat 

thcsepcople should be given identity cards. 

(vi)ltpraised themonitoring mechanism adopted E)y rheSpecial 

Rapporteur)NH RC in the (mplementation of diferent 'poverty 

aleviation'schcm csin theKBK districts. 

(v;i)ltreferred to otherissueslike t%einabilt'y ofthereiefsystem to 

m onitorortaking into accounrmigrarion ofentirefamily orthecredit 

relationsimposed on thcm which leadsto lossofcontrolovcrown 

labour,land and producefrom thcland,informalalienation ofland 

which isnotreflected in the recordsofRight.Tl7epetition sought 

changesin forestlawsto conferthe rightofusing m inorforest 

productsby the forestpeople,decline of forestwhich hasafected thc 

accessto food and liability dependcd upon them .Theprocuremen: 

of-food and the sysrem ofprocurcmcntt)y theFCland Eheharnesing 

oflabourtlrough thcconcractsystcm etc. 

(ix) Thechangesin thenomenclaturcofgratuirousreliefanddeletion of 

Someobjectionahlewords,sentelAcesf/om thcORC wilbeconsidered. 

(x) .&sto thesuggestionsmadewithregardtoputingapermanenr 

monitoring system in place ofthe stateçovernmcnt,stepsShould be 

taken to introduceaM anagementInformation System (MIS)to 

monitorand track casesofmalnutrition. 

(xi) TheStateGovernmentconsrituted acommittceheaded by the 

Xgriculture Production CommisionerIAPCIand deliberated on the 

suggestionsmadelny thepetitioncron amcndment'of-O rissaRelief 

Code. 

Theaffldavitsubmirrcd by thcStateofO rissacan belooked upon as 

aprecedentin theannalsoflaw.Itcvokcd rcsponsefrom theN HRC as 

wel.Initsproceedingsiracknowledgedthatstarvationbcdeemed'injury' 

inIaw Uanuary13,2003)andchatsuch'injury'mustcvokepenalty Tha.t 

theRighrto Lifeenshrined in thcConstitutionimplied theRightto aLife 

f'recfrom H unger.TheNH RC crcatcd aprccedentin rccognizing Group 

Rights.Itacknowledged rharifonesrarvingcitizcn should go :o tlaeCourt , 

ahundred m ay notdo so.Butby acknowledging group Rightjitmadeit

l'ournalp/r/?eNationaiSvrzizm RigbtsC/zizrzlla,W/.9,2010 

mandatory fortheState to exam ine fhespecialconnotationsofthe 

Prevalcnceofstarvation. 

D ichotom y 

Itisnecessary to comm encc with rhe posrulate thattherc isa 

dichotomy bctwcen theConstitusion of Indiaand rheRulcsof govcrnance. 

TheRulesof governanccconrinueto replicatclawsthatprevailed during 

the British period with little questioning of theirrelcvance.Nvhatis 

importantto emphasizeisthatthcRulesofgovernanceem bodied the 

crown-subjectrdationshipevenwhiletheConstitutionlaiddowntheRights 

oi-thccitizcnsofIndia.-fhisdichotomy hasCo lx considered with reference 

to arangeof aspecrsofgovernance.Forexam ple,theRulesof-governancc 

Statethatrelief,w lereitisprovidcd withourwork in return-such relicf 

iven ro 'theelderly,''thesick,''Lheidiotand theIunatic'wilbeLcrmed 

' 

gratuitous,'atcrm which takesaway a1lnotion ofRight.The basic 

contradiction wasbroughttothenoticeof1:0ththcStatcGovcrnmentof 

O rissa aswclasthcNHRC,A consensusarrived atbetwccn thcpctitioner, 

CSAR,thcStatcGovernmentand the NH RC thatsuch tcrmsthosesuch 

rermswilbe dclcted.ltfolowed thattlte basicchangesin thcrclicfm anual 

needed to beconsidered. 

Animportantfocusofçhisenquinrwasregarding thcprevalenceof 

destitution,ltisin thiscontex:shattlcSupremeCourtoflndia'sorder 

(KishenPattnayakand othersversustheStateofOrisaA.I.R.1989S.C. 

677),atonceexposedthenatureofthecrisisandthelaculaeintherelief 

system acquiresimportance.TheFirstOrderof(he SupremeCourtin 

lndiainthePublicInterestLitigation on the'Food Petitionscase'epitomizc.s 

the'fam lneproces'aswelastheinabiliry of tl'te Stat'e toapprehcnd it. 

Thecasefled against'thcGovernmentofO risapleaded tharthcStatchad 

failed to intervcnein famincconditionsin KalahandiandKoraputdistricts. 

TheFirstO rderRead 

Thc pcopleof Kalahandiin orderto savcthem sclvesfrom starvation 

death,arcconapeledtosubjeccthemselvcstodistrcssalcoflabourona 

large-scalc resulting in exploitarion of landlcsslabourby Chewel-t'o-do 

landlords.ltisalleged rhatin view ofthe distrcssalcof labourand paddy,

the Smalpcasantsare deprived ofthe legitimatepriceofpaddy . . the 

peopleofKalahandiaresometimesforced to seltheirchildren ...thatthe 

starvation deaths,droughs,diseasesand fam inehave been thecontinuing 

phenomena in thesaid two districtssince 1985.: 

TheStatc Governmentof O rissahad notmerely failcd to preven:the 

transferof asetsfrom thes:arving.Ithad upheld thelegality ofsuch transfer. 

W ebegin ourenquio,inrothe nature ofthcK ghtto Food by refcring 

to theSocietywifhin which thislighrissoughtto beinvoked.In 'modern' 

sociepy,a.sdistinctfrom thc 'primitive,'the 'traditional'society whcre 

mem bership to thcsociet'y acknowledgesatitleto thefood produced by 

rhesociety,thcterm 'food'doesno:have shared mcanings. 

To the non-pooritimpliesarangeoffood,meatand grain,fruitand 

wine,whileto the pooritmay only imply ccrcaland salt.'W hatneedsto be 

emphasized isthateven theaccessto scantfood isinsecure.To theflrst , thc 

term 'food'evokesarangeofgoodies.Therole of advertising at(hepresent 

rimenow toprom otethe food industry isto dressthose goodiesin a 

colorfularray of offersthattem pt(heviewers.In asociety titilated by 

sightsand sm elsoffood,theperception ofstarvation ishard to comeby . 

In early mod , ern history,fpodsconsumed by thcnon-poorwereforbidden 

by law for(hepoor.Termssuch as'poaching'and 'trespas'wereintroduccd 

in Engtand to Grbid accessto thegame,troutand fruitto thepoor.ltxvas 

deemed rreason to huntthcKing'svenison.The 'Legend of-Rolninhood 

and hisM errieM cn'who were deemed to beoutlawswith aprice upon 

Cheirheadsreinforccsthe factiat:he ferm 'food'neverhad sharcd meanings 

and itẉasenforced b),harsh laws. 

Thecoming of the EastIndiaCompany to lndiabroughtaboutthe 

implcm entation of (he'Lord oftheM anor'rulesin India.Thisimplied 

thatRightto Accesto thef-oresr,tht!trecsand thcfruitrhçreoflrhe streams, 

(he seasand :heflsh cherein,and thegrain tha:wasbrought(o harvest 

came underthepurview ofLhe'New LordsoftheM anor.'Nvha::heEast 

IndiaCom pany introduced even in thecarly yearswere(14eRigltsover 

l-abour.Thererm 'coolie'meantthewageto bepaid in return forlabour . 

1 l-heCourtw'asreferring to (hedisrrictsofKoraputand Kalahancliinthe Stafe ofO rissa .See 

Paltde,B,B.,l989 whenthcy cameto theCourtseeking basicnceds:Alternativesto the 

'flawed'response,inJournaloffheIndialLaw Ilsrirutc,VoI31:3pp360

journalJ/râeNationalHunlan A#/?tfCommisionoFi/.9,2010 

Indeed ithmsto be acknowledged thattheterm ,symbolicofcolonialrule, 

continuesto bein usein Indiaatthepresenttime.'Wllatneedsto be 

emphmsizcd isthatthcwage hardly fktchcd thepriceofsubsistcncc. 

W earecaled upon to examinc thcnaturcof thc socicty in which 

thcrecan beno Rightto Food and indeed,the wagecan hoverprem riously 

nearsubsistence.Thedecline into massstarvation and mortality thathas 

been noted in history as'fam ine'hasbeen weldocumented.'Wllatisrelcvant 

to otlrpresentenquily arethe rulesthatobtain in term sofcognizanceof 

hungcr,aswelasthequantum ofrcliefthatmay bcprescribed to assuage 

Starvation. 

Sum ceitto statethatthe NH RC directed oneofthepetitioners,the 

CSAR to subm itaReporton theelim ination of starvation.Thcfocusof 

the Repon wason therulcsof PublicAdministration,rulcsthataltogether 

evaded any cognizanceofslarvation.ICisimportantto em phaize(hatthe 

reportssoughtto establish rhatthertlesof-the British period imposed a 

crown-subjectrelacionship.Reliefwasan actofStatecharity TheReport 

cstablishcd thatthcnormsofgovcrnancein usein Indiawcreanachronistic, 

norightcould bc envisagcd undcrthatframework;lcavcalonctherightto 

Food.ltisofconsfderablesignilcanc-e,thattheStateof Orisacamefolward 

ro agree(o review (hetermsin useand to deleteterm ssuch as'gratuitous' 

whichembodied thecrown-subjectrelationship.M oreimportant,itagreed 

to re-evaluare theO rissaReliefM anualseven with theview ro enable 

consideration ofthedecline into destirution oftheruralcom munirlt-f'he 

shif?tfrom theapproach dictated by thcterm 'naquralcalam ity'and tha: 

which cognizanceofdestiturion would im ply haSto be emphasized.-rhere 

hasbeen no acknowledgementofthisproposed reformulation.TheM inist!y 

ofAgriculture,thenodalministry forprovision ofrelief,hascontinued to 

usethe termsofcognizancetiaatprevailed during the British period,terms 

which can takenoteofstarvationonly in association with 'drought'or 

other'calamity' 

Considerthefacts:theStateofO risain orderto secure even thescant 

reliefhashad to declare'drouglat.'Thatthcregion ofKalahandibeing a 

forestregion could hardly bedeemcd to bechronicaly droughtaFected - 

from the years198 lonwards-for20 ycarsthereafter-wasneverexamined. 

ln orderto securethe scantrelief,the Statc ofOrissawasconstrained to 

closethedistribution ofreliefwhen therainscameand recommence relief

operationswhcn therainsceased and itwasnotuntil2001,when theNH RC 

appealed to theGovernmentofIndiato continuc reliel terminating thc 

halt-stop-go sysrem and theM inistly ofAgricultureq reed to continuc thc 

rcliefthat:hefarcc cnded.Thedichotomy between whatistermcd 'natural 

calamity'and the'agrarian crisis'isyetto beconceded . H ow farthishas 

been afactorin theriseofagrarian unrest,hasyetto l)easscssed . 

Rightto Food and lnternationalLaw 

Thcbriefsummarizing ofthe Rightto Food caschasbeen offered , if 

only toestablish thatin lndia thcquestioningof-theprevalenceofstarvation 

and themeansro takecognizanceofsuch Starvation in 1aw hasbeen a 

materofjudicialenquily during:helasttwodccades.Lermenowjuxtaposc 

the exercisesundcnaken attheUniversiv ofO xford tluring thcyears1987 

to1991-92 into theRighttoFood asam ereH uman Rightfor(hose wl7o 

weredependenron intcrnationalrelief . Such relief wasextended during 

periodsoffam ine.war.movemencsofpopulation durlng tkedccade 1980 

onwards.Thatthcm ovemenrsofpopulation implied movcmentfrom 

one country to anotherand thetcmporary shelterofrefugcesin camps 

wereaphenomenaofrhatperiod.W hatcameundcrthisscrutiny wasthr 

suffering thatwasim posed upon rhesercfugeesasrheration thatwas 

provided to them could hardly sustain lifc.W hatisof signlficancearethe 

research studiesinitiated forCentresforDiseaseConlrol,aUSdepartmenf 

ofPublic Health,into :hcnutritionalstatusofRefugees .Thc rem arkable 

documentsthatprovidedataon thcimpactofstarvarion on thehuman 

body and itsdeclineinto mortality nced ro be widely studicd . 

The Research Studiesinitiated by theCentresf-orDiseaseControl , 

Atlanta,USA togetherwith thcaccountsof Chenon-governm enral 

organizationswho wcre responsibleforthe distribution oftherelief tothe 

afected com muniticswere drawn togctherin asymposium , initiared by 

thc CSAR and thcRefugee StudiesProgram , atOxford in 1991.Itm ust 

becmphasized thattheInternationalAgcncies , i.e.UNICEF aswelasthe 

relevantdepartmcntsofrheUnited Nationsparticipatcd in thatmeeting . 

Thereporttided,'TheRightto Foodz'isrelevantforourconsiderarion . 

(Keen,David:l992:RefugeeStudiesProgram,UniversityofOxford)

Journalz/t/zeNationalfvrzm Rklm Commision,16l9,2010 

BasicD ichotom y 

TheRightto Food thatissoughtto be evaluatcd even msaprelim inary 

to any Food SecurityActbeing passed needsto beexamined in thecontext 

ofthesociety aswelasthc politz within which itncedsto beexercised. 

'While itisacknowledged thatthcEconom icRightsenshrined in the 

Constitution ofIndiahavebcen enunciatcd in theUnired NationsCovenant 

of 1948,ithasbeen acknowledged thatthc lndian declaracion precedcd 

thatofthc Unitcd Nations'.W enced to setoursclvesthequestion why, 

thereafter,the im plem entation ofthe Economic RightshasmadeIitde 

progress. 

Thcposrularethatisofl-ercd in thispaperisthatwhiletheConstitution 

oflndiaincluding theDirectivePrinciplcscnshrined theRigh:sof Citizens, 

thctermsof govcrnance conrinue to beanchorcd tothatof:hecolonial 

Government.'W lilcthcConstitution ofIndiacelcbratcstheRightsoffrec 

cidzens,che rermsofgovcrnancedo nosacknowledgc rhcm .'Fhisdichoromy 

hasled ro arange ofisues,m any ofthcm explosive,contributing to unresc 

thatisbcing rccognizeclalrhough belatedly in Kalahandi.Thestudics 

undertaken by theCSAR acrossthecountry have indicated thatthereare a 

num berofcom munitie.sfacing scasonalaswelaschronic starvation. 

TheNH RC notonly estahlished the prevalenccof starvation on thc 

basisofipsown enquiry,ltoffered to'tescthepostulatc thatsubstantive 

investmentin developm cnt-can oferaremedy.Theexerciscwasindeed 

unique.The N HRC appointcd aSpecialRappor:eurwho would monitor 

the impactofthe developm cntprogra'm meson the cconomy ofthe 

starvation affected comm unities. 

W hathasalso to be broughtwîthin thescopeof theevaluation of the 

Itightto Food conceptisthatthcGovernmentofO rissacvcn asirhad 

since 198lto Seek provision from the GovernmentoFlndiaforprovision 

ofreliefinareasafected bynaturaicalamities.Thisim plied an enquiry 

into the 'crop failure'and declaration of'the 'drought.'1:m ustbe 

cm phasized tha:therulesofthe GovcrnmentofIndiacould provide for 

relieffrom stalvation onlyif'drought'orother'calamity'could be dcdarcd. 

ltisacknowlcdged Ly m eteorologicalscientists,administratorsaswclas 

academ ic.sthattheforestregionsneed gaugesdiffcrcntfrom thoseused ip 

theplainsoflndia.-rhat:heStateofO risahad to complywith the rulesis

onlyoncindicatoroft14c rigiditywith which theunionGovernmentapplied 

thedroughtformula.Theadm inistrariverecord established thatthe Statc 

ofO rissawasconstraincd to dcclaredroughtalthough thcmcteorological 

cviclence couid hardlysustain it.-l-hisispointed outbecatlsethecontradiction 

between thc natureof tlccrisisthatenveloped Chatareaassum med up by 

2hcSupremc Cour:(Parrnayakvs.the Ssatc ofOridsa:1981)aswclasthe 

N H RC and thatenunciated l)y rheGovernmentoflndiaruleswasnever 

wholy acknowledged.-l-hedeclaration of'naruralcalam ity'aswelasthe 

reliefsysteln had been ordained b),theBritish.TheM inistnrofAgriculture 

continuesto usetheo1dLerminology.Jnotherwords,thecrown-stlbjec: 

relationship wascapturcd notonly kn therermsand conditionsunderwhich 

citizenscould scek rclief;and tlle Economic Rightsenshrined in :he 

Constitution ofIndiaforitscitizensrcmained unim plemented.O ne of 

thcoutcomesofthelong-drawn liligationwastheacknowledgementof 

theStateof-O rissathatthosetermsand phrascsofcolonialtimcswerc 

obsoleteand there wasneed to rcplacetlncm (State ofO rissa:Afildavit 

datcdDeccmber12,2002). 

Rightto Food in asurplusState 

Tragicaly,thcSupremeCourtwhoscprimcduty wasto considerthe 

proceedingsofJanuary2003ofNHRC flndingswhichhad comca:an 

end ofafouryearcxcrcise of tlpe N H RC (o which thc Suprcmc Courtitselfhasreferred 

thecase.TheSuprem eCourtturned itsback on thccase, 

disengaged itselffrom thccnquiorinto destiturion and adntitted afresh 

writpetition which fcllack on anotion which economistshad sc(aside 

decadesago,namely tlaeprevalenceofstafvationeven during theperiod of 

surpltzs.'WrhatwasmoreSerious,theSupremeCourtwasno longeraddresing 

thcissuein termsofIkights.ltno longerdcrived lcgitim acy froln the 

Constitutiono/lndiaandtheRconomicltightsenshrined.ltoverlooked 

thc acknowledgenacnl.pf:hcstaleofO rissaofthe dichotonly brtxveen rhe 

tcrmsofgovernanccand thcConstitution ofIndia.Sadly cnough,the 

Supreme Courtturned itsatelption to the programm esthatwere 

introduccd and implementcd by phcnumlncrofStatcsin Indiaeven in the 

l950s,programmessuchastl4eMid-DayR'feal(M DM )Schemes.The 

enquiry intostarvatiol)wasnotsctaside.The SuprcmeCourrin a sublimely 

ridiculousgesrure(hreatened to imposc penalty upon tleChiefSccretary 

oftheState if starvationdeathswould occur.Thisimplied tlatchcSrate

lournalt/tâeNationaqHumanAk'âtrCommiuion,W/.9,2010 

Governmentswould takc am pie care,ifnecessary even through a 

postm ortem,toctablish thaithestarving person hasconsum ed 'something' 

which could bepa-qsed ofl-as'food . 

' 

Issue iswha:hasbeen acknowledgcd witlain the Hum an Rights 

m andate l)y theNH RC,should lncbroughtwithgn thefram ework oflaw 

accom panykpg tùat,cven asacorolary,would bethenecessary fiatto the 

Union Governmcntaswelasthe StateGovernm entstha:thosc rulcsand 

provisionsthatdate back co thcBritish period thatdo notacknowledge 

thepeopleof lndiaascitizenswith Rightsand continuesto impose thc 

statusofsubjccts)needstot)cdeemed unconstiturional. 

DraftNationalFood Security Bill,2010 

'rheRightro Food Bilthatisbeing proposcd epitom izestheissues 

rhathavcbcen raised during thesubmisionsto theSupremeCourtand 

rheNH RC.To thosewhostarveitcan only mèan cercaland salt , dolcd out 

in homeopathicdoscs.W enced hardly to cm phasize thatsuch aFood 

Security Actwktlrcinforcctbegrowing acknowledgemcntby thelarge 

numberof Citizensin IndiathattheRighrswhich thcy derived from (he 

Constitution and theDirecrivcPrinciples,Rightsdlathave bcen upheld by 

fheCourt,cannotl)ereflectcd in theferm sofgovcrnancc . ltwilperlaaps 

cven reinforccthattheminisculeportionsoffood that:hry areableto 

secure undertlaeNationalFood Security Actarenotordained by their , 

poverry butarebeing legitimized by theflatof theState . 

The'DraftNationalFood Security Bil,20101seeksto puttheclock 

back.Itnotonly imposesupon thelocalauthority to abideby therules 

and im plementwhatistcrmed 'food sccurim 'Nvhileparagraph 3 speaks 

ofassuredfood sccurifytoBelow PovertyLine(BPL)families,para4 talcs 

ofatargetcd (emphasisadded)pubiicdistribution systcm . Itshould be 

uscfulfora'Govcrnmentto considerthe application ofthe principalof 

targeting in socialsccurity Schemṛsin England and thcquestioningofthe 

Same.W hatnccds:o bccmphasized isthatittakesaway thosenotion of 

'RightCo Food'.ln otherwords,theActasithasbecn f'ramed in the present 

rime,necdsreform ulation.G uidelinesforidentiflcarion of BPL fam ilies 

would bc laid down by theGovcrnment .

TheUpion Governmen:willx thcnum bcrof theidcntiled BPL 

family foreaclaStateon thebasisof poverty estimatesnotified by thc 

Planning Comm ission ofIndiaand thcrelevantCenstsdata ofthe Registrar 

GeneralofIndia.Itappearsthatthe DraftNationalFood Security Bilisa 

contradiction in termswherc thesicvingand sifting ofthepopulation in 

orderto dctcrm inethe'eligiblcpoor'would im posc atoncehardship and 

humiliation and reinforcethe excrcise ofpowcrby vilageoë cials,Itshould 

bcmentioned here thattheexercise.sundertaken in W estBengalwherethe 

politicalparticshad to provide thelistof beneficiarie.sforwhatwastcrmed 

' 

gratuitousrelief'Gratuirousreliefimposed publichum iliation ofche' 

m cmbcrsofthe village com m unities.'Targeting'can be cqually 

ernbarasing.Itisnecessary fortheBilto l)eredrafted afteraprelim ina!y 

discussion in theruralcom munlticsof lndia.Itisalso necessary to learn 

oftheexperience of targetinggained in countrieswhereithad to bc 

wirhdrawn, 

ThcNationalFooclSecurity Bilneedsto bcredrawn.Even asa 

prcliminary,rherigorousexercisc klndertakcn t)y the N H RC with the 

cooperation of tLe StateGovernmen:of Orissaand the CsAlkm ay perhaps 

be needed to beconsiderc'd.Theexerciseofdeterlnining thenum berson 

the one hand,targ ting them accordingto apovcrt'y linewhich in turn 

mightdepend on parametcrslaid down on theother,dono(appearto takc 

into accountthecitizcnswhoseltighttheBilSeeksto L l'1l.ltappcars 

thattherelianceon exercisesundcrrakcn to assessthenumbersunder2he 

poverty linccan lardly takcnoreoftheconditionsunderwhich wagcs/ 

accessto food isobtained.Ifthe'nccdy'below :he poverty linehave to be 

identifled,itisnecessaorto understand thccondition undcrwilich wages 

arCSCCUrCattlAePresenttim e. 

Poverty ofthoseatw ork 

Thepovcrtjrof thoseatwork isdeternaincd cven b)rthctermsof 

accesto food and nutrition reflec:ed in tcrmssuch asm inim um wage, 

basic needs,of Season wagecasuallabour,daily wagcretc.They ordain a 

degreeof insecuriry in accesto fbod alyd acondition ofpermanencein

' 

koutw loftl,eNationalHumtn Afr/Jf,Commision,W19,2010 

such insecurity.India'scontractlaboursystem and thetaskslaid down in 

tlaemanualsof the publicworksdepartmcntin theBritish period dictate 

even atthe presenttlmethe m inlmalaccessto food that'coolies'may 

receivc in return forthe fulllmentofthe task.'Food forW ork' 

programmesin al1Stateshavetheirversionsof the'coolie'registcr. 

Poverty in thiscontextistheanxiety thataccompaniesthedailywage 

quest.Thepoverty of those atwork isdetermined by thcterm sofaccessto 

food and nutrition reflected in termssuch asminlmum wage , basicneeds 

oflseason,casuallabour,daily wagerctc,They ordain adegrccof insecurity 

in accessto food and acondition of permanenceinsuch insecurity . 

D efinitionsundertheAct 

InPara2,Scction(c),thereisareferencetoa'CentralPool'means 

thestocksoffoodgrainsprocurcd bycentralandstatcGovernmcncsthrough 

m inim um supportpriceoperations,domcstic procuremcntand imports , 

and mainrained foralocationsundel'TpDs , OW S,calamity reliel etcand 

keptasreserves. 

Irwould benccessaly to pointoutthatthei-ramersoftheAc:take 

into accountthe exerdisesundertaken during 2002-03,there wasCransfer 

of-hugesurplusstock of-foodgrainsto theStateGovernmenrṣ Teevaluation 

ofthcSchemedkd nottntèrcly providereassuranct , Forinstance,oneof 

:heStatcswhichwasoneofthehighestbeneficiariesutilized thcstocks 

againstpaymen:m adc forrelief works.In otherwords,the Statc 

Govcrnmentmadeaprofltoutof(hegrain thathad bcen given frceby the 

Governmelroflndi,Thegrain sold to thepersonson reliefworkswasat 

thcpricedetcrmined forfair-priced shop,i.e . Rs.8/kg.So itwilbeusefkl 

to evaluaterhe experience of-transferof thesubstanrivesurplusoffoodgrains 

to :hcStacforfree. 

Povetty -A Redefinition 

In thiscontext,'povertz'can l)edeflned asaçonfinuing ncgotiation 

lnetween the poorand rhe non-poorforthe exchangcof labourorgoods 

orboth for:hemeansofexistencc .Te termsofthenegotiation exclude

c: 

accessto nutrition,taste and cloicein foods,lwalth,education and 

habitation.TheNationalBood Security Bilappcarsto have becn drafiez 

within thetermsofgovernanccofthe colonialperiod whcre thecitizens 

had no Right. 

Itisin thisconrextthatweturn ro thclong-drawn enquiry by thc 

N H RC into theconditionsunderwhich notoniy istherefood insecurity, 

starvarion may prevail.ltmustt)cemphasized thatthe NH RC had itsclf 

initiated theenquiry into starvation and found thatthe factsthatwere 

leing urged E)y thcpecitionerChrough (heSuprcmeCourt,wcre ruc.N'V lat 

wasputon rialwasthc 'belâef'thatdevelopmcntprogrammescan putan 

end to starvation.Thcpackagcwith the substantialbudgetwastested in 

theLalahandircgionand itwassubjected Lo scrutinyandmonitoringby a 

SpccialRapporteurappointed by theCourt. 

NvhattheCom mission aswelasrhe CtatcGovernmcnt,werc 

constrained ïo acknourlcdgewasthasthedcvelopm cntprogram mescould 

notputand end to srarvation.W hatemcrged cscriticalwasthattermsof 

cognizance ofsCarvation necded to beevolved.W hataiso had to bc 

emphasizcdwastheIegalcognizanceofstarvationas'injury'neededtobe 

adm ittcd.Nvhatthe Com m ission also foundcdnccessag wasthatsuch 

starvation could hardly belookcd upon ascondirionsofindîviduals. 

Staaation had a specialconnotation.1:could affectthe group ora'basfi' 

oreven a'tehsil.'ItisforChisrcason tlaatN HRC acknowlcdged in its 

proceedingsofJanuanr13,2003,nofonlythccitizcnsltightstoFooclit 

also acknowledscctGroup Rights. 

The SupremeCourt,tragicaly enough,afieran enquiryintostal-vation 

deathsin O rissawhich bcgan in 1987,awrîtpcritionadmitted by the 

SupremeCourtitsclf,now changed to anew tactand asked whcn (here is 

a grain surplusin thc country why should men starve?Further,italso 

threatened theChic'fSecreraricsofStascswirh dircconse'qucnccyshould a 

starvation death occur,acondition rhatmade itwel-nighwelnigh 

iepossibicforthe ycknowledgemenrof starvation death. 

Any exercisesecking fbod security forthepeopleofIndiamusttake 

inro accountfheacknowledgcmentof(heprevalcnceofstalaration in variotls

l'ourmdo/'r/?eNationqlHuman4# tçCommçsiotöI/i?l#,2010 

partsof thecountry during the Iast .30 yearsand acknowlcdgefhatIndian 

Citizenshave yetto beenablcd to claim'fbod asaItighṭ 

The 'DraftNationalFood Security Bil ,2010'beginswith reference 

to rule.sof'alocation normș the idcntification offamiliesbclow the poverty 

Iine,the rargeted publicdistribution systcm thathasto be tskered in 

, which 

explicitly annulsthe principlc of Rightto Food . 

'' 

Chapfer2,Para 2 refcrsto theguidelinesfortheidentilcation ofBPL 

fam iesundcrthetargeted public distribution sptem on thebasisofpoverr y 

atimatesnotifled bythe Planningcaommission oflndia and the rcltvantcenstls 

dataoftheRGItaken from thcpurposefrom timcto time(cmphasisadded) . 

Itisclcarin the Food Security Bilthat'thelistof BPL fam iliesshal 

beplaccd in thepubticdomain and shalit)e displayed prominently in such 

mannerasm ay lneprescribed undertheruleṣ The numberofidcntifled 

BPL fam iliesshalbe rcviewed through pcriodicalsurveysand theBPL 

tistsshalalsobcsubjccrroupdating,insuchmannerasmaybeprescribed 

in thcRulcs.' 

Thenotion thatthe'beneficialy'mightfeelhumiliated tharhisname 

isincluded amongsta largenumbcrwhich mightîncludebeggarș lunatics 

and other,doesnotappearto haveoccurred to thcframersofthcBiḷ 

W ha:appearsto be conspicuousisrhatthisishardly aRightthat 

lasbcen claim ed by thefreccitizensofIndia . Itisan actofcharity cven 

asitwasduring colonialtimes . Thc'DraftNationalFood Security Bil , 

2010.needsredrafting,ifitisto beconsonancewith theConstitution of 

lndiaand the directivcprinciplesenunciated in thcConstitution . 1:isan 

imperacivethat(hccrown-subjectrelationshipwhichisimplicitwifhthc 

rermsofgovernancein thcpresenttime , necdsto be cxpunged.A Food 

Security Bilin consonancewith the Rightsoi-free citizenscan thercafter 

bcdrahed. 

Thequestionsthatemcrge from the study of thenormsofgovcrnance 

aswelassocialtransactionsthatimposelimitson accessto food and to 

livclihood mightcontribute rowardsanew paradigm forthe study of 

poverty.

References 

1. Before the N ationalH um an RightsCom m ission,Ca-se N o.37/3/97- 

LD,AëdavitonbehalfofStateofOrisa,flled byShriR.L.Jamuda, 

IAS,Colnm issioner-cum -secretae,Reveltue Departm ent,G overnment 

ofO rissa. 

2. Reporton Destirurion subm irredb)rrhepetirioner,Dr.AmritaRangasam i 

rotheNH RC.'Do thesrarving haveRighrs?'Paperevaluatingtherclief 

systemsoftheStateofOrissa and theUnited Nationspresented atthe 

InternationalSymposium on 'PopulatiolMovcments.Food Security & 

Com m unity Response'organized by the CSAR in collaboration w ith 

the UnivcrsityofOxford,New Delhi,199 . 

(5. 'Refugees:Rarioningthe Righcto Life,ThcCrisisin Emergelc'y Relief' 

by David Keen,1992.

Achievingthe M ilennium D evelopm ent 

Goab (M DG)of Eradicating Poverty 

and H unger:Thinking Beyond PD S 

System in India 

Ithlayakrislman * 

Introduction 

Poverty isa universalphenom enon and persistenccof poverty is 

rcgarded asviolation ofH uman Itights.Povert)risnotonly adenialof 

specific rightssuch asrightto lifeand rightto decentstandardofliving etc. 

butalso adenialof H uman m ghtsasawhole.lndiaisunderobligation to 

considerrigh:to food a.shuman rightb0th undertheConstitution and 

also within thefram ework ofInternationalLaw. Howevcritiseasy to 

conceptualizctherightto rood within InternationalLaw rathcrthan in the 

Constitution.ThcUnited NationsM ilennium Declarationlcm phasizes 

that'W ewillsparcno efortto frcc ourfelowm cn,women and children 

from theabjectanddehumanizingconditionsofcxtremepoverty,towhich 

morethanabilionofrhem arecurrentlysubjected'anditwasrcsolvedto 

crcateanationaland globallevelsconduciveto developmcntand to tlze 

clim ination ofpoverty. 

*Advocatc,SuprelneCourtoflndia 

1 GeneralAsscnlblyResolution 55/2 of8th Sep 2000. 

J'ournaloftheNationalHtmanAf,ç'/ztsCommision,14/.9,2010

0: 

TheUN W orld Sum m itforSocialDevelopment,2006 dcscribed 

povcrty asfolows: 

'Poverry l'asvarlousmanifesrations,înduding lack ofincome and 

productiveresourccssumcientto ensuresustainablelivelihood;hungcrand 

m alnutrition;i114ea.1th;limited orlack ofaccessto education and othcr 

basicselvices;increased morbidity and morëalily from ilness;homelessneas 

and inadequatehousing;unsafeenvironments;and socialdiscrim ination 

and exclusion.Itisalso characterized l7y alackofparticipation in decisionnjaking 

and in cikil,socialand culrurallife.' 

T0 achievcrhcgoaloferadicating extremepoverty and hunscr,lndia 

tnustreduceby 20 15 theproporrion ofpeople below poverty linefrom 

nearly 37.5% in l990 (o about18.75?4.Ason 1999-2000,thcpoverty 

laeadcountratio is26.1tl'owirh poverty gapra:ioof 5.2% ,slareofpoorest 

quintilcin nationalconsum ption is10.1percentforruralsec:orand 7.910 

forurban sectorand prevalenceofundcrwcighrchildrcn isoftheordcrof 

tj7%'ol.Recaling rhedcvelopnlentgoalsand commitm enrem anaring from 

:heM ilennium Dcclaration and thcoutcomcoftheW orld Sum mitin 

2005.the GencralAssembly'assessed the progressmadesince2005and 

reaffirmcd thecom mitmcnttowork :ogetherfor(hepromotion ofthc 

econolnicand socialadvancemrltof al1peoples.ùThcsumm irwas 

concluded with thcadoprion ofGlobalAction Plan poaclaievctheeight 

anti-poverty goalsby 20 15 and announccd thenew com mi:mentfor 

womcn'sand childrely's14ea1th and otlcrinitiativcsagainsthungcrand 

disease.'f IxeHuman DevelopmentIndextl-ID lmeasurcsChcaverage 

Progresofacountryin human dcveiopment.ThcHum anlàovcrry Index 

(HPl-1))focuseson thcproportiln ofpeoplcbelow ccrtain threshold Ievcls 

in each ofthcdim ensionsofthe lAuman developmentildex-Iivingalong 

and hcalthy life,lavingaccesto educarion.and adeccntstanclard ofliving. 

By lookingbeyond incomcdeprivation,thc H PI-l represcntsamulridimensionaialcernativctothe$l.25aday(PPPUS$)povrrtylncasure.s

Journalt/r/zeNa6onalHumansij/JzCommision,14/.#,2010 

TheH PI-Ivalueof28.0% forIndia,ranks88th among l35 countriesfor 

which the inlexhasbeen calculated.-f'heH PI-lmcasurẹ sseveredeprivation 

in health by theproportion ofpeopiewho arenotexpectcd to surviveto 

age40 and lndiaranlcs105with rhevalue of 15 . 5$0,Education ismeasured 

by theadul:iliterac)rratecalculating agesfrom 15 and aboveand India 

ranlcsatl20 wirh thevalueof 34.0% .And adeccntstandard of living is 

mcasured by thc unweighted averageofpeople notusing an im proved 

watersource and Indiaraaks76 with value oflt% .And lrtdlaranksat 

157 wirh 46 % when sheproporCion ofchildren underage 5who are 

undcnvcightfortheirageistaken in to accounṛ 

- 

Asof2010,more than 37% ofIndla'spopulation of 1 . 35 bilion stil 

livesbciow thcpoverty line.M orethan 22% ofthcentire ruralpopulation 

and 15% oftheurban population oflndia existsin thisdim cultphysical 

and financialpredkcament.lndiarank 64th position outof85nationson 

(heGlobalH ungerIndex.lndia hctsrheworld'shighestnumberofchildren 

wirh srunted growth.Atleast50% of children in Indiaareunderwcight 

and75% ofwomenareanemicEHowever,inlndia,JeanDrezeobserved 

tha: there isevidence of asteady declineofextreme hungerand severe 

undcrnutrition in reccntyears.H ungerand undernutrition arcintrinsic 

deprivationsand severely diminish thc quality ofIife . Further,under 

nutrition isassociated with rcducectlearning abilities,greatercxposureto 

disease.and otherimpairmentsofindividualand socialopportunities7 . 

lldiaisfolowing a rargetprogram approach f'oreradicating povcrty 

and hungerby concentrating on varioujsectionsand comm unitieswich 

thehelp ofvariousacrorsincludjng thecivilsociem -fhispaperarguesthat 

lndianced ro foliow acomprehensivcmultipronged approach tE)0th 

targeted and righ:based approach)toachicvetheM ilennium Dcvelopment 

Goalsto eradicate povertyand hungerby the year2015 . ltisalso viewed 

thatthereisagradualshiftfrom targeted approach to rightbascd approach 

in thcrecentyears.Theexperience revealthatacombincd cfbrtfrom a11 

therhreewingsoftheGovernment,rhelegislaturc,executiveand judiciary 

isessentialto achieve(he M ilennium DevelopmentGoalsoferadicating 

poverry and hunger.Theattempristo show thatthe Intcrnational 

declarationsforeradicatingpovertyhasmadeapositiveimpactup on Indian 

socety k 

' 

6 Mohalnmad Anees.'Givethcm theRightto food , iIheNJWA JIJz?Tlmes,Occ17,2010 . 

7 DrcvcJean,Democraṛy4nd Abj'értoFpk (2004),EP1E April24,atpl732.

m ghtto Food:lnternationalInitiatives 

c, 

Theinitiativesunderthc H uman Rightsregime,conccntrating on the 

Righttofoodcameintolimeligh:in1980's'.TheUDHRIAI't25)9,the 

ICESCRIAI't11)10rccognizesthcrighttoadcquatefood andfundamental 

righrto befreefrom hungcras H uman Rights,TheNvorld Summ itfor 

SocialDevelopment(SVSSD).heldin1995inCopenhagencaledforan 

intcgrated approach topovcrty craclication,sustainable livelihood and social 

integration.-rheNvorld Food Stlmmit,1996 hcld atRomealso rccognized 

therightto food aspartof tlestateolligation and proposed an acrion plan 

roward.sir,Simplemcnration.l1thelzear2000,rlaecommissiolon H uman 

Righcsappointed aspccialRapport'euronthcRighttoFooi.ln response 

to thesevcrity ofChefood crisisand tl4enecd forpro'm ptaccion , LhcN'Vorld 

BankGroupsetup(leGlobalFoodCrisisResponseProgram IGFRPIin 

M ay 200*8ro provideimmediate relicfto countricshard hitby food high 

prices.TheBank rcspolAschasbeelarticulated in coordination with the 

United Nations'Higl-l-cvel'l-ask Forceon food security.'fhrough i(s 

rcsponse,theBank issuppor:ing thcimplcmentarion ofthejoint 

ComprehcnsiveFramework forActiol(CFA).The Nvorld Bank Group's 

Board ofExecutiveDirecrorshasapproved extending thelifeofsheBank's 

GlobalFoodCrisisResponsePrograna(GFRP)CoJune2011. 

At(hcinternationalarena,tlaecivilandpoliticalrightsweregiven 

morccmphasisratherthan socialand cconom lcandpoliticalrightsdue 

to lack of policicalwilalnong nations.So rightto food asa basic/ 

fundamentalrighswasnotadequately addresed 1(hcinternatiolpalsphcre 

tilreccntly.ButChe existenceoffac:thatwithoutthe legalguranfce 

righ:Cofoodtriglzttosurvival)nootherrightcanexistinreality,compelcd 

the internationalcom m'uniry to rccognise'righrro food'asasecond 

gcneration right.Rightto food hasalwaysbcen observed asa long 

Professed neglccted right. 

8 See.rlr&N Rrpartc.ptbrA'fjr/lf(o/1drquate./935r./asaA/4i'rirzrlA5j/JJ,1983. 

9 Ar'ticle 25oftheUn iversalDeclarariol)()f Human Iligltș l984 providesforcveryonchas(he 

rightro astandard oflivingaclequatcf()rtlehcaltllandwell-bcing ofhimselfand ofl'iisfhm iky. 

including food,clodling lousing andnled icalcareantlleccssary socialserviccs. 

l0 SilnilarlyArticlcl1ofthe(Ilternati()n;l1Cxwcltal'lonl'konom ic,Socia.ald C-tklturalRights 

stipulatcs!Thestatesparfiesto :heprcscntt-.tlvelalplrccognizerherightofevcryoneto an 

adeqllares'tandardoflivingforhimsclfand 1isfatl'ily,inclyldingadcquatefood,c10th ingand 

housing.and ro thecon:iluollsinllrovelnelt'oflivingconditiols.Altd(ha?rccognizing thc 

fundameltlalrightto cvctyulteto bcfrcef'rolt'luldgcr.tltclrshalllakeîhemcasure,forsecuring 

thcscrigilts.

.* JournaloftbexN/ttlrzl//fgpl/zaRtklm Cc?zlr/lïlbp,1Zé19,2010 

ConstitutionalO bligationsand m gltttö Food 

The rightto lifeguarantced underArticle21ofthe Constitution was 

initialy lnterpreted in avery narrow,literaland restrictivesensc to mean a 

protection againstarbitral'y deprivation of-life.-rhesupremeCourtin the 

post-Emergcncyera interpretcd righttolifeand lberty co inctudc every 

aspectthatmadelifemeaningfuland worthwhile.Commenring on Francis 

Coraliev.TheUnionTcrritog ofDelhi,JusticcPN.Bhagavarhisaid;'we 

think thatthe rightto lifcincludesthc rightto livewith human tlignity 

and althatgoesalong with itnamcly,thcbare necessitiesoflifesuch as 

adequate nutrîrion,clothing and thelike . Further.theobjectivcofthe 

directiveprincipleisto'achicveawelfarcsrate(amongothcrs,cnsuring 

basic-needs)by supplemenring fundamentalrights.Article37 ofthe 

Constirution statesthattle'stateshal,in particular,directitspolicy towazds 

sccuring that'thecitizcns,men andwomen equaly havetherighrtoaclequare 

meansof Iivclihood'.FurtherArticlc47 ofIndian Constitution calsupon 

:heSta:eCo raiscthe levelofnutrition and thc srandard ofliving and to 

improve publichead.ItshowsthattheseArticlcsofPart-lv of India 

Constitu:ionobligatesChatt'he rightto food isim portantforrightto livc 

wkth dignity. 

ln O lgaTelisv Bombay M unicipalCorporationt:thccourtopincd 

tha:tlerightto livelihood isevidently implgcitin therightto life.Itwas 

opilped that'Depriveaperson ofhisrightto livelihood and you shal 

haveto deprivehim ofhislife'.In thiscascthe courtcxtended right(o 

life to include rightro livelihood.Howevernothing catcgoricalwas 

pronounced abouttherightto housing ofthepoor.In the Constitutkon 

Bench in DclhiTranspor:Corporation v DTC M azdoorCongress,the 

SupremeCourthcld rhat:herightto lifc also includestherigllrto work 

and observcd that'Incomeisthe foundation ofmany fundamentalrigho 

and whenworkisrhesole sourceof incomc,the rightto work becomes 

asmuclzfkndamental.' 

ln Samathav.SLateofAndhraPradesh'zwhilerecognizing arightto 

socio-econom ic cmpowerment,the Suprcme Courtheld: 

Rightro Iife enshrined in Article2 lmeanssomcChing morethan 

survivalofanimalexisrence.Therightto livewith dignity with m inimum 

ll (1985)> scc 545. 

12 Ala 1:97 sc 3297.

W. 

ofsustenanccand sheltcrand tiloscrightsand aspectsofIife which would 

go to makc aman'slifc complctcand worth living would t)epartof riglzt 

to lifc. 

H oweverin Kapila Hingoraniv State ofBiharl3thematterofdenial 

ofrightto food and mcansoflivelihood wasbrouglattotheattention of 

theSupremeCourtby way ofl3lL bascd on anewspapcrreportstating that 

severalscarvation dcarhsand Suicidecaseswerc reported due to the 

nonpaymentofsalary resulping inthcstarvation ofemployeesofBihar 

StateAgro-lndustriesDevelopmentCorporation.TheSupremeCourt, 

holding thcpublicsectorliablcin termsofAr(21,direcred theState of 

Biharto deposi:m .50 crorewith tltc High Courtfortheclistlursementof 

salariesoftheemployees. 

The DirectivcPrinciplesofStatcPolic'y under(heConstitution of 

lndia aimsto promotcsocialand economicdemocracy. Art47 oftlpe 

Constitutionreadsthatthesrate shalregard theraising ofthelevclofCle 

nutrition and standard ofliving ofi:spcopleand improvemcntofpublic 

health asam ong its primary duties.Thc NationalH ulnan Rights 

Commision initsrepor:datcdJanl7,2003expresedthcview (harright 

to food should berecognized asaguarantecd fundamentalrightwith tht 

following observations: 

'Thercading ofArt2 ltogetherwith Art59(a)and 47,placesChc 

issueoffood securi:y in thecorectpcrspective,thusmaking rightto food 

a guaranteed fundamcntalrightwhiclaisenforccable by virtue ofthe 

constitutionalrcmedy underArt52of(heConstirution.ltfolows,therefore 

thatthereisafuntlam enra)righ:to bcfreefrom H ungcn '4 

Thus,on thebasisofaboveobservationsitcan besaid thatthcSupremc 

Courthasindirecrly conceded arighttofood asan aspectofrightto life. 

Butsuch an implicd recognition may notbe suflcientto protectthe in:erest 

ofvulnerablegroupsofpeoplcsufferingfrom hungerand malnutrition. 

lronicaly,thesejudicialinrerpretacionscannotbe reatedzsassurancefor 

rightto food unte-ssand untilithasbeen guaranrccd through consritutional 

provisionsin (he form offundamenpalrightsthatcanE)eenforccd against 

thestate,In fact,theprimary responsibiliv should be wi:hthe stateas:he 

statealoncisentrusted wirh theeconomicand insrirurionalresourcesto 

1.3 (20015)6SCC 1, 

14 NHRC OrderdatedJD 17,2003,Case510.37/3/97.

JowrnaloftheN/zfzlpizr//fpz?;/zz;RightîCommlsion,14f.9,2010 

protcctitssubjcctsfrom hungerwithaview tosafeguardtheirconstitucional 

rights. 

SocialSecurity Ixgislation to SupportthePoor 

Theterm 'socialsecurity'doesnotflntlany placcin the Constitution . 

Howevcr(heprinciplcofsocialjusticeand therighttosocialsecurity are 

cnshrined in Art38,39,41,and 47 oftheConstitution of Indialṣ Though 

thcrewere sevcralsocialsecurity legislation in lndiarhereareonly afew 

lawsgoverning with righ:to food.Thc EssentialCom moditiesAcț 1955 

wasenactedwirh an objective,'Coensureequitabledistriburion and 

avaitabilit-y atfairpricesofessentialcom modities' . Essentkalcomm odities 

are thosethatthe Union Governmentmay notifyand declaretobeesential 

forthepurposcofrhe Ac:.Thereduction , supply and distribution of any 

essentialcom tnodiry can be regulated orprohibited by theUnion 

Governmcntby an orderunderthisAct.A supporting legislation is 

Prevention ofBlack M arketing and M aintenance ofSuppliesofEssential 

Comm oditiesAc:1980.Anotherimportantlegislation isthe Foo'd 

CorporationoflndiaAct,1964(FC l).TheobjectoftbeActistoensure 

minimum pricesto prim ary producers,and to protectconsumersfrom rhe 

vagariesofspeculative tradc . The primaly funcrion oftheFood Corporation 

oflndia isto undcrtake the purchase,storagc , m ovem ent,transport, 

distribution and saleoffood grainsand otherfoodstuff Besidesthis,therc 

wcreotherlabourlegislationslGenacted primarilywiththeobjcctiveto 

ensuresocialsecurity ro peopl'e, 

Recenrly,thegovernmentenacted :hc unorganized workers,Social 

SccurilyAcr,2008.Thcactisenactedwithanobjectiveofprovidingsocial 

security to unorganized workcrs,The unorganized workcrssoci: security 

rulcs2009 have also becn framed.Itprovidesforconstitution ofaNational 

SocialSecurityBoard and State SocialScc-urit'y Boarcls,whichwiltrecommend 

l5 Foradctailedanalpis.SecMichaelVonHaufl'Human RightsslnformalisationofEmploymenl 

and socialscctlrity xystem inIndia:An Asscssment' , in Human Aïș'/zt.rand BtuicNrrds,r/zep?z 

undpracticr.M ahendra.!Sigheta11UnivcrsalLaw PublishingCompany , New Delhi,2008, 

pg.245-271. 

16 'l'%csupponingiegislatioltsoî-lhisnature wcre ro providesocialsecurie ro(heworkmcn 

ilciudingtheEmployeesScateInsurance(F,51)Ac(,1948,Elnploycr.sProvidentFundsAct, 

1952and theGrartkiryActl97 1.ThcF.SIAcrcnlargrthescopeofthcsvorkmel'scompensation 

Acl'antlM aternalberlellAct,196 lbyprovidingmedicalcare,cash bencilrsand parrial/toral 

disabilitypeltsionincaseoçinclustrialinjury,

socialsecurity scheme.sforthcse workers.ThcNationalSocialSecurity Board 

hasm adcsome recolnmcndationsregarding cxtension ofsocialsecurity 

schelnesto ccrtain additionalscgmcncsofunorganized workers. 

Explainingtheproblem ofpolicymakingin ourdemocracy;Jcan 

D reze concluded that'Indian democracy istrapped in aviciouscircleof 

cxclusion and elitism.Because theuntlerprivileged sectioksofthepoptzlation 

are excluded from activcparticipation in democtatic politics,theiraspiration 

sand prioritiesareno(reflccted in publicpolicy.Theelitistorientation of 

publicpolicy,in Curn,perpctuatcstledeprivations(povcrty,hunger, 

iliteraor,discrimination,etc)thardisempowerpcopleandpreventthem 

from participating in dem ocracicpolitics'H ecaled forfherevivalof 

economicand socialdemocracy in thecountly fhrough rhc Direcrive 

PrinciplesofStarePolicy. 

Poverty A leviation Programm es(PAP) 

Since indcpendenccIndia,wasfolowing aplanned dcvelopm ent 

procus.The Fifth FiveYearPlan (!974-79)wasconcentmtedon eradication 

ofpovertyl7.Sevcralapproachesl8and programmeswere adopred altd 

developcd forthecradication ofpoverty 170th attheruraland urban ccnters 

in India. 

1. PublicDistribution System (PDS) 

AmanyaSen hasobsenrcd ...starvationdepends'notmcrely'on food 

supply butalso on i(s'distributionh..'T lepublicdistribution systcnè, 

popularly known asPDS isthemostimportantpro-poorwclfaremeasure 

initiated atthe administrativelevel.'Fhcl7D Sisunderthe purview of:he 

Union Government,which providessubsidixd food grain,kcrosene,cloth 

ctc.,to thc targcted beneflciaric.sin which thestategovernlnentsarerequired 

to implementitthrough tlteirfood and civilsuppliesdepar:ments.The 

FCl providesrhe adm inistrative fram ework forprocurenienrand 

distribution offood through Lhcl7DS.ThCdistribution isdonethough 

thePD Sand :hebeneficiariesorcve:y citizen wascntitled Co getaflxed

Journaltl/-ê/v NationalSvrzl/ Rklm C/znmitd/a,F@l9,2010 

amountoffootland otheritem s,provided they/theirfamily had a ration 

card.ThePDS operatesthoughtmostly privately owned fairpriceshops 

(FPS)andconsumerco-operativefairpriceshops.Forthepurposesofthe 

identification and targeted distribution,thefam ie.sarecaregorized into 

three(1)familiesabovepovertylineIAPLI(2)familieslelow poverty Iine 

(BPL)and(3)aspecialcazegor)rrepresenting:hepoorestofthepoor,known 

asAntyodaya.-fhcAntyodaya familiesaregiven food athighly subsidizcd 

pricesthroughfairpriceShops,whiletheBPL (ordinaly)f-amilicsarcgivcn 

food itemsathigherrates,although subsidized and theAPL fam iliesarc 

notentirled subsidiscd food.ThusthcPDS isbeingimplcmentcd by the 

centralgovernmentin coordination with thestategovernmentig.Howcvcr 

therewcre seriouslapse during theim plcmentation. 

O ther Schem esand Program m eslB 

PradhanManchriGram SadakYojanatpM Gsx isacentralysponsored 

schemcIaunchedin thcycar2000withtheobjectivctoprovilcconnectivity 

to unconnected habitationshaving population ofmorethan j00 pcrsons 

Lhrough roadsinruralareasby the end of2007.In thc case of H ilStatesand 

DescrtandSchcdtzlcd/TribalAreas,thcobjectivewastoconnecthabitations 

wich thepopulation 250 pcrsonsand above.A .t:hcend of2007 about142750 

KM long road workshastleen completed with theexpenditure ofRs 

27382.24cr0re.FurthcrBharatNirman providesto connecthabitationswith 

tbepopulationofmorcthan 1000 in plain areasand population of500 or 

morein hilyand tribalarcasto becomplefed by 2009.In adition to this,the 

Drought-proneAreaProgramme(DPAP)wasIaunchedin1973-74tolne 

applied in selccted areasto reestablish the ecological.Sevcralcommitteeszi 

werc constituted by theGovernmentto look into the problemsofpoverty. 

TheCommireegave thefolowingrecommcndationsregardingpoverty Line. 

19 In1957 as rlal'y as18,009 fairpriccshopswerepartofthePDS. 

20 Thc(ltlcrnlegaprojcctsintroducedtosecurefoodforpoorare:IntepatedChildDevelopment 

Schcme-adtlresscsnutritiol)alneedsofchildren bclow fheageofsixyearsthaîrcquiresmorc 

than 7,000crorc,M idDay M calscheme-providesForm icldaymealstochildren in orderto 

kcep thum in schoolssNationalSocialAssisrance Pregrammc- providcsforPcnsion forold 

agc,widows,ancldisablcd people.j,000 crorcrequircd,PublicDistribution System subsidized 

rood through rarionshopsatIowerrates,ovcr55,000 crorerequired and NationalRural 

ElnploymentGuaralltecSchezne 100 daysofwofk to the poor,over40,000 crorrrequircd. 

I'!lemajorCommirteeswere:1)S.D TcndulkarCommitree2)N,C SaxcnaCommitteeJ) 

ArjunSenguptaCommittcc.

Thc are:-1)ThcpovertyestimatestocontinuctoE)ebasédon private 

househoid consumercxpenditurcoflndian householdscolected Ly the 

NarionalSamplcSurvey Organizafionthisso), 

Poverty Eradication:Problem sof Im plem entation 

Tlacrewerc seriouslapsesattipeIevelofimpiementation ofvarious 

sclemcsdesigned by theCcnpralGovernment.The SupremeCour:was 

initially reluctant'to interferewith thefunctioning oftheexccutive.ln 

Kishen Patanayak v StatcofO risa2on a petition againstthestarvation 

death in O risa,theSuprem eCourtdisposed of thepctition based on the 

assurancegiven by thesrarcgovernnaentthatthey wilrake appropriatc 

action to preventStarvation deatksand thestatedid no(czrr)routitsIcgal 

obligation.H oweverin PUCL v Union ofIndia23apetition wasfilcd in 

theSuprcmeCourtin view ofthestarvation death arising from drought 

Situationsin thcstateofOrisa,MadhyaPradesh and Rajasthan.Thc 

petitioneralso alegcd thebreakdown ofPDS system and otlerschemcsin 

thescstates.The SupremcCourtissucd sevcraldirecpionsto :he s:ate 

governments.ltwasdirccred to identif)rthcfamiliesbelow povcrty line 

(BPL)and issuanceofrarioncardstorlacm.12wasfkrrherdircctetlto 

distribute25kg ofgrain perfamily permonth,supply ofgrain Co the 

poorestofthepooratlks2pcrkgundcrtl4eAnthyodaya/tnnaYojanatAAY), 

supply of cookcd m id-day mcalin aiIscltoolswith am inilnum contentof 

.500 caloriesand 8 to 12 gramsofprotein on each day of schoolfora 

minim um of200 daysetc.TheSupremeCourt'had to issueseveralorders 

for:heimplementation oçfhcdirectionsgiven in 200124.Inthiscasethe 

courtwastlying to flxobligarion up on thestalegovcrnmcntG rthe 

violarion of Luman rightsand arrhc .saznctim erccognizcd thazhungerw;ls 

aviolation ofhuman rights.In PUCL v Union of India7sin apetition 

underArt32 regarding the im plenaentation of-theSam poornaGrameen 

RozgarYojana,M iddayM ealSchemeandAnthyodayaAnlpaYojana,the 

SupremeCourtdirected the sta:egovernnaelprsto complcce thc procesof 

identiflcation ofpersonsfalling undertl7cschcme and directed thcm to 

22 AlR 1980 SC 677. 

23 (2001)7SCALE 484. 

24 SecPUCI-VUnionoflndia,(2003)9SC-AI-E 855,(2004)5SI.:AI-E 184. 

25 (200$)!0SCC 48l.

) 

? 

journai@ - /'r& NationalHumanAkâzyCommision,141% 2010 1 

i ssue red card by theend of2004 in orderto comm cnce:hesupplyThose 

61 

who havealready been issucd a red card shaltbesupplied t%ebeqcfltsaspcr 

theirentitlcment.ltwasalso directed thaf'red card holdersShöuld noti)e ! 

madeto pay,directly orindirectly,any amountotherthan whatrkey are 

liableto pay forthcsupply taken and with rhatin mind centralgovcrnment 

isdirected toflleafldavitwithin8weeksplacingonrecordguidelinesin j 

thisrcgard'. 

In UP Ro lerFiotlrM ilsAssociation v GovernmentofIndia26 

. 

considcring :healarming incrcase in divcrsion of food stock mcancto be 

,1 

supplied underchePDS on apetition undcrAct32 , itisstated thathighly 

. 

subsidised wheatstock supplied by the CentralGovt . Fordistribution , 

rhough PD5 underscvcralschemṛshavr becn diverted to R . olerFlour ! 

M ilsof diferentstatesthesestockshavebcen procurcd by rhe central 1 

Govt.from FCI.Giving specialrcferenccto thestateofW esttBengaland 

North-Rastcrn statcs,i:isaleged tharinsrcad ofsupplying ' yrhem to (hç ' 

needy consumersand intended beneficiaric.sthey archeing diyerced to the 1 

optn market.TheAssam Governmentwasoftheopinion thatt'làe' 

beneficiarieswcre notinrerestcd iI:taking thcwholegrain and so continued ' , 

m iling attherequestof-theGovṭ ofIndia.However,thcpetitionerarpxd . 

that:therc isapossibility ofmanipulation and Iack ofaccountability . 

HoweverconsideringCheintentionbehindtheprogrammethclupremc 

Courfthegavcfolowing dircctions: 

(1) TheAssodations/Gratn Panchayats/lmcalBodiesconcerrfed shallasess 

thcneed ofwheatfoi.theintended bencficiarieṣ The k' ncc d sjaaljbe 

indicated to tl'eStatcGovernmcnt . 

(2) Thcy shalindicatcthe quantum ofwheat,which isto beconvcrted 

' 

intoatta ro bcgiven to Che beneflciarieson thcbasis'ofthclroption . 

In otherwords,those bencficiaricswho wantto takewhealshal : 

indicareto thcm and thosewho wantto takcfw zshalsimilarly indicate : 

rleiroption . O n thc basisofsuch intim ation aspotcd above , 

Associations/Gram Panchayats/ḻocalBodiesshallconvey the ' 

requirementto theStareGovernmcnr. 

f 

(3) Thequantiryindicatedforconversionintorzrrfzshallnegiventotle 

m ils,who afterconverting wheatinfo atta , shalsupply itto FPSso

hattheintended beneficiariescan getthcm from FPSatratesilxcd 

by the Governmcntscolpcerned. 

(4) x'T'heStateGovcrnlnentsshalensurerhattheactualrequiremcntis 

being projected bythcAssociations/Gram Panchayats/l-ocalBodies 

and Similarly whetlerahernniling the Supply ismadeto IPS to lne 

Supplied finaly fo :heconsumer. 

(5) ThcStateGovernmentsshalquarcerlysubmittheneccssarydatafor 

theinformation oftkcCentralGovcrnmenrwho shalalso ensure 

tha:alpossible stcpsarebcingtakcn by theStatcGovernmentsto 

fulfilltheintendcdobjectives. 

Rightto Food vis-a-visRightto w ork 

Therighrto food isinextricably liltked with otherrightssuch as 

rightto work,aleviation ofpoverty,livelihood andsevcralotlzersctsoirights.AccorclingLolcanDrcze,rhenaturalcxtensionofimplemcntation 

ofrightto food wilbeLo demand therighcto work and rhe righzto 

work isthebestprotection againsrhungerand poverty.Thesecond 

componentof thc Sixth l7lan Strategy forpoverty aleviatiolzwasby 

providing additionalemploymcncopportuniriesto theruralpoorand 

the landless.Subsequently programmclikeNationalRuralEm ploymcnt 

Program (NREP)andRurall-andlessEmploymentGuaranteePrögram 

(RLEGP)wasintroduccdduring:hcEiglthPlan.TheNRE 13wasstarfed 

in1980andRLEGPwaslaunchedin 1983.T leobjectivcofthcNREP 

wasto gcneratcemploymentopportuniticscreatedurablecomm unity 

assetand to improvethequalily oflife.TheNREP suffered asetback 

because ofbureatlcratic bungling in Ihe field ofplannlng and 

implementationatthestatelevel.Keeping rhccmploymentopportunities 

in vicw,thc CentralGovernmelAtintroduced the NatiolalRural 

Em ploymcntGuaralztecAct,200527and larcrthenamewasclanged to 

rheM ahatmaGandhiN ationalRuralEm ploym entGuaralptcc Actwhich 

airnsacenhancing Chelivclilèood securiryof peoplein ruralarcasby 

guaranteeing hundrcd daysofwage-employmen:inafinancialyearCoa 

ruralhousehold whoseadultm embersvoluntecrLo do unskiledmanual 

work,TheNationalRuralEmploymcnrGuaransecSchcme(NREGS) 

waslaunched in 2006 in 200 mostbackward districtsin the lrstphase 

27 NO.12OF2005(5Scptembcr.2005.)

JournaloftbeNZIOPZ/JHunutn Afg'/l/yCommisçon,Wl.9,2pJt) 

and wasexpanded to 30O districtsduring 2007-2008.Atpresent,6l9 

districts are covered under the scheme and more than 4 . 51 crore 

householdswereprovided cm ploymentunderthc Schemc . Howcver,thc 

NationalRuraiEm ploymentActisa positivestep to reducctlnepovcrty 

ratio from :hccxisting flgure, 

T hinking beyond PD S:Recent Reform s in Poverty 

Eradication Program m s 

(1)TheFood Securiv Bil,2010 

The Food Security Bi1128was introduced by the Central 

Governmcntzg fo provide astatutory framcwork to entitlefam ilies 

living bclow thepoverty lineto certain minim um quantiticsof food 

grainsperm onth through targetcd publicdistribution sysrem .Chapter 

2oftheBillprovidesAssured'Food Securityto BPL fam iliesthrough 

Targeted PublicDistributionSystem (TPDS).Scc5provkdesthatevery 

identified BPL family within thenumberflxed underthe Actwilbc 

cnrirled to receivceverym onth from theGovernm ent25kg food grains 

such asrice and/orwheatatsubsidized issue pricesfixed from time to 

timein am annerasmay beprovided undertheRulcs.Chapter.3vests 

rhc responsibiliticsw ith rhe CentralG overnm cnt3o,the Stare 

28 btpv.lw tindlàtdkt'rs.com/zoloilolfod-srœHn-bil-br#ght-sonia-gandhi.hoLFootlsecurie 

biltobebroughtsoon:Sonia Ganclhi,Nagpur,Oct15,addressing the'SadbhavanaRaly'in 

WardhaDistrictatM aharasltradeclared ro introduccFeod sccurity Bila.sawelflare 'polior 

measureoftheUniîcdProgrcssiveAliance(UPA)government. 

29 'I-l1eEmpowereclGroupofMinistcrs(EGoM)clearedrhe(1ru9 FoodSecurityBil.Indic 

Today, 18 M arch 20l0.See./Jrr,.'llçndt'atoday.J?rt)#, . ?.inlsiteI.b'toryl88925l1'ndiaI 

â'GpM+ci4rJ+#ra/r+/p2+Jeœr/a+SJ'/Ibtml 

.50 Sec6.of'(hcResponsibilitiesof:heCenrralGovernmentis(1)'l'heCentralGovcrnlnenrshali 

beresponsibleibri) procurcmentofwheatandriceforthecentralpooithrougliîsosvl) 

ctlntralagencicsandSLatcGovernmentsktldEheiragcncies,ii)allczcationoFwhcarandriceço 

rheStatcs; i)îransportation of whearand rlceasperalocarionto theStateleveldesignated 

depots;(2)allocaEion ofwhectand ricein accordaltce with theaccepted numberoffamilics 

foreac.h state.The CentralGovcrnmenr,iI!a!kevcntofinabilit)rtodeliverthetequired 

alocmtionforanyStatc,shalcompensateby fundsro theStarcequivalenttothe shorrfaḷ A 

dcclicated CentralFood Sccurity Fund wilbese(up Forfhispurposr.

Government3l aswellasthe localauthoritiesforimplementing and 

monitoring thc wholeschemeunderrhcAct.ChapterIV providesf'or 

aCentralFood Security Fund forpaymcntofcom pensation to Statc 

Governmentsin thecventof failureoftheCentralGovernmenrto 

m ake availabie thc requ ired q uantity offootlgrains to S tate 

Governmentsin respecrofBPL familiesasprovided in section ,3 ofthe 

Act.Italso mandatesfortlecstablishmentofState Food Security 

A lowanceFund forexpcditiouspaymentoffood security alowancc 

to iden:ifled BPI-ikm ilies.ChapterV providespenaltiesfornoncom 

plianceasprovided ulde?Sec7 oftheEsscnfialCom moditicsAcr 

1955.Currentl),about4 croreBPL card holdcrsare provided .35kg of 

wheatatasubsidized ratcofRs4,15perkg and riccat 1s.5.65akg. 

Further2 crorcpoorfamiliesarcbeing provided with food grain.sundcr 

'AnrodayaAnnaYojanaScleme'ataratcofRs.2perkgorricea:Iks5per 

kg respectively,

l Journalt/r/zeNatiotalJfvrv rlRight ammision,Fi19,2p/p 

(2)Reformsin PDS:Food CouponsSystem 

TheEconomicSurvey 2009-1032hasrecomm ended reformsin the 

food m anagementsystem in thecountry l)y feplacing the-fargcted Public 

DistributionSystem (TPDS)byfoodcouponsforthepoorby2012 . Under 

the new system ,instcad of grainsbeing supplicd arsubsidized ratcsto the 

PDS shops,thc rarion card hoiderswilgetafood coupon worrh chesubsidy 

amountwhich can t)c redeemed from thePDS shops .T1&e idcaisthac,as 

stated by Kaushik Babu,thechiefeconom icadvisorto :heGovṭ ofIndia, 

'in :hecurrcn:system,the subsidy iswith theshopkceperwhereasin the 

coupon system ,itwilbe directly with thepoor'M . Anotherimportan: 

factoristhat'these shop keepers1)scloçf Chissubsidized grain on thc 

open market,and i)thenadultcrated4eremaininggrainandselthedilured 

productto theBPL and APL househotds , who haveno choicc in the 

m attcr'M . ThcEconomicSularey 2009-10 suggcsred an altcrnatesystem 

thus:- 

'Thetwoplanksofthissystem arei)thcsubsi'dyshouldbehanded 

overdirectly to the households,instcad ofgiving itto :hePDS s:orc kceper 

in theform of chcap grain and zhcn havehim ëeliveritto (he ncedy 

householdsand i)Che household should l)egiven thefkeedom to choose 

which storcitbuysthefood from . SupposetheBPL household getsanct 

subsidy ofls.forwheatcach month . Instead of givingthisby charging the 

houschold lessChan themarketpriceforwheat , itshould Lcgiven coupons 

worth lks,which can be uscd atPDS storesin licu ofmoncy when buying 

wheat.Undertlisnew sysTcm no grain wkllbegiven atasubsidized rateto 

thePDSstoresand they wilbefreeto chargethemarketpriccwhen seling 

grain irrcspectiveofwho thecustom eris.-f'heonly changeisthattlzePDS 

arenow alowed to acceptthese couponswhich thcy can then (akero thc 

localbank and change to moneytFurther,householdsthatgetchesecoupons 

should l)calowed to go to any PDS store oftheirchoice'ls . 

Thc basicidcaofthe food coupon system isthatitwilweed out 

corruption and wilhelp :hebertermanagementofPDS systcm .-l-he BPl- 

32 htty /indiabtldgtt.?7ïc.i'les2009-10lchapt2010Ichapp+2 ṗdf 

.53 bty lindiabutlget.nic.inlrs200%1('/c/w/hl.zp/p/z'â/zlre l . 

l#/ ' 

.51 A 'I'houghtforroday,TlneFnxeloflndia,New Delhidated28/10/2010.atp20. 

3$ TbeFcontlplïcSuwey 2009-10atp 25.

cardholderscan go to any shop wi:h theircouponsto ge(thegrain and 

haveabertcrcboicein selecting theshops. 

(>)UID (Unique Identification)System 

TheUlD s'ysremM isauniqueIclentification program mclaunched by 

rhc Union Govcrnmentto creatcdatabase ofa1lrcsidentsin thccountly 

Theauthoritiesarecaled theUnique ldentification Authority oflndia 

(UIDAI).Thiscanalsobcuscdtoidentifythepoor.Much ofthebeneilts 

ofthisprogramme wilaccruero thePDS system,PDS system ,with the 

integration ofUDIprogramme willead to bcteridentiilcation oftarget 

groups,both indlvidualsand familivs.TheU DIwilalso help thc 

governmcntt'o getalnoreauthenticdataofçhebcnesciaricsfrom m ultiplc 

sources.The UIDA.Icnvisagesfulcnrolmentof residents,with a focuson 

cnrolingIndia'spoorand underprivilegcd communitics . Theautloriry 

plansto partnerwithin itsflrstphasc,thc N REGA,RSDY & PDS will 

hclp to bring largenumberofpoorand underprovided inLo rhcU1D system . 

Thebetrcridcntification mightfurtherlead tothc expansion oftlcnerof 

bcneficiariesand wilcreatcasupporring environmen:forbeterdelivcry 

m echanism . 

(4)Linking PDS with GPS 

ln addiLion ro a1ltheabovc eforrsto reform thePDSsysrcm,the 

Governmentiscommitted tousetl4cSatelitc-driven GlobalPositioning 

System (GPS)to ensurc jood sccurity forthepeople.Thiswiltzetp the 

Centre and State Governm entto m anagc food grainsbu ferstock , 

procurement,and distribution through GPS data centres .Thiswilelpable 

theCen raland theStafe Governmentsto monitorthc ransferoffood 

rainsthroughoutthecountry. 

Conciusion 

Indiahasbeen persistcntly trying to tackletheprobtem ofpover:y 

alcviation forseveraldccadesand hasbeen ableto eradicate ittoacertain 

extent.-fheM ilennium DevelopmentGoals(M DG)hasprovided atimeframeatthcinternationallevelto 

achievethe targctforeradicating poverty . 

36 TbeEcanomic.5Wn,t:y2009-10 a:p 26 .

l4 Jourtud K'/l/?tpNatiolalNwzlz/rzRiglm flt/zlil's.do?i,14/.9,2010 

Thishasimproved thepaceoferadication ofpoverty atthenationallevel. 

lndia isprogrcsingtowardsachieving theM DG within thetargcted timeframeto 

fulflilitsinternationalcom m itment.Theeffortsare madeatthe 

lcgislativelcveland atthe Policy level.-fhe CentralGovernmentcontinues 

to play adom inantrolein the formation and im plem entation ofpolicics. 

Theroleofthe StateGovernmentsin promotion and implementatiolzof 

variouscentralized schem escannotbe undermined.Thelocalself 

governmentsarealso instrumentalin implementing variousschem es. 

H owevertheexpcriencercvealsthatthepovertyeradication program mes 

actualy failed atthcimplementation level.Thereareseveraloccasionswherc 

theSupremeCourritselfhad to intervenefortheproperim plementation 

ofvariouspovcrty eradicarion programmes.There isaseriousneed for 

reform ing thePDSsystem in the countr)rto preventPDS leakages,scale 

and quaity ofissue,transparency and accountability and thcreisaserious 

necd to im plcmenttlzeGrievanccRedressalM echanism.Howcvcrthc Food 

Security Bil,2010 drafted by thcCentralGovcrnmcnt,Satelire-driven 

GlobalPositioning System (GPS)toensure Food security and the UlD 

program and severalinnovativeschemesadopted by thegovernmcntgivea 

strong indication thatlndiaiscom mittcd to implementthcM DG and 

wilachievcitstargetlny 201s.-fhereisalso agradualShiftin theapproaches 

in povcrty eradication programmefrom thetargeted approach to therights 

based approach.Thisshiftorchangeisdueto theoveralchangcin the 

approach towardspovcrtz eradicarion atthelntcrnationalarena. 

REFEREN CES 

Htlngeramidstplenty:Rcflectionson law,poverty and Governance 

Singh,Parmanand,journalof f'/7rIndianL a?zpInstitute,200* 

jan-Mar;48(12.57-77 

b) tdl-liddcn hunger:The problem and possibleintcrvention',Gopaldas, 

Tara,EconomicandPoliticalW cekly,Aug.2006;41(34) 

Poverty food inadcquacy and hungerinW e-stBcngal,Bandyopatlhyay, 

D.M ainstream,Jun.2007;45(26):7-8 

'Living with hunger:Deprivation among theaged,singlewomen and 

peoplewith disability'M ander,Harsh,Economicandpoliticallr4el'/ .)j 

Apn-May,2008,45417)

e) S'Holdingthestatcaccountableforkunger.Chapra,Surabhi'lkonomic 

andpoliticalWFC/rJ ., )ô2009,44(.33):8-l2 

f) C'Menaceofhungervis-a-visright(o food:A constitutionalperspective' 

Singh,Seema,Civil,'?z;é M ilitaṛyL aw A xzw/ztApril-Junc2009; 

45(1+2):70-79. 

f) M icro-creditand ruralpoverty:.A1:analysisofempiricalevidence. 

Chavan,PalaviandRamakumarjR.Economickzzit:/PoliticalW&l#, 

2002,37:955-65 

g,l WlmpacrofBRDB and BRAC programmeson the ruralpoor:a 

comparative analysis',Saluad:M ulam mad,M adl3ya f7rfzétv/ - /tlfrrldz/ 

ofsocialScience2000Januarp June;5(1):25-42. 

g) tlkethinkingpovertyisues'Atal,Yogesh,MatlyaPradesllournalof 

usbcz/-s-c/tpacryaJul-Dcc,200l;6. 

h) tflkonomicprogrammcsandpovertz reducrion:NGO expcrienccfrom 

TamilNadu'Rajasckhar,D.,Economicand PoliticalWtzl'/m 2002, 

37:3063-8. 

'slnformation sourcesofruralpoor:A study in U . S.',NagarKumar, 

Manish,Patlaak,Chitraand Singh,A.K.,Indian./4ylpci'/libnofsocial 

SciencelnstitutionsQuarterly Jan-M ar2001;l9:l23-33 

uco rclatesofpovery and developmentindicatorsin drought-pronc 

areasofAndhraPradcsh'.Rcddy,B.SambiInâianzqsociationofsocial 

ScienceJayrl'/.l/ri't?pzyQurlrtrrly Oct-Dcc.20019l9:45-56. 

l

T he D ream of a H ealthy W orld 

M ilesto go... 

Alok 3t& >& /w#>J/zJ* 

Inrecenthistory,health hasnotreccived asm uch importancea-sithas 

received ovcrthe lastfcw years.Theinitiativcslike M acroeconom ics 

Com m ission on H ealth,GlobalFund,W orld Bank's and private 

foundarions'considcrableinvc-strnenrsin :he lzealth scctorin devcloping 

countriesand theM ilennium DevelopmentGoalsaresomeofthesincere 

cxpressionsofconcern to im prove the health status.t'Favourable wind isof 

consequcnceifthe directionoftlaeboatisright.' 

PerhapsthemostsatisYingdeilnirionofhealthin thepublicdomain 

isinthcDeclarationofAma-Ata,'Health ;'Ja stateofcompletephsical, 

mentalandsocial?t?:#Je;b , 

ç;and notmerely t$rabsencetI - /WJ'J:zozorïk-jr>zlfy, 

isrz/zrilwzrtwrz/hbfmanr/gérz-z;/thattlx fzryspzrzerzr/r/r/.çhighrstpassiblr 

levelofbealtb;'Jamostfretlrlfzh;rworld-widemctùlgoalfz)/Jt?lt'realkbmtion 

requiresr/ptzrzcpbnofmany otbersocialandeconomicsectorsinJJWJW// tot>r 

healtb srcton ' 

Unfortunately,the progressreporrsofthe health secrordo not 

cncom passthisLroad definition.W e,therefore,can only Iook atthe 

achievcmentsand shortcomingsfrom anarrowerperspective.W chave 

obviously madesignificantprogressin thecom municablediseasesfront, 

particularly tuberculosis,water-bornediseasesand even in H IV/AIDS.Onc 

isconvinced thatcontinued energeticinvestmentand incervcnrion wil 

makeasignificantdentin thisarena in thcyearsro come.However,abanc 

ofthecu rentprogram mesin taclding these diseascshasbeen avertical 

selectiveapproach.Quiteoftenontheoveralhealthimpactfrontthcy 

land up inasituationof'operationisJJ/cct,J'//butt/pe,pkztgrltisJez/.' 

*ChiefRxecutive,VoluntaryHcalthAssociationofIndia 

JournalO - /WJ'NatioulHuman Ak/ztsCemmision,WJ.9,2010

W c watch with considerableconsternation,:hecmerging problcm of 

ahuge burden ofIifestylerelatcd diseasesalovertheworld.According to 

'W 1-10 ,by 2030,non-comm unicableconditionsareexpected to causem ore 

than threc-fourthsofa1deaths;alm ostonc-third ofal1deathswilresult 

from cancer,heartdiseascsand trafficaccidents.In devcloping countries, 

includinglndia,the numberonecauscofprcventablcdeathsistobacco, 

M orethan eightmilion tobacco related deathshavebeen predicted in 

20.:.50 with 80% ofthem in thedeveloping counrrie-s.ln addition,lifestyle 

ailmentssuch asdiabeto,cardiacproblemsand cancerareexpected to cost 

Indiaincomelossesofalout$236 bilion by 2015. 

Ourresponse(o thishugeproblem làasbeen haif-hearted and casual. 

Thisisparticularly in thecontextofaggresive promotion oftheproducts 

ofhcalthdcstroyingindustriesliketobacco,junkfood,etc.A smalunit 

containing a'fewrpcoplein '$V1-10 Headquartcrsand cvenfcwerin the 

RegionalOfilcestrying to spearhead the battleon thisfrontisareflection 

ofthesituation.In chronic disease prevcntion,efccpivetoolsarcproven, 

they are inexpensiveand haveothcrintrinsicvalucs,butweareyetto adopt 

them with theseriousnessand urgenuy thatthcy deserve.In thetobacco 

and substanceabuse arena,Cherecentinitiativesof'svl-lo ,theBloom bcrg 

Foundation and othershavebeen im pressive,butwehavc along way to go 

in sceing theimpactofthesemeasures, 

ltisheartening thatnow in alhealth forums,the sociaideterm inants 

dimension ofhealth iswelrecognized.M ilennium DcvclopmencGoals 

are averyimportantmovcin tlatdirection,bu(unfortunarely 'wehavc 

only7 and ahalfyearsIcftandonebiliol'pcoplestilllive in extreme 

poverty 'M orethan onebilion people lackaccesCosafedrinking water. 

. About2 bilion peoplehaveno regklaraccessto reliable energy services. 

750 milion adultscannotread.And oneofrhcmos:striking statistirasis 

the oddsthat'awoman willdiefrom complicationsin pregnancy in sub- 

SaharanAfricaare1in16 overthecourseofhcrlifetimc,compared tolin 

.5800 in thedeveloped world.'Untilwzhavemadesigniflcantprogrcsson 

thesecriticalarcas,healch wilremain adistantdreanaformiliolsofpeople 

a1Iovertheworld. 

There can belitledoubtLhatthc greatestcconom icforce now 

sweepingthrough thchealth carcsystem worldwideisthatoftltemarker. 

H ealth isavitalhumalgood and M cdicarcplaysa key rolc in promoting

I 

JournaloftbeN/J/I:Z/ZJHuman Ak/?r.çCommiuion,14J.9,2010 

it.Totaly com mercializing itevcn forthesakeofchoiceand cfgciency 

runsapotentrisk ofsubm itting itto them arket-forces.Theintegrity 

ofm cdicine itsclfis atstakc.Thankfully for'thc poor in m osr 

developing countriesthe Statestilrcm ainsaprincipalproviderin 

theH ea1th Sector, 

The framework to ensurequality health careata reasonablecostfrom 

:heprivatesectorremainsan unfulfiled agenda.A though ithasbecomc 

an e'xisting reality in othersewicesectorsliketelecommunication,airlines, 

etc.The mechanism of the involvemen:ofthe privatesectorin the 

prevention and 'prom otion ofhcalth isyetto bctried out.Thcsignificant 

contribution ofthcnon-profltsectorin complex and in dimcultscttingsis 

impressive,butremainslimited.Creating theenabling atm osphereand 

adequatc resourcesforthcupscaling ofthissectorshould be an im portant 

agcndaforthefuttlre. 

W eneed to Iook atthefinancialoutlay thatisrequired to m eetthe 

unfinished agenda of 'Health forAll'.M ostdeveloping countries, 

includingwelperform ing econom ieslikclndiaand Clàina,investfar 

lcssthan isrequircd to mcettheirhealth goals,Although :he situation 

hasstarted changing recentlywith therealization thatgrowing economies 

can notbesustained withoutan appropriatepublic health infrastructurc, 

aswasborneoutby theoutbreak ofSARS andAvian Flu,Itisestimated 

Chatthecostofproviding basichcalth careto theworld'sunrcached 

population willbe a$25 bilion.ThisisaboutwhatW cstern Europe 

spendson cosmeticsand fraction of$400 Lilion thatrhe world spends 

on armalnentsannually. 

Globalwarm ing and environmcntaldcpudztion arehugcimpcdiments 

toahealthy world.-fheonly homcthatwehave,thcEarth,isbeing treated 

lotlikeamother;btltanobjectavailableforeternalexploitation.Thisis 

eloquently captuyed in AIGore'sdocumentary,'An InconvcnientTruth'. 

lfwedo notwakeup quickly and'acturgently,perhapsitwilbecomc too 

late.Gandhisaid,'Thetvorld iz?lenougbfortpszr-yidW.ykneed,butnotfor 

r/v ṟpipt/ỵkgreei ' 

1:isobviousthatweltave a1lchenecessaly toolsof reaching :he goal 

'H ealth forA l',butweneed (o fuly utilizetheexisting favourablcclim atc, 

sccure cleardirection and putaIlourenergiesto makeithappcn,W e need

ahealthcarefarrcmoved from the currentbiomedicalmodeland closerto 

asocio-politicaland spirituallnodel.W cneed to devclop ahealth system 

where people are norpassivetecipientsbutactivc participants.-fhegerms 

theol'y need to bcrcplaced by amildelwberethehuman being isregarded 

asccntraland hclped to regenerateasenscofwe lxing and fltnessin hisor 

herlife situation.Interestingly,mostofthetraditionalsystcmsapptoach 

health from thisholisticperspective.

M illennium D evelopm ent G oals of 

A chieving U niversal Prim ary 

Education--fhe Road Travelled by 

lndia So Far 

Prof.$ S.#wg>xr* 

1 wilr'veyou dztalisman.W keneveryou arein doubtorlz/irs tlze 

mlfbecomestoomuchJw% you,ap'ply fét'/t/t/?z?l'rw trst: 

Recalr/v -/-/zceoftbepoorestand /.éeweakestrzlzawkom yourzw.p 

haveJrfw and askyaurselftf thevtp> youcontrmplateisgoing to& ofany 

roz to>:,zn.Wil/7:gain la - 

'y/éjrw by it?Jr4/itrestorr/J;'p;toa control 

over>J'Jown'ltf t'tlnd destiny?Inotherzôwr/swilitJ-z/toSwarajfor 

l/J:lnungṛyz'r/tr/-çypfr/rzfz/ . 

zstarving rai'/ibny? 

Tbenyouwillhkdyourhubtsandyoursrlftlmtemergrdoutt/r/;r 

courageofconvictionjza#/rrabelieft'nr$emelting auwy 

M abatma Gandlni 

C ontext 

India'sfreedom struggleshalberemembcred forseveralofitsunique 

featuresthatemerged outof(he courageofsustained conviction and firm 

beiefin thcinevitablcvictory to allthose who truthfuly adhcreto thc 

path ofnonviolence.Gandhiwashumiliated and thrown outofthcrailway 

compartlnentin Pietermaritzburg in South Africa.H ispcrsonality has 

already begun toblosom and instead oftaking thisincidentashumiliation 

of himself,asan individual,heextendcd its(fanvasto alrhecolorcd people 

who werebeing discrim inatcd and insulted on adaily basisforccnruries 

*FormerDirector,NCERT 

l'ourultfr/zeNitionalS'r/ray/rlRigbtstîb/zlvlfçxzppz,1W.9,2010

togcthcraround thcworlcl.From aperson hetransformed himself into a 

personality and evcly human tneing bccamenearand dcarto him ,hewas 

concerncd aboutal1,particularly thedeilcient,deprived,wcak,neglected 

and socialy,culturaly and cconom icaly ostracizeë.Com prehcnsively,a1I 

thoscwko were exploited and ignorcd becamehispriority concern.H c 

resolvcd to striveto m akcIndiafree from the alien rule.Hepersistently 

nurtured the dream thatin frcelndia,everyone shalgethis/herHum an 

rightsirrespective ofany diversityofany conceivablevariety,H isIndia 

would I)efuly literatcwhereno one would bedeprivcd ofequity equality 

and sociaijustice. 

H ow shalthese Iofty goals%cachieved in freeIndia?Hcknew itwas 

roughand realtough.OnemayIiketorecalalcterGandhijiwroteon 

24January,l922: 

'W e should rememberthatimmediately on theatainmcntof f'recdom 

ourpeople are notgoing to securehappiness.Aswebecomc independent, 

allthcdcfeccsofthesystem ofelections,injustice,thetyrannyoftherichcr 

classcsasalso the burdcn ofrunning adm inistrarion arebound to come 

upon us.People would begin to feelthatduring those days,tlaere was 

morejusticc,therewasbetreradministration,thcrewaspeacc,andthere 

washonesty to agreatextentam ong Cheadnlinistratorscompared to (he 

daysafxerindependence.-rheonly bcnefltofindependcncc,however,would 

bethatwewould getrid ofslave!y and theblotofinsultresultingtherefrom. 

'Butthereishctpe ifeducacion spreadsthroughoutthecountly.From 

thatpeoplewoulddevelop From theirchildhood qualiticsofpureconduct, 

Godfearing,lovc.Swarajwould giveushappinessonlywhcnweatain 

succcssin the task.O thcrwiseIndiawould 'becometheabodeforgrave 

injusticeandtyrannyofthcrulers.' 

Post-independencepoliciesin Indiawercinfluenced by scveralfactors 

ofsocio-culturaland cconomicfraditions,pracricesand intcrnational 

considerafions.Consequently,India did notfolow many oftheidcasthat 

Gandhihad givcn for'Salvodaya'-Upliftmentofa1l-no'neexcludcd . 

H owevecthoeideasare now remcmbered appreciated and recaled practicaly 

a1around theglobe.M ahatm aGandhi'spubliclifewasauniquepursuit 

togivecyvely human beingwhatishis/hernaturalgift;human digniv and 

human rights.Independencewasonly oneofthcnccessary ingredicntsto 

march on thepath ofprogrcs.The otheronewasuniversaleducation.

Il JournaltfrseNationalf'NmzaAzkitçCommision,W19,2010 

Onecould recalGandhiahundred timesifonerccalsthedeliberationsof 

thelazntienConferenceofM arch1990andtheDakarDeclarationof2000. 

DakargavctheM ilennium DevelopmentGoals(M DG).ThcJamtien 

Declaration cxpre-ssed theglobalre-sqlveto universalizeeducation isthe 

duty ofcvely individualand cvclynation,includingthoscwhich had already 

tlnivcrsalized education.Everm necan bc happy only when no one is 

unhappy.Thatistheessence ofuniversalization ofhuman rights. 

G oalsand Targets 

InterttvinedA rticulation 

ltwasin April26-28 atDakar,Senegalwhcrcthe W orld Fzucation 

Forum wasorganizcd.Itissued :he 'kD akarFramework forAction'; 

'Education forAll,M eeting ourColectiveComm itments'.A l191United 

NationsM embcrstatespledged to m eetby theyear2015 thefolowing 

goais.Itwould bdwortlwhilctohaveaglanceatthc identified goals. 

(1)Eradicateextreme poverty and hunger 

Halve,bctween 1990 and 20l5 :heproportion ofpcoplewhoseincomc 

islessthan $ laday;reduccby halftheproportion ofpeoplewho Suflkr 

from hungcr 

(2)Achieveuniversalprimary education 

Ensure rhatalboysalpd girlscomplctea fulcourseofprimaly 

schooling 

(3)Promotegenderequality and empowerwomen 

Elim inate gendcrdisparity in primaly and secondary education 

preferably l)y 2005,and ataillevelsby 20 15 

(4)Reducechild mortality 

Rcduce by tavo thirdsthemortality rase among children lessthm five 

Yearsofage

(5)Improve maternalhealth 

Reduccby tlarcequarrcrsthcmaternalm orrality ratio 

=' 

(6)CombatHTW AIDS,malariaand otherdisease 

' Haltand begin to reversethespread ofHIV/AIDS; 

HaltandLcgintorcversetheincidenceofmalariaand othermajor 

discases 

(7)Ensureenvironmentalsustainability 

lntegratcthcprincsplcsofsusfainalnle devclopmenrinto countrypolicies 

anclprogram mcs;rcversclossofenvironmentalresotlrccs;ltcduce byhalf 

the proportion ofpeoplc wirhoutsustainablcacccssto safcdrinkingwater 

Achieve signiflcalzrimprovenzcntsin thelivesofarleast100 nlilion 

slum dwelersby 2020 ' 

(8)Develop a globalpartnership fordevelopment 

. Develop furtheran open trading and flnancia jsupportsys:em 

thatisrulebasecl,predictableand non-discrim inatory,includea 

comm itm cntto good govcrnancc,dcvelopmcntand poverty 

reduction b0th nationaly and internationaly. 

. Addrestheleastdeveloped countries'specialneeds.Thisincludes 

rariffand quota-frce accessforthcircxports;enhanced debtrclief 

forhcavily indebtcd poorcountrics,canccllation ofofficial 

bilateraldcbt,and morcgencrousofflcialdevclopmcntasistancc 

forcountricscom mitrcd to poverty reduction 

addrcssthespccialneedsoflandlocked and smalisland dcveloping 

states. 

* dcalcomprchcnsively with developing coun ries,debtproblems 

throtlgh nationaland intcrnationalmeastlrcsto makcdebt 

sustainablein l'helon!rrun 

@ ln cooperation with thedeveloping countriesdevelopdecentand 

productive work foryoutl: 

'

lowrnalt/J/,rN/ZrA'wZJHunlan AfgâtrCommiasinn,141..% 2010 

* ln cooperation with pharmaceuticalcompanies,provideacccss 

to affordableessentkaldrussln developing countrieṣ 

@ 

In cooperation with private sectormake available the beneltof 

new technologies-especialy information and communication 

technoiogies 

Thegenesisofthe goalsidentiled above and the targetsfixed with 

pragmatism ,prccision and urgcnq bccomcscvidcntwhcn onctakcsa 

comprchensive lookon :11oftheekghtM DG'Sasone complete lot .These 

centreon thechild,mother,ntltrition,healrh care,and a1such otherinpurs 

thatarenecessary towardstlnepreparafion ofchildren and young persons 

foracreativc and thecontributing adultlife.Evcrychild hatan inhercnt 

naturalriglatto hcalthy prc-natalcare,ahealthy birth and properinfant 

health care.To supporthis/hergrowth , the countz.y requiresa certain level 

ofresourcesand functionalsupportsystemsnationaly and internationaly . 

Developing and leastdeveloped countricsare mostly thosewhich were 

exploited in oncorthe othcrin thccolonialera . ltisnow welcstablishcd 

thatso long asignorance,iliteraly cxploitation and deprivacion rcm ain 

prescntin any partof theworld,no nation can really remain aloofand 

secure.Thcinternationalcommunity had realizeditandthcJamtirn 

Dcclaration arising outofthc'W orld Conference on Educarion forA1l' 

gavea vcry concreterealization ofthiscriticalneed forglobalmutuality. 

W hen a child growsup in any partof the world , he/shedeservesto gct 

good qualiry education and skilorientation during initialyearṣAsyoung 

persons,rhelrnecd work placesro t)eablefo livcadecentlifeon theirown 

and confribute efl-ectively in thenationaland internationalefforrsto march 

ahead and achieve (he goalsofgrowth . and devclopm cnt.Individual 

developmentistbekey tothe socialand nationaldcvclopm enṭ .A 1tbe 

eightM DG'Scould besecn ascentcred on the'Child' .And thatishow it 

should be. 

In hisForeword to 'The M ilennium developmentGoalsReport 

20l0'of the United N ations,thc Secretary-GeneralBan KiM oon 

summarizesthesegoalsvery comprehensively: 

'TLC Goalsrcprescnthum an ncedsand basic rightsthatevery 

individualaround thcworldshouldbeablctocnjoy -freedom from extreme 

poverty and hungcr,quality education , good health and shelter,theright 

ofwom en togivebirth withoutrisldng theirlives , and aworld where

cnvironm entalsustainatliliry isapriority and women and men livein 

equa (,k ty ' 

TheSccrefaly Gencralrecalsthccomm itmentoflcadersofalthe 

memlnernationsoftl4eUnited N ationsto t'forge awideranging global 

partnershipfordevclopmen:(oachicvetheseuniversalobjectivcs.'.'hvhile 

he mcntionsChatthe2010 Reportsbowshow m uch progresshasbeen 

made, titisclearthatimprovementsin :he livcsof poorhavc been 

unacceptably slow,and some hard-won gainsarebcing eroded by the 

climare,food and economiccrises.'M DG'Sareablucprintwhich,if 

concretized and given the rightshape,could pavetitepa:h forcvery individual 

everrwhereto lead alifc ofdignity,self-respectand equality.Itcould 

illustrates:heuniversalunity ofmankind on theonehand and establish 

thcnecesity ofmaintaining thcscnsitiveand sacrosanctmutuality ofman 

and natureand,on d4c other.Non-achicvementorcvcn adelay would be 

disastrousnotonly Grthewcakercountricsand sectionsofpopulation 

butto evelyonc,irrespectiveof thcsocial,economicorgeograplticallocation. 

Elem entary Education in India 

, The Constitution of Indiahasvely speciflcprovisionson universal 

cducation.-l-hepre-independencc period leadersl:ip ofIndiaknew itveo, 

welthateven afterîndependence;the greatextchalcngeswould appea?in 

theshapeofremoving iliteracy,ignorance,poverty and hunger.Ataliteracy 

ratcofjustaround20% ,India'sConstitutionmakcrsinsertedavcrybold 

and courageousprovision in theshapeofArticle 45 undertlàeDircctive 

PrinciplcsofSrare Policy: 

'Provision forfrecand compulsory education forchildren -7-hcState 

shalcndeavour to providewithin aperiod often years from the 

commencementoftheConstitution,f'orf-'ree and compulsoc education 

foralchildren untilthey com pletefourteen yearsofagc.' 

hsiswelknown,rhegoalsindicated in thisvcry signiflmntprovision 

could notbeachicved within thestipulated period.Thcse,in fact,stilrcmain 

unachieved foravcly largenum berofchildren in thespecified agegroup. 

Thcrcwere serioasconcel'nsexpressed on wariotzsfacetsof elementalyeducation 

in tcrmsofaccess,participation and lcarnerattainnxntsatvariousStage.sof 

policz formulationsand implementation during thelastsix dccades.Therewas 

a greatclamorforincluding theprovisionsoffreeand compulsol education

kournaloftbeNationalJfwzizr Riglm tib zwiu/rz,14/.9,2010 

' 

underthefundamentalrightsguaranteed undertheConstitutiop.The86'th 

Constirutionalamendmcntwasinscrted in 2002 in rhefolosking forniat: 

*2 1A.'1'leSrate shalprovidcfree and compulsory Educktion to a1 

children of theage of six to fourteen yearsin such mannerasthe State may, 

1) y' law,de:erm inc.' 

Now,theRigh:toEclucation(RTE)Actwhichwasclearcdbythe 

Parliamcntoflndiain2009 hasbeenimplemenredwithcfectfroih/pril 

01,20 l0.TheRTE Actprovidcsthe legalframcwork foruniversalsatlon 

ofclementary education asafundamentalrighfofchildrenin thc agẹgro'up 

6-14 yearsofage.ltclariflestha:'Compulsoryeducation'meansobligptlon 

oftheappropriategovernmentto providefreeelem entaotçducation and 

ensurecom pulsory adlnision,atendanceantlcom pletion ofclcmenrac 

educasionl()everychildin-thesixtofourtecnyearagegrpup.'tA lnual 

rcport,M H RD 20107P20).1(makesprovision foranon-a'dm itqd chlld 

to beadm itted an agealpropriateclass.Only tilne wiltelhow much 

diferenceitcan m ake in bringing around ten million children to schools 

and providing good quality cducation to tlxem ald also to those who arein 

schoolbut'arcgetting below averagequality education.Aboarcntlv.thc . 

' 

7..1. . 1 4' I 

implementafion ofthem ghtto EducationAcfand isgrcatfchievementin 

thescctorofelementa:y education and itfitsin very welwith thcàpirltof .: 

tlc M ilenlpium DevelopmentGoalsand the globalconcernsartictilated 

from tilneLo time. 

In Incliathctcrm uscd forcompulsory cducation fora1isUniversal .: 

ElementaryEducation(UEE).ltfitsin theM DG 2.Asalrcady indicatedit 

hasbeen par:oftheconstitutionaldirectives,educationalpolicic.sparticularly 1 

theNationalPolicy on Education 1986 and iCsreviscd vè'ision of 1992. 

Now itfindsaplaceamongstthefundamentalrights.Ifone-rakeja ctlrsory 

look on rhe rem aining seven M DG's,itwould beveryclear-thatpracticaly ! i 

alarerelevantto them ostprom inentof:heGoals:good quhlty U EE. 

, 

with astrong com ponentofskilorientarion and valuedevcloifmentand 

nurturance.So long extremcpovertyand hungercontinuc tj . inflict.misely k 

: 

on billionsofpcople,achicving UEEwould remain adistaritdream .Same . 

appliestotlaeprevailing gendcrdiscrimination practicesand tradirions. ' 

Child m ortaliry and m aternalhealth are criticalcomponentsto education 

y 

aswcl.H IV/AIDSkM alariaand otherdiseascsleavemilionsoffam ilies 

andchildrenin direstraitsofconditionsthatmakesurvivalofbchildren 

' 

F

sough,Influmcrablechildrcl)a1over(hcglobehavesufcred forcenturies 

when thcrraditionalhabitaLionsof-thetribals,forcstcomm unitiesand 

ethnicgrotlpssufcrt:d displacement,snatching theirtraditionalsourcesof 

ivelihood and exploitation in variousformsand formatsin thcnam eof 

progrcssand developmenr,thcfruitsofwhich hasgcneraly rem ained 

conflncd fo ascleccfew.Stlch disparitieshavegreatly retarded rhe progress 

in achieving UE E on theolehand and,on :hc other,have greatly 

cmphasized theurgency ofbringingevery child in thcfold of U EE attle 

earliest. 

Itwould berelevantto rccalthefolowingfrom theNationalPolicy 

on Education N PE-l986 asrevlsed in l992,w lich isstilbeing 

implemented by tlenarion: 

2.4 Il:sum ,education isauniqueinvestnaentin thepresentancltlye 

future.-l-hiscardinalprincipleisthckcy Lo thcnationalpolioron education. 

4,1Tlàe ncw policy wil1ay specialcm phasison the rcmovalof 

dispariticsand (o cqualizccducationalopportuniry by arlending to the 

spcciflcnccdsoftlzoscwho havcbeel)denied cquakity so far. 

4.7 Education wilbcused asan agentof'îaasicchangein thestatusof 

women.lnordcrt'o leutralizethe accum ulated distortionsof ?he past, 

therewi1beawclconceived edgein favourofwomen.-l-henationalsystcm 

wilplay apositivc,inrerventionistrolein thcempowcrntel'l:ofwomcn. 

5.5 Thethrustin elclnentary cducation wilelnphasizethree aspects; 

(I)universalacccssandenrolmel:,(11)unfversalretentîon()fchildrel:upto 

14yearsof'age;and (111)asubstantialimprovelnentin thequalitz of 

education to enablcalchildren toachieveesscntiallevclsof'learning. 

lrisevidelztfrom amcreglanccon theextracrsfrom theN17E-86/92 

thatittakesinto accountaltheprc-rcquisitcsthatare nccessaly to enable 

children and youngpersons,moreparticularly thegirlsand wolnen to lclpow 

theirrightsand dcvelop attitudesto cnsurethatno oleorany of thesystelnic 

orsocialpracticcispermitted ro usurp tkcseany more. E scntialy,the 

lndian Education Policyand itsrcgularrevisionshavcalwaysarticularcd 

rhespiritofrhcConstitutionoflndiatha1:assuresequalityaldsocialjusrice 

to a1irrespectiveofany diversity ofcaste,creed,rcligion,rcgion,social 

praccicesorgendcr.O n thegloballcvelthearticulaCion and delinearion of 

theNIDG artcmptsthesame.

lournaltfr/?eNationalHuman Azk/?fyCommisio't,14l9,2010 

Initiativesin Elem entary Education 

hsfarasthesupportsystems?nd theachlcvem entsin elementary 

cducation are concerned,thcM H RD AnnualReport-2010 givcsdetails 

intermsoffkuresand achievementswhichindicatethat99% oftl'erural 

population hasa primanrschoolwitlin onekiometre . 5,00,895 new 

schoolsopened LilDeccmber2009 , The GrossEnrolmentRatio (GER) 

incrcased in 6-l4 agegroup to 114 . 61in 2007-08 from 96 .3 in 2001-02 

attheprim ary lcvelanclto 77.50 in 2007-08 from 60 . 02 atrhe upper 

prim ary Ievel.In rhecontcxtoftheM DC itshould beconsidcrcd abig 

achievcment.Genderparit'yratio hasalso shown Lonsiderablcpositivc 

change.From 0.83 in 2001-02 itlasriscn to 0 . 98 in 2007-08attheprkmaly 

Icvclantlfrom 0.77 to 0 .92 a:thc upperprim anrlevel.Fordecadcs:he 

lndian educationsystem hasstrugglcd with the stupcndoustask ofreducing 

the dropoutratcsparticularly in theinitialyearsin sclàools . 1:gotrcduced 

by 13,48% t()25.55 in 2007-08 from 39 . 03% in 2001-02.Dropoutrates 

forgirlsdeclined b)rl5 .06 poinfs.Thepupil-teacherratio atthenational 

levclwas4(.1 forprimar)rand 35 . 1 forupperprim ary in 2007-08 . 

Obviously itneedsfurtherim provcm eno even in oficialclaim s . 

Asindicated carlier,lndiasachievementsin tcrm sofincrease in the 

num berofchildrcn in schoolsisrcaly com mendable , particularly when 

oneexaminesthcsein thelightof paucity of res'ourcesin the initialyears 

afterindependence and ovcrthreefold population incrcasein thc lastsix 

decades.Takconcsimplecxample;enrolmentlgures in theycar2000- 

2001were 926lakhin prjmanzclasses(clmsIto V;agegroup5to ll 

ycars)and.342lalth in uppcrprimary(ClassesV1-V1I1;11to 14yearsof 

age).Thecorresponding flguresaftcrflveyearsin2005-06roseto1308 

lakh and 51llakh respecrively . The SchcmeofSan'aShikshaAbhiyan 

(SSA)waslaunched in 2001and itaimed to bring a1children in theage 

group 6-1lyearsto schoolsby 2007 and those up to 14 yearsofageby 

2010.'l-he goalsalso included universalretention and bridging ofgender 

gap by 2010,ltalso aimed arprovidingelemental education ofsafisfacto!y 

quality and cmphasison education for(ife - Nvhatmoreand beterasociety 

inadeveloping countfy with alargepopulation below the pove'rry line and 

suFering diversedeprivation and deflcienciẹscould a-sk for?f'Theprogramme 

coversthc entirecountry wlth specialfocuson educationalneedsofgirls , 

SC's/ST'sand otherchildrcn in difficul:circum stanccs' . To ensurethe 

achievementsofrheseobjectives,severalschemeswerclaunchedtolook

afterthe nccdsofchildrel)in rem oteareasand in smal!habitations. 

Alternarive intervcntionstraregieswerc designed forspecilccategoriesof 

vcl-ydeprived children,e.g.clild labour,streetchildrcn,migratingchildren, 

working childrcn,children living in dificultcircumstancesand older 

children in the9+agegroup,especialy adole-scentgirls.Two ofthcschemcs; 

EducationGtlaranteeSchcma(EGS)andA ternativelnnovativeEducation 

(AIE)havereccived aspecialplaccinthcseeforts.ThcSSA hasaspecial 

focuson girlsand children of-weakerscctions.Severalincentiveschemes 

havebcen operationalized to bring thewcakestand mostdeprived on par 

with others.SSA includescom putereducation in vilagesand tribalareas 

also.ThcNationalM ission for(heSSA isheaded $y thePrilne M inister' 

and theM inisterforthcH uman Resotlrce.sDcvelopmentchairsitscxecutive 

com mitree.The M ision monitorstle progressofrhcdifercntcolnponents 

ofthe SSA hasspecialy targeLed low femaleIitcracy pocketsand particulaz 

cffortsaremadeto bring out-of-scl4oolgirlstoschools,particularly girls 

from disadvantagessectionsofthe society.'lbwardsthis Cwo special 

programmesnamely NationalProgram meforGirlsEducation and Kasturba 

GandhiBalikaVidyalaya,bolh ofwhich arestltnsum ed under:hcflagship 

programmeSSA (M HRD AnlualRepor:20 I0,,).22). 

Themoscsigniilcantinterventionin rhc initiativesto give evcly child 

:herightto basiccducarion wasin termsoftheM id-day h4ealSchelnc 

whic.h hasbeen revised on severalocckusionsand hasbeen inplaccf'orarould 

two decades.Thecoveragewasexpanded and extended gradualy and today 

around 120 milion children aresupposed to Inebenefitingunderthisscheme. 

Thecriticalitz ofsuchaninterventioncanbejudgedfrom olesinglefact: 

over44B/ochildren in thiscoulry sufferfrom malnutrition!Thescleme 

hasbecnrevised onacoupleofoccasions.Atpresentrheobjec:ivesiltclude 

improving thenutritionalstacusofthcchildren in a1lgovernment,locat 

bodicsald governmentaided schoolsand also theEGSand A1E centres.lt 

isexpected ro encourageclildren from poorfam iliesand disadvanraged 

groupstoattend schoolmorercgularly.Italso intendsto providcnutrirional 

supportto childrcn ofprimal'y stageindroughtaffectcd areasin summer 

vacations.Towardszhisatprescnltleprovisionshavetnecnmadeto provide 

cooked mid-day mealwith anutritionalconrcntof4j0 calories.16also 

laysdown thenormsforprotein contentand micronurrielAts,There are 

claboratemonitoring mecltanismsbuttheim plemelytation of thcscheme 

continuesto sufferfrom severaldeficicnciesand inadequacies.

kournatof t/zeNadonalHuma't#k/?rzCommiskon,Wf.9,2010 

M H RD sponsorscvaluation ofM id-day M ealschemesin variousstates 

by 'indepcndentagencics'.SeveralofChesc reportsand tlaeirfindingsare 

cited in thcministry'sanntlalreportof2010.Some ofthcobservations 

culed outfrom differentstatereporrsindicate theground levelsituation 

in tcrm sofachicvement: 

* Ithasmadepositive intemention in universalisation ofprimaly education 

by increasing enrolmentand atlendancc.Thisincrease wasparticularly 

marked in caseofgirlsand ctildren from SC/ST community.lthas 

also contributed to the reducrion in tcacherabsenteeism and narowing 

of-socialdistanccs(Birbhumi,W estBengal), 

* Ithaspositively impacted enrolmentand atrcndanccofchildren . Ir 

hascontrkbuted to sociatam itymschildren s)ttogetherand sharea 

commonlncalirrcspectivcofcasteandclms(Rajasthan). 

* Tlaercwasa15% incrcasein the enrolmenr.Itwasm ore marked; 

45% incaseoftheSC/ST children (M adhyaPradesh). 

Itwould besecn thatthisschemchasmade avcl'y tansible im pactin 

efortsto giveclzildren thcirrightto education.Nvhen around 12 crore 

childrcn areto becovered on daily basis,themanagcmentand administration 

could invariably be underseverestress.Itisgencraly acknowledged that 

theimplementation oftheschcmeh:tsshown visiblesignsofimprovemeno 

ovcrtheyears. 

TheG aps 

Thc Indian education system reprcsentsavastand divcrsecanvasthat 

extendsno(only in hugegcographicaldimcnsionsbutintegratesdiversities 

ofalpossiblevaricties.Providing UEE to alchildren isatough task in 

lndia asitisi1)thede'veloping countriestaken togetheṛ TheU N 

M ilcnniumsDevclopmentGoalsReportof2010 indicatcsthatcnrolmcnt 

in primaryeducat'ion hascontinucd ro rise,reaching89% in thedeveloping 

world.T lisfurtherindicatesthat'Buttltepaceofprogrcssisinsufl'cicnt 

to ensure tha:lny 2015.a1lthegirlsand boyscom pletcafulcourse of 

primaryeducationl'.W hlenumericalflguresmay indkcateencouraging 

progress,pcople'sexpcctarionsfrom education havenow changed.They 

are no moresatisfied iftheirwardscomplete eightorten yearsin schools 

and geCacertificate Co thatefect.They want'good quality'education with

suflcientorientation in slcils'.There isone m orc very signiflcant 

developmentthatim pactsquality ofcducation in schoolsrun by local 

bodies,governmentsand aided privateschools.Ovcrthcycarsthe riseof 

public schoolsthatchargchigh feesl'ascreated two distinc:groups:those 

who can aford to go toaprivatchigh-fccchargingschooltly theirbestto 

gctin there.Theupperstrataofthe society aregradualy moving away 

from schoolsthatoferfree elemelttaly education resulring in considerablc 

declincof thccrcdibility oftleseschools.Itisawelacknowledged 'fact' 

tlaa:privateschoolsfunction beter,haveasuperiorworkculrureand hence 

provide betterquality cdtlcation.ln govcrnm cntsystcm,teacher 

abscnceism ,indiscipline,vacalptposicionsand Lendenc-y (o avoid ruraltrit)al 

and remote arcasispredom inant1t'resultsin poorftlnct'ionalefficaorand 

hence,lowerlevelsoflcarnerachicvcmcnts.Theultimatesufferersare:he 

children and tlereby,thereduction in thcovcralcognitivcand vocational 

capitalofthecountry.Asthegovcrnm entsystentsgcneraly focuson 

expansion,which too isam tlsl,tleschemesand acrion pointsto im prove 

Lhequality oftcn getignored allheimplementation stagerlough itm ay 

find apromincn:mcntionin tlcpoliciesand programmes.U lfortunarely,- 

certain cxtcrnalfactorsarcalso responsible forthedilusiortofwork culturc 

in schools.In thelong run evcn if-theilguresofinclemelrand dropout 

ratesareencouraging,Chelong-term impactofeducation lecomessuspect. 

ltposesabig chalenge in achicving thcM DG-IIin itsrcalspirit.Thatis 

also tlzespiritoftheRTE-20 10.And finaly itisspirifconraincd in thc 

Constitution of-lndiathatensuresequality to aIlin :heirlunAan rights. 

There are xeriousam bigtlitieson :he esrimatesofout-of-school 

children.Diferentsun'eysgivevalring pcrcentage.swhich can be understood 

insuchavastsystem andlargenumbers.TheNER (1e:elrolmentratio) 

wascstimared at94.5% by tle7t1àA lIndiaEducationalsurvey.Another 

indepcndentsurveyconducted in2009 estim ated 4.289/0children in phe 

6-14 ycarage group being outoftl'eschool;5.9210boysand 4.7 10A girls 

(ACSR -ZO l0).There areregionalvariationsaswelas(loseamongst 

diffcrcntgroupsIieM uslims,SC/S-I-and others.2010ofIndian children 

aregrouped asfrom m igrantfamiliesand claimsaboutClaeil.enrolment 

and retention may besuspect.Ovcral,3,7210children arcenroled in single 

teacher.schools.TheNationalP'l-R flgureis1132 butitisfarexceedsthis 

in largenumberofschools.Thcmostimportantissucis-numberof 

childrcnwhocompleteeightycarsofeducation!In asula'ey giving datafor

. 

kournall./k/zeNationalHuman Akâr-çCommist'on,14/..9,2010 

2007-08)showsasunivalratctilclassv of72% only.IACSRZOIOI.Thc 

rafeof transition ofchildren from primaly to upperprim ary educacion in 

2006-07 was81.1391,meaning therebythat19 outofevery l00 childrcn 

are lostto schoolsbetween clasesV ro V1.Therario ofprimary to upper 

primary schoolsstood at4.41 in 2007-08.Non-availability ofupper 

primary schoolsand the facility 017s1:00th transition also makcsanegative 

impact,particularly forgirls(ibid.,p.36). 

Nvhen itcomesto teachersand theirprofesionalpreparedness,Lhings 

appcarto requirefarmorc additionalinputsthan areavailableatprcscnt. 

Thcquality ofreacherpreparation atpre-servicc stagehasdeterioratcd and 

the arrangemcntsto providegood quality in-serviceeducation are 

inadequate.The m anagem entSystcmshaveyetto transform theirapproach 

and style.Table1below givesan idea ofthe chalcngesChatlieIneforethe 

plannersand im plem entersin achicving theM DG-II. 

Table1 

QualityofSchoolinginIndia:SomcInsi ts 

Schoolswithouthead(caclcr(bu:withenrolmentofoverl00childrcn) 45.1t% 

56 SinglcIeacherprima schools I(5.25 

1'4 schoolswithPTR>=60 l2.96 

0/0sclloolswithoutfcmalcteachers 26.4?4 

O/oschoolswitloutdrinkin warer 220/0 

04 schoolswichoutcolnmor)toilet :5 .50/0 

9/oschoolswithout irlstoile: 46% 

f'/oschooiswirltoutcomputer 8694 

t'/eschoolswidzouta ram ) 600,6 

A'oscloolsnottlcctrificd 64% 

tlzoschools1)(,Creceiving tcaching lcarnin material'rant 27% 

NumbcrofdistrictswherePTR isovcr40(a1lschools) 

l46 

8/1Professionally trained teachers 

7 l0J) 

'A/oxeachtrswlzoreceivedin-scnricctrainingcltliingpreviousycar 55*4 

DISE F/.r?J/JStatistics2008-0 . 9 

('aAa/ï/dws/lp?>JDrvrlopmrntt'ibrpçinlndia-dcivilsbcfely Rrport;2010:/7/zéz37)

Ithasofrenbecnpointctlou:(Rajput-2009)zha:(hclndian sysrcm 

ofeducation needsto focusoltaspcctsthatare normally considered as 

mattcrsofdctailsby thenationallevelplanners.Every schoolisuniquein 

itsrequiremenrsand motivationalingredientsthatcould achicvcthedesired 

levelsof eflcienc'y and cfkcacy.Forexalnple,non-availabilitz ofatoiletor 

drinking waterorb0th may bccomethe deciding factorin tl'le life of 

hundredsofclzildren.Officialdocumcntsdo signify thecriticaliry of the-se 

factorsbutin actualpractice.rlpeseoften getignorcd.OvertheIasttwenty 

years,considerableattention hasbeenpaid to basic facilitieslikc clasrooms, 

play material,teaching-learning materialsetc.butthesituazion hasnotbcen 

uniformly atcended to. 

Conclusion 

Targetsetcing,1:,0th nationaly and internationaly,helpsin manywap , 

particularly in sharing ofcxpcricnccsand tkrougl:colaborations.ofvaried 

kinds.Overthelasttwodccades,Indiahasaccepted internationalsupport 

and assistance in i:selementary cducation programmesald also in sevcral 

o'theroftheM DG'Saswerearticulatcd in Dakar.Thefactalso remains 

thatscveralinternalfacrorscal)behandled and taken care ofonly when a 

thorough undcrstanding ofthelocalconrextisarrivedatand each oneof 

these isspecificalyresponded to.Diversitiesabound in lndiaon practicaly 

every aspectof lifcand educarionofchildren isno exccption.ltisfarmore 

com plex attheelemcntarystage.O neof thegreatestachfcvcmcntsof the 

post-independenceperiod isthatthere areno groupsorsocialsctup which 

opposeeducation ofboysorgirls.Educarion isonly onepart,though 

extrem ely necessary,ofthcinitiativestogive humal:rightsand dignity to 

every individualaspromiscd intheConsritution ofIldia.'l'he chalcnges 

aremany.Indiaishometo4204 ofunderweightchildrcn underrhcageof 

lveyearsintheworld(Timesf/fn#;',,October12,2010).'lqhcGlobal 

HungerIndex-201O forCbina,Pakisran antlSudan are respccfjvely 6.09 

19.1;and20.9rcpectivcly.l7orIndia;itis24.7(ibiQ.Itisoniyoneexample 

thatestablishes:heneccssity ofa comprehensiveapproaclz.ln abroader 

perspectiveitcan bcstatcd that:heworld possessesenough resourcesand 

sum cientknowledge to cnstlrc thateven rheweakestoftheweak gets 

whatnaturchasapportionedforhirn/herbutwhich hasnotrcached them 

Lecauscsomcone in berwecn hasgrabbed morethathis/hcrdueshare. 

Educarion,and more im porcantly,the universalclementary educacion opens

I JournaloftbeSzftlwzlffvzazn Rklm tltm-lkçla,I41 9,2010 

up chegafesto knowledge,understanding and appreciation ofthc heritage 

ofacomm on planetthatlovesal1itschildren equaly and fuly . Huge 

effortson thepartofcveryonearcnccded to realize thcdrcam containcd in 

:heDakarDeclaration. 

References 

UNESCO,World fbc/dzraribzlonEducationforAl1;rem/v/fpaof thelrir/é 

ConfrrencconEducation;Jgmtien,Marcl1990. 

UhL'DfzfwrFramewcrkforzlcrfcrl;EducafionforAl.Meeting ourco/frcrfsz 

commitments;7'J'x/adoptrtlh tbrTir/z/1W-ucationForum,Dz/kqSenegaj 

26-28 April2000. 

NationalPolic .yon1Sthtcation-1986I92;Ministry of f-Afzrsrr,Resourcrs 

Depr/oyn7rnl,Departmentofklucation,New Delbi. 

UN ;M iilennium DevelopmentAe a p/rl;20 !0. 

ż1nnuvlF/pfzrc2010,.M inisty t/./.fv?z/rrzResotrcesDrtv/plzapatNew 

Delbi. ' 

ACSR-20 10:M illrnnium DevelopmentGoalsin India , 2010 -./1 civil 

society report.W':,;IZNa 72WpAbljyan,Srptrmber2(&paNew 1')e/?ï. 

Rajput;J.S.;Contemporary Concernsin F.,/r&c/z/ï/p;Yash Publications,New 

.J.%/$7,.2009. 

Tiwt'J'of /?7tWzc'MoreHungryinIndiathanin Sudan',October12, 

2 010 .

Recent Issues Concerning Violence 

AgainstW om en 

Brinda Karat* 

Recentdevelopmentspointto a(listurbing (rend ofa baclda-sh against 

women'sm ovementsagainstviolence,particularly clomcstic violence.The 

scventicsand pm icalarly thedecadeoftheeightieshad sccn aswerp ofprotests 

and agitations1ed by women'sorganizationsagainstcrimesagainstwomen 

leading to smreralnew iawsantllegalreformsto protectwomen . -rhcprocess 

oflegalinitiativr.sslowed down thereaften'Itwasonly in the lastfew years 

thatsomeoftheIostmomentum wasregained through :he enactmcntof 

theProtection agains:Domcstic ViolcnceActand thercform in theH indu 

Succession Actgiving equalrightsto women.Howevcr,in thesameperiod 

there hasbeen aggresivecampaigning by opponcntsofthereformsand an 

ofensive to reverse theearlierachievem ents.N'Vhilethcrcasonsunderlying 

thescdevelopmentsrequirescriotlsanalysis , itiscertainly li'nked to econolnic 

and politicaldevelopments.Thepolitic.sgeneratcd by nco-liberaleconom ic 

policiesthatdownplay and disarm democmticmobilizationsbased on universal 

rightsand valuesofequaity hascertainly sonacthlns to do witlzlṭ The 

domination ofnarrow casrebasepolitiasand castcbascdthcoriesofsocial 

justicesansgenderjusticehavealsoweakenedprogresivemobilizarionsof 

women forsocialchangetlusweakening (heprcsurc on Govcrnmentsto 

cnactgendcrjustlaws.Communalrigh:wing mobilizationshavcconstructed 

theoriesoftradition and ctlturewhlcltseek :o imprison wonwn in subordinate 

roles.Thescarenotseparace caregories , buteach playson andstrengthensthc 

otherIeading to an environmenrwheresocialy rcactionaly forccscan thrive . 

Ccrtainly thcrc isared alerton Grstrugglesin defenceofwomen'sdignity 

and herrights. 

*DlemberofParlia lclt(RajyaSablàal 

lournalp/r/zeNationalSzfzlaaRigltsC'/rarz4Wtw,Wf.#,2010

' 

JoutmaloftbeNzrï/vfffvrzlkzrzAzj/prlCommùsion,Wl9,2010 

An ilustration ofthccurrentenvironmentisthcconcerted ofrensive 

againstaprovision in theIPC,Sec.498A)whicilrecognizesmentalcruelty 

along with physicalcruelty againstawife by herhusband orrelativesasa 

crimc.Itwasintroduced in chc lPC in 1983 asaresultofwomen'sstrugglcs 

againstdomestic violcncc.Theclauseitself isbadly phrased and ccrtainly 

rcquircsto beamended withaview to strcngthening it.Howevcr,even the 

sm alredressitofersto wom en isnow underattack.Thus,there isan 

apprehension thatifoneweretodem and an amendmentin lhrliamentto 

improve:heclause,icmayjustopenupaspacefbrthosewhowantit 

scrapped alcogethcr!The clausehasbecomethetargetofhusbandswho 

believeitisthcirbirthrightto maltrcattheirwives.Thcy have been aided 

bytheretrogradeunderstandingreflectedinsomejudgemcntsofthecourts 

including(heSupremeCourt.Inarecentsuchjudgement thelearned 

judgesheld thatkickingadaughter-in-law,denyingherfood,thrcatening 

herwirh divorcc,abusing herverbaly did notamountto crueltz under 

Sec.498A ofthc IPC.Ift14iïutterly inscnsiriveand outrageousinterpretation 

ofcruelty becomeslegalprecedent,which itwil,unlesschalengcd by the 

CentralGovernment,an importantprovision oflaw,won aftersusrained 

strugglesof women'sorganizationsand groupswilbecomcm oreorless 

defunct.In responscro a requestthatthe Governmentshould urgently 

movcin thcm arter,fhe Union l-aw M inisterdid assurcsomeacrion,but 

no review petition haSasyctbeen filed. 

M any parliamentariansalso subscribe to thcthcol'y thatSec 498A 

should bereconsidered.TheStanding Comm ittce ofHomeA fairsthcn 

headed bySushmaSwarajoftheBJPhad rccommendcdthatSec.498A. 

Should be madetlailableand colnpoundable,which meansthateven after 

acaseisregistered two partiescan reach asetleinenrwithoutgoing chrough 

courtprocedurcs,asitbecomesacasebctwccn thetwo partiesnotinvolving 

theState.Thisanaendmentwould reversctheeffortsofwomen'sstruggles 

to gain legalrccognition ofdomesticviolenceasa'socialcrime.The 

compoundableprovision would abetthe usualpressurebrotlghtagainst 

thewoman to wifhdraw :hecase.In cascsofdomesricviolenceitwould 

amountto dilution ofthe provisionsto protcctwomen.Butbetersensc 

prevailed and thisrecommendation wasnotacccptcd by theGovernmcnt. 

I-lowever,lhatsuch arccommendation should bc made a:al,even as 

Governm entsratisticsshow ariscin crimes,including domestic violencc 

againsrwomen,isunfortunate.Italso indicatcsthatthereisno conscnsus

even aboktminim um legalprotectionsrequired to uphold awoman'sright 

to Iivc alifefrcefrom violcnceand abusewlthin herhom e. ' 

Itm ay l'le tructlatsomcwonlen do misusc Sec.498.4.,bucisthere 

any 1aw which isnotopen to misuse,and doesmisuseofa 1aw validatea 

demand (o scrap it?Thc sol:oftheChairm an of theNationalCom mission 

forScheduled Casreshasbeen clarged ofmisusing thePrevention of 

AtrocitiesagainstScheduleé Caste.sActto filefalse case.sagainstindividuals 

and (hcn excortmoney from rleln ro wirhdraw rlae case.Doeschatmean 

ChattheActitseifshould bescrappcd?-l-herehavebcen casc,swhere political 

partieshavcused wonaen to ficfalse chargesof rapcagainsttheirpolitical 

opponents.Butdoesthatmean rhat'anti-rapelawsshould beScrapped? 

Obviously not.Ifthere are specific oasesofmisuseofan Act,thecourtsdo 

takcacrion.Socialorganizationsworking fortherightsofwom cn orotlacr 

oppresscd sectionsof society rarely stlpportfraudulentcasesasthey are 

awarethatsucl:casesdcfkmcthcverycauseofjusticetha:tlAeyarefighting 

for.Yctthe voiccsagainstlawswhichprotcctwomcn againstdomestic 

violence like498A aregetting louderoratleastmorereported,because 

thesechalcngethe vely coreofso-caled traclition anc!culfurc,fhepariarchal 

family and impermissiblcmasctline behaviour. 

Somecommentatorshave argued,thaswithoutasocialconsensus, 

law.sremain on paperantlrlercforestrugglesofwomen forlegalreform 

aremisplaced and m isdirccted.They belicvcthatsocialchange isrequircd 

bcforesuch lawsareenacted,Such an argumcnt'a'crualy fecdsinto and 

strcngthensthosewho would like to go back t'o thegood o1d dayswhen 

dowry burningswereswcptasideasstoveburstsand whenthecontextfor 

thesuicideofa.newly married woman wasnotinvestigared evcn though 

she wasdrivcn to suicide by actsofdomcsticviolenceagainsther.Ofcoursethere 

isalink benvccn socialconsciousnes,consensusand lhelcgal 

fram eworks.There igno conflictbetween progresivc lawsand effortsto 

raisesocialconsciousncs,changehtlman bchaviourand creatcasocial 

cnvironmentfriendly to wotnen'sindependenceM orcofxen than not,a 

progrejsiv'elegalframework itselfactsasan acceleratorforthedevelopment 

ofsocialconsciousnessand consensus. 

Ifsomejudgesand parliamentarianscontinueroholdontoviews 

which should havelisrleplaccin ademocraricsocicty therehasro lae 

im mediareprotestand outragcexpressed otherwise those hoping Gra

Journaltl/r/?eNaHovlHumanAzk/?trComminion,I419,2010 

rcvcrsalofachievementsin the legalframework conccrning women'srights 

wilcertainlygettheupperhand.Unfortunately theabsenccordispersalof 

such rcsponses,and thecontrasting proactive interventionsf'rom whatcan 

be,forconvenicnce,caled 'theotherside'isleading to asituation where 

sane voicesforequality getdrowned out , Thisiswhy Suprcme Court 

judgemcntsIikefhatrefcrrcd toabovec'-anconstituteabacktash . 

Sec 498A and Sec3048 wereincluded in theIPC precisely Lccause 

violence within thedomesticsphere whichsphere,which washirherto 

invisible,wasvisibilised by women struggles , Today thereareothercrimcs 

which arenotbeing recognizcd. 

Therccentlyconcludcd sesionoftheRajyaSabhawasinstructivcin 

revealins the gap betavecn theperception ofGoveynmentand tAe reality as 

f-arasviolenceagainstwomen and rheframcwork oflcgalrightsisconcerned . 

Oneof t'w majorissueswasthespateofhonourcrimespartkcularly in 

Hanzanaand thc Governmcn:responseto thcm . In:hemonthofluly,in 

tlw coursuof)'ustaweek thcrewere asmany asilvesuch murdersquitcwel 

reported by rlem edia. 

ltisc'ommon senscthatonehastorecognizeaproblem to be ableto 

addrcssit.Yetthe Govcrnm entand otherauthoritiesarcin astate of denial 

asfarasrhisparLicularcrimeisconcerned .In roponscto aquestion tabled 

intheRajyaSabhaaboutthenumberofhonourkilingsandcrimesinthc 

counrry,theGovernmentreplicd thatthcrcwasno scparatc classification 

ofcrimesunderthiscaregon,and thatsuch kilingswcrc rcgistercd as 

m urders.Itwasfurtherstated rhat'itisexremcly difflcultCo identify or 

clasify an honourkiling assuch in any corhm unity sincethcreason for 

such kilingsoften remain acloscly guarded private family affaiṛ'Thus 

youdon'tcolectStatistic-sbecauseyou do nothave aspeciallaw and you 

do norhavc a speciallaw hecauseyou cannotcolectthestatisticsto show 

shatirisrequired! 

In 2002,(he U N appointed SpccialRapportucr'sreporton violence 

againstwom en in theworld,includcd lndiaamong thecountrieswherc 

honourkilingsoccurred,Therewmsastrong proxestfrbm thcGovernmenc 

of rheday,thatsince rlaerc wasno data to prove this , the refercnce to India 

lnustberem ovrd.Itwasalso skated obliquely atthattimethatlndiashould 

no(becquated with Islam iccounlrieswhercsuch crimesareknown to 

occur.Underpressurc,even rhough theykncw thetruth 1ay elsewhcre , the

cporrwritcrshad no othcrchoice butto eraserefcrenccsto lndia. 

Butl-lowevcr,the erasing ofascntenccin a report,doesnoterasethereality 

oç'thccrime.BurHowevcr,itdocsrcvraldzc urterinscnsitivityand calotlsncss 

ofsuccessive Governm engsin theiryefusalto recognizethevcry specific 

natureofso-caled honourcrimes. 

T17e main factorin such crimcin IndiaJsacom bination of rhecaste 

system and patriarchialcultures.l:stargetsareyoung people who havc 

madcown choice.satlouttheirpartners.Prevailingpatriarchalnotionsof 

womcn as'repositories'of tlecom munity'shonourare linked to control 

of hersexuality.In many partsofthccountry if an uppercastegirlm arries 

aIowercasceboy itisconsidered acrimeagainst(hc com munity and itis 

notonly lcgitimate thatshebepunished butitistheduty ofalto protect 

the com m unity'shonourby doing so.Thc crime goesbeyond the 

im mediate Javagely and brutality axsociated with 2hepublic lynching of 

young couplcs,toan outrigh:assaulton thevery natureofa democratic 

socicv whercthefreedom ofchoiceisguaranteed to a1Iadultcitizcnsby 

theconstitution and rheIaw. 

Selfdeclared guardiansof:hecaste/comm unity operating through al 

malecastepanchayats(SomerimescaledKhaps)pronounceverdictsinsuch 

cascsdepending on thc 'exclr'of(hc crimecomm ired and how much 

thchonourof thecom munity hasbeen violated.Thecrimcofluarrying 

into aIowercasteforawoman iscertain tleath.Butotherurim escven 

includemariageinto ancighlnouringvilagcwhich isconsidcred sabool)y 

solne castcpanchaya:s.M arriageinto one'sown gotrathough permitted 

by law,isconsidered acrimcbysom eand so on.Thepunishmentsrange 

from publichum ilfation,externmentfrom Lhcvilage,todeath.In one 

terriblecase,thehead ofthecastepanchaya:dcclared arcward of50,000 

rupeesforthekiling ofayoung lnan who had defied thcpanchayarand 

marricd awom anof-aneighbouringvflage.A few dayslatertheyoung 

man waskiled.Butfhecastclcaderwho had pronounced hisdearh sentelce 

wasnotarrested. 

ItisLecausethiscrimcis 'aclosely guarded fam ly afair'when (hc 

familyextendsto thecastepanchayat,wheLherthrough choiceorcoercion, 

thatyou requ'ire alaw thatwiltakcinto accountthe diferentdimensions 

ofthiscrime wherethcrcare no complainants,no witnessesand often no 

corpses.In lndiarhenum bersofso-caled lnonourcrimesarc jncreasing as

Iourntd p/r/?ëNationalHumanRiglm Ct?/zlvzf#lftlpi,W?l 9,2010 

young men and women with increased opporfuniv to mecteach otherin 

co-ed schoolsorcolegcs,crosscastebarriersin selfdetermined rclationships . 

Thercisan urgentnced fora1aw to protectthcirchoiccsfrom the m indless 

and savageviolenceInflicted on them in thenam eofhonouṛ . 

ButfinaliywhenadiscussionwashcldintheRajyaSabhaearlierthis 

' 

yeartheGovernmentre fu se d to accepta nearunan imousdem and cuting 

acrossparty lincsforaspeciallaw againschonourcrimcsand foraban on 

theissuing of such dictatu by thecastc panchayats . Pakistan hassuch a law 

adoptcd in Decem ber2004 during GeneralM usarraf's:imein theteeth 

ofmuch opposition from fundam entatistG rces . Recently women's 

organizationsin thatcountry reviewing the 1aw found itcxtremely 

inadequateand arepresing forfurtheramendments . Butin lndiatheH ome 

M inistcrwith themistakcn notion thatlae hasa monopolyofunderstanding 

overtheissue,opposed such a 1aw outright . According to him ,m urder 

lawsinlndiacan sufficeCo dealwith thc crime .Thisisso uttcrly wrong 

and displaysan ignoranceofground realiries . Besidcsthereareothercrim es 

connected witl:honourwhich wilno:becovercd undertheclauseSec 

(502 connected with murder.Butapartfrom ignoranccand insensitiviv , 

thereisalso ofcoursetheissueofvorcbank politics . Electionsin H aryana 

whercrecentcrimesof thisnaturcha've been conjm itted areCo be held 

soon.TheChicfM inisterison record to say thatthose who wantaction 

againsfKhap panchayatsdo notunderstand Indian culture . H isson,the 

rwiceelccted M P from Rohtak and reportedly acloseaideofRahulGandhi 

isalsoon recorlsaying tharsuch caseshave to bedealtwith velysensitively 

asthey involvcsocialsenrimeno.-l-hus,socialseniimenrsbecom ethereason 

to protcctthoscresponstbleforîhekiling ofyoungmen and women . 

Yerthcsysrem isnotshamed.Forthisbrand ofpolificiansitisbusiness 

asusual.Forthelearned judgesoftheCour:swho aresoalerraboutdaily 

developmentsthaxtlàey takesuo moto noticeifworkcrsgo on striketo 

ban such srrikes,these killingsdo notconstitute cnough rcason f-or 

intemcntion. 

TheA lIndiaDemocraticW omen'sN sociation underthe courageous 

IeadershipofitsPresidentinHalyanalagmatiSanpvanhascontinuedro 

mobilizepeopleagainstsuch crimes . Sile hasreceived ugly rlareatsand 

warningsto stop :heprotesrs.W omen'sorganizationsdid rccently organize 

abig convcntion in Rohtak insolidaritz wich the survivorsof honourcrimes .

These aretimeiy and appropriatestepswhich need Co bccarried forward if 

thepresenthostilcenvironmcntagainstwomcn'srightto indcpendent 

choicesin personalrelationshipsisto bcchalcnged.Therem ustbca 

concerted movcmentto dcmand aspecificIaw againstso-caled honour 

relatcd crimes. 

A.defensiveposturcinthcfaceofgcnderandcastebased prejudice, 

discrimination and sanctionto violencewhctheritem anatesfrom thecaste 

panchayatorfrom thcbenchesof:hcSupremeCourtwiljustnotdo. 

Socialconsensusslnould no:bccomc theby-word foraregrcssion to socialy 

andlcgalysa'ncCioncdinjusticeagainstwomen. 

Child Sexualabuse 

Yetanothercrucialisucwlzich requiresmoreattention isthatofsocial 

mobilization againsrtheincreasingcascschild sexualabuse. 

A.tarccentconferenceonChe rightsofchildren,voiccsfrom acrossthe 

country wereheard focusing on (14e need forthcaboition ofchild Iabour. 

Today thereareovcrl40 lakh childrcn outofschools,alargenum berof 

thcm working in diffcrentsectors.Thcreisin factagrossundcrestimation 

ofthenumbersofworkingchildrcn.Thcrightto education Bilintrodtlced 

in parliamcn:isanatcm ptto makeeducation foralchildren b0th free 

and compulsoly and iswelcome,provided ofcoursetlatthefundsare 

madeavailableby theCentra)Govcrnm entto implementir. 

An equaly im portansriglttforchildren isthe riglrto security.Parents 

ofchildren who haveCo travcllong distancesto go to thencarestSchoolare 

fearfulofthe securiry oftheirchild,particularly ifthe child isa girl.ln such 

conditionsin many ruralareasparcntsoftcn decideto takethegirloutof 

Schoolforfearoftheirsccurity. 

In lndiathe numberof sexualassaultcasesagainsëm inorgirl,si.s 

increasing.According toreccntfiguresgiven to Parliam ent,thenumberof 

rcgistercd casesofchild rapchasincreased from 4026 casesin 2005to 

5045 in 2007,an increase of25 pcrcentin J'usttwo years.Atthesame 

time,studieson sex tradepoint:o a mostdisturbingtrcnd ofan increasing 

dcmand forpre-pubcrty children and adolescentgirls.Thistypeofsexual 

crîm cagains:childrcn isgrowing în ourcountly T lcmoststringenrsocial,

1 kourmzloftlx NationalHumanAzk/zfzCommitsion.Pto #,zplp 

politicaland Icgalmeasuresarcrequired againstthisghastly and hcinous 

crim e. 

Butwhatarewedoing aboutit?lnziaisamong thefcw councriesin 

theworld thardoesnothaveaseparateIaw orprotocolto dealwith cascs 

ofchild rape.Thcconviction ratein thuecascsisshockingly low . Betwccn 

2005-2007,the rate ofconviction in relation to thosearested in child rape 

caseswasjust2lpercent.Tlw casessometimesgo onforyearsandthe 

child victim growsup with thepersistentthreatof courtappearanceshanging 

on herhead, 

In 1996 thcLaw Commission had madecel-tain rccommendationsin 

child sexualabuse cases.IthastakentwelvclongyearsfortheGovernment 

to approvcand legislateon someofthoscrecomm cndationsThe dclay is 

irself areflection of tlescantconccrn ofGovernmentsto theplightof 

child rape victims . 

Ittsonty recentlythattheRajyaSablaaapproved 

amendm enrsto theCriminalProcedureCodeto ensurethatthe casesof 

child rapewerecolnpleted asfaraspossiblewithin atim cperiod ofthree 

monrhs.Howcver,sincethistimeframe isnotmandatory , given thc huge 

bacldogofcascsinmostcourts,thiswelcomcamendmentmc justremain 

on papen-rhe amendmentalso protectsthechild by alowingherstatemcnt 

to be recorded atlonle in Che presence of herguardiansinsread of atthe 

policcthanas.-rhiswilcertalaty savethe child from thetraum aofoften 

crudeand insensitiveproccduresofinvestigation in thcpolicethanas . But 

theseareonly piccemcalamendments . 

Oneof rhemosrglaringweaknesẹsin theIaw pertainsto thedefinition 

ofchild scxualabusc . Thepresentlawsdo notrakc inro accountthe 

gruesome natureand the dëfereatdimensionsofthe abuse,and lkm itsit 

only to rape)which isitselfnarrowly deflned.Thisncgaresthescriousness 

ofthecrimelcting thecriminalgetoffscottfree orwith alightersentence . 

ln alarge numberofcasesofchild sexualabusc she perpctratorsare 

ildividualsknown to rhe child including in Somc casesmale mem bersof 

thefamily.Thismake.shandling of thecascG trcmely dim cultand complex 

asmany factorsstartto operatcto concealthecrime . Atrhcsametimc the 

terribly traumatized child also requiressustain'ed supportand counseling . 

There are very few such ccaters . To overcom e thisgap,womea's 

organizationshad draficd acomprehensive Iegislation againstchild sexual 

abuse and measuresrcquired to help thechild . ltistypicalofthis

' 

Government'slopsided prioritiestharthcrecom mendationshavcbeen 

lying in cold storage.Comparetlàisindiference to the unseem lyhastewith 

whichthcGovcrnmentpushcdtlrough8legislationsinjust17 minutes 

on theIastday ofrle Parliamcntsession. 

Nvhilcsocialopilion alzd mobilization areoften thekey to push 

forward progressivelcgislations,in Lhccaseofchild scxualabtse,such opinion 

issadly lacking.O l)thecon ral'y prcvailing dominantcultures,vicrimize 

thevictim ofrapeasbcing 'impure.'T lus,thevictim isvictimised over 

and overagain.Often sheherselfisblamed forthecrimeagainsthcr. 

In thccaseof childrcn,themorherisoften blamed fornotlooking 

afterthechild welenough.In casesofworkingclassfamilieswherethe 

motherisgoing outto work,sociery poinrsafingerattheworking woman 

forgoing outto work and leaving thechild alonc.ThcLcrribleNitharicase 

isoncsuch exam plc.N'fostof-thcmo:hcrsofphcchildrcn wercdomestic 

workerswho had no choicebuttolcavethechildren afhome sinccrhere 

wasnotasingle crechcin thearca.1lzcard peoplewhowereoutraged bytke 

crime blam ing thcwolncn forbcing 'irrcsponsibie'abouttheirchildren. 

Thewomcn werethesolebreadwinnersbutthatmattered littleto thosc 

pointing flngcrs.Docsthe Srate havc no responsibility in providing child 

carecentcrs? 

The absenceofacolectivewilto dealwitlrlecrim tofchild abuse 

isatragedyvisited on ourchidren.Apartfrom theneed ofacomprehensive 

law,surelythcisueshould bcconsidcrcd Seriousand importantenough (o 

flgure in theagendasofpoliticalpartics.lnstcad ofcam paigning againstthe 

crime,mostleadersand electcd representarivesprcfcrto remain silent 

presum ably on theunderstanding thatsuch issucsslould norbediscussed 

in publicasitisagainst'ourculture.'.Thtlsculturebecom esan aberrorin 

the conspiraorofsilenccChatsurroundschild sexualabuse. 

Thisnarrowing ofpoliticalagendasisaseriousweakncssin ourpresent 

politicalscenario.Politicalparticsand l'cpresentativesmustincreaserheir 

sensitivity on such issuesand lnake publiccomm irmentsto lghtthis 

growing scourgcin oursociety.They musttake thelead to brcak the 

conspiracy ofsilcnce.

G enderEqualityu d the M ilennium 

D evelopm entG oals 

D n A zagk/a Kum ari* 

GenderQuality andWomen Empowerment 

W earelivkng atatimcwhcregendercquality isacknowledged asan 

imperativeCo achievcdevelopm entgoalsnationaly and internarionaly . 

Governmenrshave ratified severalinternationalconventionsand agreements 

penaining to protection ofwomen'srightsand genderequality M ostcrucial 

agreementsofthistifpearcM ilennium DevelopmcntGoals(M DGs)) 

eighrgoalsald 18 time-lounclfargetsfordeveloping countriesagrced to 

beacùieved by 20 l5.Thescareaddyessing tùe m ostpresskng areasof 

dcvelopment:poverty,hungcr , inadequate education,genderinequality, 

child and m aternalmortalits HIV/AIDSand environmcntaldegradation . 

Goal3ofM DGSisspeciûcaly addrcsslng genderequality and women 

empowerm ent.Thetargctistoeliminategenderdisparity in primary and 

secondanreducation,prefcrablybyzoos , and eliminategenderdisparity at 

alllcveisofeducationby2015and cmpowerwomen , 

' 

By giving genlerequality aspecialcmphasis,theglobalcomm unity 

hasrccognizcd its'crucialrolc in achievcmentofotherM DG targcts . 

l 

Advancing gendercquality through empowermcntpromotesoveralhuman 

developmvnt,notsolcly the advancementof women . Genderequality 

and theem powermcntofwomcn area precondition forovercom ingthe 

barriersfordcvelopment.Hence,genderisacrosscutting thcmein al1the 

M DGS.Yet,the progresshasbeen slow in a1lareas . From education to 

accessin politicaldccision-maldng,girlsand women havebeen marginalized 

(o thedetrimcntofsocicty 

*Direct'or,Centrc forSocialRcsearch 

1UN DP publicarion:Gcndcrand theM illennium DcvelopmenrGoals.http:// 

- .undp.org/womel/mdgs/gcldeṟM DGs.pdf 

JournaloftheN/z/ovlz/HumunRiglm Cbrzwjzlo zal't'lé9,2010 

j

Eliminating gendcrdifferencesin accessto education and educational 

atainmcntare kcy elementson rhepath to ac:aining genderequality and 

reducing thcdiscmpowermcnrofwomen.TheM ilennium Developm ent 

Goalreport20l0 indicatesthattlespitctlze progresthereisstilawide gap 

in schoolenrolmentin many regëonsofthcdeveloping world and that 

womcn conrinucto t7eem ployed in thevulnerableinformalsectonz 

Regardlessof internazionalconvenfions,nationalpoliciesand rights, 

women in Indiacontinuetleirstrugglcsforcqualopportunitiesin diTerent 

sphere-soflifc.AsperM ilenniunlDcvelopmcntGoals,Indiahasachieved 

signifcantprogressin terlnsofenrolmentin primary and sccondaly 

education.'Howcver,lnuch progressstilnccdsto bemadc regarding the 

disparity bctween urban and ruraL.ln urlan arcas,aboutequalproportions 

ofboysand sirlsattend schoolateach age;howcver,in ruralareas,gender 

inequality in atcndanceiscvidentin every agegroup and increaseswitlage.d 

lndia'sranking in thcprimary.secondary and tertial'y cnrolmcntratcs 

are1l3ch,123rd and l03rd respcctively.iA mosttwiceasm any girlsas 

boysare puled outofschool,orneversenttoschool.Forevery100 boys 

outofschooithercare122 girlsoutofschoolthe world over.b1ltIndiathis 

gendergap ism uch wider;there426 girlsoutofschoolforevenrl00 

boys.7Thefcmaleliteracy ratcin some!7al'rsof the countryisabysmaly 

low,around 20 percent,andthc lnain thrustforimprovementisfemalc 

education.F 

Additionaly,thcrcexiscsalargegcndergap in litcracy.lndiaranks 

l21stunderthe educationaiatrainmentindex of tleglobalGenderGap 

lndcxmsthefemalelireracyrare(j30/()istwathirdsofthatoftuen(760/:).' 

245 milion women in lndialack tl'ebasiccapabilicy Coread and write.:' 

2 'l-heNzlilelniun'iIlAe's'e lpmcl('C'zoalsRepon 20l().tlllited N atiols. 

3 NfilIc11'1iu1)'kD evf!lo pnlcn t(1oals;(J.(,:1!)(Fry 11cp o rt,II'I(1ia.1.1t:1.3://f)osp i.n ic.i1,l 

rcpt% 20-%2t)I7ubn/ssd()1 - 2009 .llal.pdf 

4 M illen nilln DevciopnyelttGoalsin India:A t-ivilSociety Rcport,20 )(),lat'rpi//idsl.tlrg/ 

fileadlxiIz/user-foldcr/pdf/N cw - G les?Kcy - lçsucs/ylD(-1 issîles/M lI(.',i1 l!1d ia - 20 10 - 

Daliṯrcfcrences.pdi- 

ThelndiaGclyderGap Ileviewh2009,pagezi:httpl//Nvwrwqwefortlm.org/pdf/gclttlergap/ 

IGGR09.IQf 

6 1d. 

7 Supranole5. 

8 Supra nole5. 

9 GenderGaplndcx.2007.hîtpl//wv'w.w'efortlm.or/ ldf/gentlcrgap/reportzoo7.p.tlf 

l0 1d.

louru loftheAkrl/z/lfvrz-p;Rklm Commision,lW.9,2010 

Literacy has,however,been increasing overtimefor170th women and lnen 

asmeasurcd by changesacrosage groups , ln facr,litcracy am ong womcn 

isalmosttwicc ashigh in the15-19 agcgroupsasin thcage-group 45 - 49 

thatis30 yearsolderl.Nonetheless , even intheyoungestage group,one 

in fourwomcn and onein ten men are nottiteratc .Although the sender 

difercntialin lireracy hasdeclined overtime , thedifferentialrcmainshigh 

even in thcyoungestagegroup:among rhose 15-)9 yearsofage , the 

percentageoffemaleswhoareliterace(74%)is15percentagepointsIess 

thanthepercentageofmalcswhoareIitcrate(8994) . 

12 

II. Em ploym ent 

ln additionto education,employmentcan alsobean importanrsource 

ofcm powermcntforwom en . Em ployment,particularly forcash and in 

(heformalsector,cwqn elnpowerwomen E)y providing financialindependence 

, 

alternativesourccsofsocialidentity and cxposureto powerscrtctures 

indepcndentof-kin networlts . Nonctheles,early agesofmarriage and child 

bearing and denied accesto education limitwomen'sability to participatc 

in the laborlnarket,particularly in tle formalsectors . By contrmst,m ale 

genderrolesarecompa:iblewith employm entand mcn are typicaly 

cxpectcd to be em ployed and be breadwinnersforrheirfamilies . Not 

surprisingly,men dominate mostformallabormarkcts .Equalityofwomen 

isgradually becoming arcaliry in Indiafortheeducated middle-classowing 

to changesi1èthcsocial,econom ic , politicaland Icgalspheres.Asian 

DevclopmcntBank defileslndia'smiddleclassasrhoseableto spend 

berween $2al'd $20 aday in 2005purchasing powcrparity dolarṣ l:M iddlc 

classhashighcrliving standard with regard to rural/urban residence . 

geographicallocation,fam ily sizc , and education ascompared to poor 

Population in India.14 

Nvomcn oftoday havenaoresayin domesticsphcresduc to thcirrising 

economic independence.In thcl3yearstheproporrion ofhouseholdswith 

awoman drsignated asthehousehold head hasriscn by more than hal 

from 9(,6 to l4t1A .15Notwithstanding thcemcrging new opportuniriesfor 

ll bktlf'ra,1(1fe 6h. 

11!ôçtlg)raI1()fc6). 

lJ AsiaDcvcloplktltBalkRcport20l0:Key IndicmlorsforAsiaandfhrPaciflc20 l5 

14 M artin Ravalion2009 . 'l'bellcvclopingWorld'yBulging(butvulncrablc)'MiddleClass 

'The'WorldBank DevelopmentResearch Group . Policy 'Rcsearch W ofking Paper48 16 . 

l5 Natiolal12al1il)'E1ea1thSunzry . hrtpi//svwmnfhsindia.org

middle-classwomcn robuid theircarecr , thecquation isnotthatsim ple . 

Thc recently published rcsearch by Centrc forSocialResearch on W omen 

M anagersindicated thatthenew errandsopcn to womcn in working life 

causethem tl4edoubleburde14.'tW orkingwomen areoverburdcned with 

long hoursof-working,com mutingand claeexpectationsathome . This 

impliesthatchangesin cconomicalopportunitiesclo notautomaticaly 

resultin changesatpfivatesphcres . 

111.H ealth 

Inlndia,theposLneolpatalmortalityrate(thenumberofdcathsto 

children age1-l1monrhsperl,000 livebirths)forfemalesis2 l,comparcd 

with only l5forboys.17A sim ilarpatern in gendertlifferentialsisalso 

observedin thechildmortalityratc(thcnumbcrofdcathstochildrcnage 

1-4yearsperl,000 childrenreachingage1year).ln lndiaasawhole,the 

child mortality ratef-'orgirls,at23jler1,000 , is6It)A higherrhan forboys, 

a:14 per1,000 .8Inequalitiesrestlrin high infantand mapernalmortality 

rates,malnutritionand htlngcraswelashigh poverty flgures . Indiatops 

(heworld hungerchart . 1:had around 230 milion undernourished pcople 

in 2009 ald over46 percentofIndialchildrel)areundcrnourishcd .lg'I-he 

num lerof hungry peoplein Indiaam ountup to 50% ofthc world's 

hungry.Thepersisting problemsin maternaland child healt'h have(to: 

caughtthcatention ofthegovcrnmcntde-spirctheElevcnth FiveYearPlalp's 

(2010-11)commitmentroaddrcssthcsamc forwhich only two yearsarc 

left20 

W omen in Indiaareofttn exrrcnaely physicaly undernotlrishcd . 12is 

esrim ated t'hatpregnanc'y rclatcd deathsaccountforone-quarterofal 

fatatitiesamong women aged15to 29 ,with welovcrtwo-thirdsoftlptm 

considered p rven t'able.?iTwo tl)irdsof1nd ian women go throtlgh 

pregnancy and cltildbirthsv'iltlElanytraincd birth attcndalt(-I-BA),in 

l6 Ccnvrc forSocialResearch2()(h9 . StudyoklN'VonlcltM aplagersiltIltlia;C lal.letlgesald 

Opportunities . 

l7 SunlfaKislloralld KamlaGupta.2009.ûa'cldtrEqualiyyald NV()lt1(:1I'sEm ltnverEldtltin 

India,Natioltal'FamilyHcalthsurvtl,(N 17HS-3),Ildja,2()()j-06 . 

l8 ld. 

19 Supranort17 . 

20 ltdia Budget2010-ll:Sociat tàutcy takcsbuck se3ț (.)rlev/otld Soktl:Asia.httpt// 

southasia,oneworld.ltct/todayslc:tdliIles/ildia-budget-zo 10-1!-stcial-equity-takes-back-scat 

21 PamelaPh ilipose.20 10.NViIlIlliacarclttltcM I3Casbus?hltEl://southasia .olewurld.!)ct/ 

opiniolctlm menr/wil-india-catch-(ltc-lntlgs-lAus

Journal@/-r/?rNationalHuman Azkâl Commision,W1% 2010 

unhygienicconditions.zzThcmatcrnalmortality rate(M M R)remains 

amongthehigheétintheworld(410per100,000Iivebirths).Byctimation 

thecountrywillachieveby2015,aM aternalMortalityRate(MM R)of 

135 per100,000 livebirthsasagainsttherequired 109 per100,000 live 

births.z'lnfantM ortalityRate(lM R)shalbeofonly 46 per1000live 

births,asagainstthercquired 26.7 per1000 Iivebirths.zdM atcrnalsickness 

and death may t)etriggcrcd by pregnancy but.arcfrequendy conditionel 

b)rmedicaland socio-economicfactorsafecring awoman'slifebefbre 

pregnancy 88% ofpregnantlndian women areanaemicand 3.3% of infants 

are born with low birtl)wcight.zsEpidemiologicaldata showsthatthis 

doesn':need to bcthe case:reproductivehealth (RH)senricescan reduce 

maternalmortality and morbidityand contribute towomcn'sRH .ltis 

essentialtha:tleseproblemsarc addresed to makewomen healhier,and 

consequently cm powcringthem.State,societyandwom en'sorganisations 

should takeevcozstep to improvc women'srcproductiveheaIth. 

IM ViolenceAgainàtW om en 

Discrimination and unequaltreatmen:in the form of genderviolence 

continuesto occur.Forexample,l5,000 dowry deathsare estimated to 

occureach yeanzGThere hasbccn an increaseof5.7% in crimesagainst 

women in Ildiain 2008 ascomparcd to 2007.27According to NFHS-3 

freedom ofmovementisalso severely curtailed foralargc proportion of 

women in India forlack ofsafety in publicspaces.ln addition ro these 

concerns,violencein theform off'emalefoeticide,honorkilingsand 

domesticviolenceareprevalentisuesin lndia. 

Thc qucstion ofmissing daughtersisofscriousconcern globaly.-f'he 

elimination ofthc girlchild ioIndiathrough thcrampan:pracricesof 

f'cmaleinfanticide,femalefoeticideaod scx selectiveaLortion isa crime ofcnormousproportion.Sexselective 

abortion isresponsiblefor(hedeath of

alm ost7,000 unborn baby girlsin India every day.28Biasagainstwom en 

and girlsisreflcctcd.ilAthe demographicratio,with only 927 femalcsfor 

cvery 1,000 m aIes.29 Asaresult,çhcsexratio in the0 to 6 agegroup in 

somenorthcrn aremsisamazingly skewed:793 fem alesforcvery 1,000 

Eloys.3olnsomeareasitis754)and inpartsofPunjaband Haqana,thc 

ûgureisabout600.3:Despite ther-stablishmentofthePrenatalDiagnostic 

Techniques(Reg'ulationandPrevention ofMisuse)Act,1994and the 

PreconceprionandPrenaçalDiagnosticTechniqucs(ProhibitionofSex 

Selection)Act(PCPNDTACt)2003ilegalscxdetcrmination testsoccur 

everyyeanAn ofstated factisthartheseactivitiesare confined to ruraland 

backward secrionsoftbe sociev,which isgrossly untrucasfemalefeticidc 

and infanticidearestilpracticed in educated,rcspected and upperclass 

family.M uch ofthediscrim ination istodo with culturalbeliefsand social 

normswhich nced to lne changed. 

Thccentralnotion of honourof kilingsisthatacomm unity'sor 

family's'honour.isinextricaLly linked with awoman'sbchavior;and 

spccificaly herchastity.Thenon-classiflcation ofsuch crimesin Indian 

records,thepatriarchallensunderwhich they arevicwed by thosein 

authorityandthefactthattheper'petratorsarerarelybroughttojusticc 

ensurethatChe-sccrimes,whicl)occurmoreoften severely go tlnderrcported. 

In fact,thcNationalCrimeRecordsBureau doesnothaveaclasification 

for'honourkilings'and docsnortherefbre,haveany recordsordataon 

the numbcrofsuch kilingsin(he country.32T leA lIndiaDemocratic 

W omen'sN sociation (AIDWA)conducted a survey and found thatin 

caseswhercthegirlbelonged to an 'upper'caste,itwas lerfamily that 

initiatcd theviolencc.3AIDWA alsoescimatestlza:Haryanaand Punjab 

aloneaccountforaround 10% ofalIhonourcrimesin thecountlyM 'kv lile 

increasing attention hasbeen focused on such crimesin therecentpastby 

60th them edia and human rightsactivists,thcrearestilno recordsofstlch 

crim es. 

28 UN ICEE StateoftheWorld'sChildrcn,2007. 

29 Su nitaKishoranclKam laGtlpta.2009.GeltdcrEtjualit)ranclW olnetl'sEmpowcrmenlin 

India.NationalFamilyHealthStlrvey(NF1dS-3).India,200j-06. 

30 Ibid. 

31 Supranozc29 . 

32 NationalCrimeRecordsBureau h rtpt//lcrb.nic.in/ 

33 'iNo HonourinMurder,'20l0.htp://lytediacoaliritl.wordprcss.colzz/calcgoe/human-riglïsl 

1$25 Id.

l'outw lo/r/zeNationalffr/la/zr;RiglztîCommùsion,1W.9,2010 

O ne ofthcbiggestlegislativevictoriesagainstgenderviolence isthe 

enactmen:of theProtcction of W omen from DomesticviolenceAct,2005. 

H owever,enforcementofthelaw hasbeen inefficientin many ways.For 

cxamplethefactorsthathavebecn impcding the efectiveim plementation 

of theActare:lack ofawarenesson thenew Iegislation;unavailablecivil 

infrastructure including weltrained protection oflcers,medicaland shelter 

faciliticsforaggrieved women,free and accessiblelegalaid,and weltraincd 

policeand serviceproviders;and insufficientalocation of-funds.sThese 

problemsilustratcthatjustthecrcationofgendertargcted Iegislationis 

notenoujh.Rather,cfectiveimplementationisofutmosçimportance 

forwomen to usetlelawsand policie.saseffcctive toolsofempowermen: 

and to bridgetheexisting gendergap.In addition,capacity builcling for 

judicia:y ingendersensitivelaw cnforcemcntenhancesthcefectivenessof 

the1aw implementarionandaccesstojusticeforwomen.M 

M PoliticalEm pow erm ent 

n es nderdie zbadonr dlm lnlivisO teflectedin thepolidcalsphere. 

Thediscrinzination ths'y ûcchindelsthem from unleashingtheirfulpotendaland 

cxdude.sthem from benclhing cqlaly from developmentprocexs.Equaly the 

alooation ofseacsto women in mostpolidcalparde.slhlsshortofan accrpuble 

standard.Empowermentisconsideredakcyprindpleofgoodgovernance. 

The Constitution,viaArticles325 and 326,assurespoliticalequality 

(o alImen and wom en.37Yetthe representation orwomen in Parliam ent 

and State assemblicsisextremely low in India.'W hereaswomen arenearly 

48 % ofthe population and outoftheregiștered voting popularion,nearly 

42% arewomen;only 7% contested the rccently held 2009 LowerHouse 

(l-ok Sabha)GencralElections.3Only 59 women wcreelcctcd to (hcLok 

Sabha,fortheflrsttimecrossing 10% in 62ycarsoflndia'sindependence.l' 

Thereareo'nly threewomen cabinc:ministersoutof , 33andonly 1m inister 

ofstatein thepresentgovernment.4o ' 

35 Sraying Alivc:Monitoring & Evaluation Report2008 on theProtcctionof W om cn from 

1.:)0m esticViojenceAcE(2005). LawyersCollrctive.1)t(p!//www.unifem.org.in/ 

violenceagainstwomel!,html ' 

.56 1bicl. 

is7 (-o ns(ituti0 nofln d ia. 

.58 JourncyTowardsEmpowcrment.Wonwn'sRmservztionBi!1.htp://libro .frs.de/pdf-gles/ 

btleros/indien/fr l76.ptlf 

39 Ibid . 

, 60 SupraItote.38.

ltisto beunderstood (hatforIndian wom en participatingin policic.s 

itisnotasimplematteroftalcingupanew activit).Rather,itisparticipatilg 

in activicicsand institutionsdesigned and populated primarily by men.41 

In thiscontext,itiscriticalto enhance the capaciv ofthewomen to flght 

clectionsreduceorrcmovethcprevcntivebariersand to introducencw 

aërmativc steps,such ;lsquocts,tùatc-tnenhancetheparticipation ofwomen 

in thestate and nationalparliam ents.In lndia,there isa strong need to 

lobby forpassageof330/0Reservation ofSeatsfor'W omen in Parliament 

Bil('WomenReservationBilorNVRB).Thisbilhasbeenpendingfor 

m orethan adccadeand itspassageisamustfo ensureseatsforwomen in 

state asemblicsand NationalParliament.lzTheexisting networks,which 

are working on the issuc ofgenderparity in politicsneed strengthcning to 

suppor:and hclp susrain women in politics. 

'Women wilhavcto transform poliricsbeforcshey can atain al)r 

measureofequality with men in the politicalfleld.T lercishowevera 

growing acctptance of:henorion thatwomen'sentry into politicswilbe 

generaly bencflcialand maketheadminisrration moreresponsivcnoronly 

to cenain agendasthatwomen t'ypicaly areconcerncd aînoutbut'dutwomcn 

wilorganicaly changetleway wearegovcrned atprescnt.Thc W'orld 

Bank emphasizcstheimportancc of politicaland economiccmpowerment 

ofwomen asa conpribution to sustainable growrh and rcsponsible 

government.43'w omen arcsrillacking in opportunitiesro play apartin 

thishowever,and thisiscosting society atlarge.asweare notlelcfiting 

from theircontribution. 

GenderD im ension in O therM D G S 

The M DG goalongenderequality and empowermentaloncis lot 

enough ,Although itm easuresimportantoutcomesin edtlcation , 

employm entand politicalparticiparion,itnaisse.s criticalvariablcssucilas 

violcnceagainstwom en and assetownership.Fouroutofthe eightgoals 

now havcatlcastoneindicatorrelevantto gendercquality,butchisisstil 

notsufflcientro captureChc range ofgender-related issucstlta:influence 

theM DGS,and gendcrequality hasyetCo k)cplaced atrhefrontand cenrre 

dlEthnicStudicsReport,Vol.XVIII.N().2,July204)0@ ICES 

42'Journcy'lbwardsElnlowcrment,op.cit, 

43 Governanceand GcnderEqlality.ltTpt//sitcrcsources.qs'orldbank.org/lN 'l'tlEN l)IR./ 

kesourccs/BrienlagNtlteGt'lhderGovfernalxce.jldf

* IournaloftbeAbrf/rz,fHuman ##/J/ Commision,kb/.9,2010 

ofglobalefortsto reach thesetargets.Thisrescarch providescvidencefor 

rherolethatthesemiring-dimensionsplay in influencing thedevelopmcns 

outcomesm easurcd by thcM DGS)and pointsto thcneed i-ormoreefforts 

to betargeted ataddressing them . 

Ownership rightsare criticalto securing asustainable livelihood and 

incomc,and thelack of theserightsisoneofthemain sourcesofwomen's 

economicinsecurirp d'hvhen women own and controlresourccsand family 

assets,they haveincreased decision-making powerin thehousehold and 

arem orelikely to allocate resourccstosupportthewelfareof a1lfamily 

members,including byreducing poverty and hunger.45Discriminatory 

attitudesand practiccsregarding :heroleofwom en in society,such asthe 

Iow statusoffem ale-hcatled householdsorthelimited inhcritancerights 

accordcd to womcn,aresignilcantbarrierstothcircontroloverrcsources. 

Countrieswherewomcn lack any rightto own lar!d haveon avcrage60% 

morcm alnourished chi1dren.46W hercwomen lack any accesto creditthe 

numberofmalnourished children is85% above average.'? 

The lack ofwom en'sdecision-m aking powerin the fam ily and 

household limi:sthcirability to makechoicesto safeguard thehcalth, 

educacion and welfareof theirchildren.In particular,whercwom en and 

girlshaveavcly low statusin thehousehold,they may havefcw alternatives 

orlimired negoriation powcrto avoid socialpressurcto entcrinto an carly 

marriage.d'Early marriagehasanegativeim pacton M DG ofeducation) 

sinceitrcducesthelikclihood thatwomen wilt)eableto ensurc rhatthcir 

clildren receivean education,aswelmsdecreasing thechancetha:rhey wil 

attend orcomplcteschoolthcmselves. 

'Wrherewomcn'srolcsand decision-'making powerin the houschold 

arerestricred,thcy haveIcssabilit'y to influcncedecisionsregarding their 

children'swelfarcand wel-being.-rhisisreBected in thefactrhatunder-j 

m ortality ratesare)onaverage,higherin countrieswirh fam ily codesthat 

44 Investing inW omenald Clirls:'FheBreakthrough Strafcgy forAchievingAl1file M DGS. 

làttp://ww .oecd.org/dataoecd/d5/55/45704694.pdf 

45 Ibid. 

.:16 Supranorczizi. 

47 Supra notc4zi. 

48 NatiolalFamily Healîh Survey.hrtp:/www.nflsindia.org

discriminatcagainstwomen.49Thislow statusand lim itcd decision-m aking 

powcralso influenccswomen'sability to controltheirown bodiesand 

protecttheirreproductiverights.Research findsthatthe prevalenceofHIV 

in the population agcd 15-24 yearsison average greaterin countrieswhere 

womeh havef-cw rightsin relation to inheritanceorparentaiauthority,and 

wherepolygamy ismorcprcvalent.io-fhesefindingsilustrate (hatsimply 

measuring genderinequaliv in health,education,and politicalparticipation 

orcm ploymentoutcomcsfailsto capturctheunderlying dynamic.sthat 

influencethelikelihood ofcountricsachieving thcM DGS. 

GenderFocused G overnm entSchem es 

ln lndia,women areconstitutiolpaly equalto men.Em powerm ent 

ofwomen hasbeen ourlined in nationalpoliciesand programsIikcPoorest 

AreasCivilSociety (PACS)Program and theNationalPoliorfor:hc 

EmpowermentofW omcn (2001).i1Indiahasalso ratificd various 

internationalconvcntionsand human rightsinstrumentscom mitting to 

secure equalrightsofwom cn.Key among them istheratilcation of the 

Convention on Elimination ofA lFormsofDiscrilnination againstW omen 

(CEDA'WIin1993.52 

Nationalschcmesacknowlcdge :henced forupliftingthelivesofpoor 

womenatthegrassroots.Self-helpgroups(SHG's)havccmergedasan 

importantstrateprforempowering women and aleviating poverty by 

ensuring theentitlcmentsofwomen.SHG 'Sare thccentralcomponcncof 

national'Swayam sidhahschem e,which strivestowards the holistic 

em powermentofwomen through awarenessgeneration,economic 

empowermentand convergence ofvariousgovernmentschemes.s:Goalis 

to reach about9 lakh 30 tlousand wom en,with theformation ofabout 

5.3thousand SH GS,about26 thousand 5hundred Village Societiesand 

650 Block Socicties.idThecomponentofgrantingmiuro-loanstoSH GS 

hasproved ro besuccessful. 

' 

49 lnvestingin W omen and Girls:TltcBreakthroughStraregyforAchieving A1lLheM D('xs. 

ht!p;//- .oecd.org/da(aoecd/d5/5j/4570d694.pdf 

50 1d. 

hl M inistry of W omenand Child Devclopmelt.htfp://qszcdqnic.ilt/eltnpwonlen.hrnl 

52 Conventionon llimiltarion ofA lFormsof DiscrimiTtatiol)AgailystNvomel).btrpl/wsvw.un.org/ 

womenwatclz/'daw/cedâw/reservalons-counrl.hùll 

53.Dcpartm cnt of W om en ancl Child Development. http://wcdhrpgov.in/ 

SAVAYAM SIDHA - E Itm 

54MinistryofWomenaldChildDevclo/nyent:hrtpr/wccl.nic.in/

1 lournaloftbeNationalHuman Ak/JS Cimmision,Fi/.9,2010 

Anothernationalschem e,M ahatma GandhiN ationalRural 

cmploymentguarantreAcr2005 (NREGA)aimsatcnhancingrile 

livelihood security of pcoplein ruralareasby guaranteeinghundred daysof 

wage-employmentin aycartoaruralhousehold whoseadultm embers 

volunreerto do unsldled manualwork.55Forwomcn NREGA entitlcs 

the equaltreatmentwitl'imen,also in term sofsalary.H owcver,theefl-ects 

ofthe schemeon women aredebatablc:'Somc Statessuch asKeralaand 

AndhraPradesh havcregistercd high pcrcencageofwomen workersgeting 

enroled in the schemewhercasothershaveregistered avcry low pcrccntagc 

of women availing bencfltunderNREGA.'56W omen arestilf'acing 

discrim inarion in lnany ruralareas. 

O nechalcngeisthelack ofawarenessamong theruralpeopleabout 

lheirbasiccntitlementssuch asjobcards,minimum wageamounr, 

minim Llm numberofemploymentdaysanclunem ploymental1owance.57 

-1-0ilècreaserhelevelofawarenessatgrasrootsand hencethecfectivencss 

of NREGA,H arsh Agazavalsugges:rharpeople should betrained ro use 

RTl.5FRighttolnformation Act(RTI)mandatestimelyresponsetocitizen 

requestsforgovernmentinformation.igThescheme can beused cfcctively 

by rhe ruralwomen to asserctheirrightsto livelihoodsand demand 

accountabl),from representativesand administrativeoflcials. 

' 

'1% narrow thcgendergapin lireracy the Govcrnmentoflndialaunched 

in 2009 the new literacyprogram mc'SaaksharBharat',which focuseson 

naaking women in lndialitcrate by 2012.60Specialfocusison wom en 

from bacltward,Dalirand minority communities.Aim isto reacl70 milion 

non-lireratcadultswhich include60 m ilion wom en.Program targets 

districrswhcrerle literac)zlevelislessthan j0 pcrccnt.flOtherschcmesof 

thcgovernmenrforcomlnon man include:tl:cRuralHealth M ission,eforr.s 

to universalizeclem enfary education by com munity-ownership of(he 

schoolsystem .and (he N ationalM id-day M ealProgram me to enhancc 

theenrolmentand schoolattendanceof-children.Ez 

jj NlinistryofRuralDevelopment'.httpt//nrega.nic.in/netnrega/hom e.aslx 

56 Harsh Agarwal201(.1.Na(iona! ' JluralEmploymcnxGuaranteeAc(-A revîew.PolicyProposals 

forlndia.1rtp://wvav.po1iq knrollosalsrorildia.com/article.php?rticle - idc lGg&languageidxi. 

57 Id . 

51! Stlp ra loîc56. 

j9 Rigl'tto lnformation.hrtpi//rigîlrvoinforltïation.gov.in/ 

6() M inigtry of11ulnan RcsourccDeveloplnelt.hrrp://l64.100.12.lh7;l4000/5b/ 

61 1(1, 

62 N.1iIlistr)'ofllealtiïand FamilyNVelilqre.httpT/mokfw.E,ic.in/N RHM .hrm

Genderbudgeting isseen asa crucialaflrmativemcasureto increase 

the governmentexpenditureon tlàe schemestargcted forwomen.In India 

gcndersensitivity rowardstlcalocation of resourcesstarted with Seventh 

YearPlan (1997-98).However,statementinApproachPapertollCh Plan 

(2010-11)revealstha:fhegovernmentexcrciscstilneedsfinetuning. 

According to theanalysiscxecuted by The NationalInstituteofPublic 

Finance & Policy in 2007-08 results,tle share ofbwomen specific 

programmesin sevcraldepartmentsinclu*ding educa:ion,agriculture,tribal 

aflkirsand socialjusticewasonlyaroundoncpercent.6sFurther,proper 

adm inistrativemechanism forexecution and monitoring oftheexpendïture 

w:tslacking.6dA look atthcgovernmentspending in fiscalyearof 2007- 

2008 rcvcalsCheslirn cxpcflditure forsocialsecsorasof G91:!65 

Conclusion 

Hisroricalykwomen havefaced uniqucchallenge.sin a1lsphere.sof 

life,beitsocial,economica!orpolitical,Despitcthedecisivemeasures(aken 

inrcrnationaly and narionaly to guarantecthcsocial,political,economical 

and legalrightsto women,tlzcchalengesarestilverymuch to clatein 

Indiaand otherdeveloping countries. 

'Fhefocused inselvclrionsneed ro belocased ro bring aboutachangc 

notonly in thcposition butalso thestatusofwom en in a globalscale.. 

W omen need to l)caware oftheirstatus,ofhow they areexcluded,oftheir 

righrs,of(he need to bc included and itsifzaplicarions.Decisivemcaoures 

havetobe taken by nationalgovernm entsin orderto furthertlzeproccssof 

women empowerm cnrand ensurethatthegoalsforgcnderequaity are 

Jnct.Thi.çi&c?f urm osrim portance if we arero reach tlaeotlne.rdevelopm enr 

goalsfacing thedevcloping nations.Unlessthesclneasuresare taken,the 

pervmsivenatureofgcnderdiscrimination wilrcsultinhigh social,economic 

and polizicallosesîn dcvcloping nations. 

'Nvith only fiveyearsrcmaining until2015,itismorecriticalthan ever 

to identify thebortlcnecks,addresongoing obstaclesand advanceprogres 

on tlzeM DGS.According ro rcscarch,factorslinked to women'slack of

Jouru lp/târNationalsv/?ym Rkglnt Cbzavziçrikm,IW.% Jpl: 

controloverresources,theirlim ited dccision-making powerand statusin 

thefamily and hotschold,and theviolencc thatcompromise , stheirphysical 

security wilcontinueto bcobstaclesto achicwing theM D G rargetsover 

thenext6veyears.ln short,discrlm ination againstwomcn materṣ 

Empowermcntofwomen benefitsthe wholenation and hence , 

nationaldevelopmen:sfrategies,policiesanclprogramsshould reflectin 

theirfu1powerthcpressing issueof inclusiveness . Com m itmentsto 

internarionalconvcntionsin genderequalil and achievementofM itlcnhium 

DevelopmentGoals(M DG's)ofuniversaleducatlon,genderequalityaad 

maternalheal:laare thebcnchmark fordevelopmentand nced to be keptat 

thcforefrontofpublicconsciousncss .

Clim ate Change,Sustainability and 

the M illennium D evelopm entG oals 

in India 

D n R.K Pachauri* 

H uman righcsrelateto specificrightsofindividualsand com munities 

towater,food,shcltcrand property;rightsasociatcd with livelihoodsand 

culturc;with migration and resetlemcnt;antlwith personalSecurity in thc 

evcntofconflict.The pooroftlze world arcoften theoncswho aredeprived 

in thisregard.Thepurposc oftheM ilennium DevelopmentGoals 

(M DGs)isrorcduceglobalpovertlr'and totranslatethcconcep:ofthese 

human rightsintospccificacrionsthatcould E)emeasured againsttargets 

and achicvemenrs,thcprogressofwhich nccdstobemonitored by nations. 

Theinrentbclind elcvating theM DGSro thelevclofglobalprogramm es 

is(o ensurethatnatioltsprotectand providethcsebasichuman rightsto 

theirownpopulations.Thechalenge of clim acechangeisclearly an issue 

which hasdirecrrelcvanceto thcattainmcntofthcM DGSspecificaly and 

thepracrice ofsusrainabledevelopmen:in gcneral.TheM DGScan beseen 

to beaffectcd by theimpactsofclimatecharige,sincethesewould lim itthe 

ability of governmentsand com munitiesto attain them within the rime 

frame,senvisaged.The M DGSarebasicaly tim ebound and measurablc 

goalsagrced on rorcom bating poverty,hungcr,disease,iliteracy , 

discrimination againstwomen and environmentaldegradation,and as 

explained in the folowing scctionsalofthesecan beafl-ectcd by theimpacts 

of climatechangc. 

Atavery basiclevel,ifwe havc-to explorethenexusbctween climate 

change,theprimaorofhuman rightswithin alegaland policy framework 

*DirectorGeneral,ThcEnergjrand ResourccInstitute(TERI) 

lburnaltfrâeNaùonalHumanAfg/o Commision,Pi/.9,2010

louruloftbeNationalffMm/;rlR'klntsCommisiom W/,9,2010 

and the atainmentoftheM DGS,then thcscientific evidenceofclimate 

changehasto befuly comprehended particularly in respectofthe impacts 

ofclimatechange.ThelntergovernmentalPanelon ClimateChange(IPCC) 

hasclcarlyconcluded thatwarm ing ofthe climatesystem isunequivocalas 

isnow evidentfrom observationsofincreasesin globalaverageairand 

ocean tem peratures,widespread melting ofsnow and iceand rising global 

avcragesealevel.Also m ostoftheobservcd increasesin globalavcrage 

temperaturessincethcmid-20th centuly isvery likcly duero theobselvcd 

increasein anthropogenic greenhousegasconcentrations.'W hen we usethe 

term vcry likelywearcreferring to the probability 0f909z6 orahove.Despite 

rltese extremely importantflndings,theworld hasconrinucd to increasc its 

cm isionsof greenhouscgaseswith an increaseof 70% having taken placc 

during theperiod l970 to 2004.Howevcq theimpactsofclim atc change 

arenotmerely confincd to an increasè in tempcrature.Some sys:ems,sectors 

and regionsareIikely to bespecialy afectcd by clim atechange,and these 

can belisted undereach categoly asf'olows: 

Systemsand sectors: 

Particularecosystemswhich would beaffected include 

terrestrial:tundra,borealforestand m ountain regionsbccauseof 

sensitivity to warm ing;mediterancan-typeecosysremsbccause 

ofreduction in rainfal;and tropicalrainforestswhcreprecipitation 

declines 

@ 

coastal:mangrovesand saltm arshes,duc to m ultiplestresses 

marine:coralreefsdueto m ultiplcstresses;theseaicebiome 

becauscofsensitivityro warlning 

O rherimpacfscould afect: 

watcrresourcesin somedry rcgionsatmid-latitudcsand in thc 

dnrtropics,ducto changesin rainfaland evapotranspiration, 

and in areasdepcndenton snow and icemelt 

agriculturein 1ow latitudes,dueto reduccd wateravailability 

low-lying coastalsystelns,dueto thrcatof sealevelrise and 

incrcased risk from extrcmcweatherevents 

hum anhealth in populationswith low adaptivecapacity

Re 'ons 

:hcArczic,bccauseofCheimpaccsofhighratcscfprojrcredwarming 

on naturalsystemsand hum an comm uniries 

Africa,hecauseof1ow adap:ivccapacit)rand projecteddimatechangc 

im pacts 

smallislands,where thcrc ishigh exposure ofpopulation and 

infpstructuretoprojec:edclimatcchangcimpacts 

Asian and African megadeltas,dueto largepopulationsand high 

exposureto scalcvd rise,storm surgesand riverflooding. 

' 

N'Vithin otherregions,evcn thosewlch high incom es,som epeople 

(such asthepoor,youngchildrenandtheeldcrly)can beparticularlyat 

riskyand also somc arcasanclsomeactivities, 

Since(heM DGSand thcirrelationshipwith human rightsisan issue 

ofconsiderallesigniflcance to the dcvelopingcountries,itwould be useful 

to assessthcimpactsofclimatechangewhere the , 

M Dt;sareexpected to 

have directapplications,The IPCC hascome up with certain asse-ssments 

ofim pactsin Africa,Asiaand Latin America,which hold relevanceto the 

abilityancjcapacity ofcom m unirieson thesccontincncsro E)eable ro pursuc 

livelihoodsthatwould ensure:hem aintenance ofhuman riglztsand the 

fcasibility ofmeeting theM DGS.Italso needsto bcconsiclered that,asthe 

IPCC hasclearly broughtour,alrered frequencie.sand intcnsitiesofextreme 

weathertogetherwith scalcvelriseareexpec:ed co havem ostly adverse 

effecrson naturaland hum an systems.Itwasalso concluded thathuman 

induced climatechangecould Iead to some impactsthatarcabruptor 

irreversibledepcnding upon therateand magnitudeofclimate change.For 

instance,the partiallossoficesheetson polarland could imply metresof 

sealevelrise,majorchangesincoasrlinesandinundationoflow lyingareas 

with greatcstcfcctsin riverdeitasand low lyingislands,Ofcourse,such 

changcsarcprojectedtooccurovermilennialtimescalcsbutmorerapid 

sea levçlriscon century timescalescannotbe excluded. 

Clim atcchangcisalsolikely to lead to someirrevcrsiblcimpacts.For 

i'nstance , approximatcly 20 to 30% ofspeciesasesed so fararcIikely to t)e 

atincreased risk of cxtinction ifincreasesin globalaveragewarm ingexceed 

l.5 to 2.5OC.lftemperature increasesgo above .: . 

5.5@C,then model

lourultfr/?eNationalHuman Adj'étrCommision,1W.9,2010 

prcjectionssuggcstsigniflcantrxtinctionsfrom 40to70% ofspeciesassesed 

around the globe.Someoftheseim pa'ctscould l)eofcrucialsignificanceto 

the poorestcom munitiesin theworld,who have high dependenceon 

ecosystem services.-fhesecould also havevery seriousimplicationsfor:he 

stability offood production becatlse specieslosscould resultin consequences 

related to agriculture,flshing and forcstproducc.-fheability ofsmalisland 

statesto mcetthe M D GSand ensure protecfion ofhuman rightswould be 

particularlyvulnerable to theimpactsofclilnatechange .-fable1providesa 

summary oftheimpactsofclimatechangcasesed forthe regionsofAfrica, 

Asiaand Latin Americaaswelassmalislands. 

Table 1 

Africa . By 2020 ) between 75and 250 m ilion of people 

areprojecredtoi;ccxposedtoincreasedwatcr 

stressducto climatechange. . 

* By 2020,in somccountrir-s,yieldsfrom rain-fed 

agriculturecould be reduced l)y up to 50% . 

. Xgriculturalproduction,induding accessto food, 

in manyAfrican countricsisprojected . ro t)e 

severely com prom ised.Thiswould furtlRer 

adversely affectfood security and exacerbatc 

malnutrition. 

* Towardstheend ofthc2lstccntuly projected 

sealevelrisewilafikctlow-lying coastalareaswlth 

largepopulations.Thccostofadaptation could 

amountto atIeast5to 10% ofGrossDomestic 

Product(GDP). 

@ By 2080,an increascof'j to 8% ofarid and semiaridlandinAfricaisprojectedunderarangeof 

climatescenarios(TS). 

Asia . By the2050s , freshwateraxailability in Central, 

South,Eastand South-Eastm ia,particularly in 

largeriverbasins,isprojected todecrease. 

* Coastalareas,especialy heavily populated 

megadclta regionsin South,Eastand South-East 

Asia,wilbeatgrcatestrisk dur to increased

Imtin America . 

flooding from thesca and,in some megadeltas, 

floodingfrom thc rivers. 

@. Climatechangeisprojected tocompound:hc 

ressures on na:ural resources ahd thc 

P 

. 

environmentassociatedwith rapiclurbanisation, 

industrialisation and econom icdevelopment. 

. Endcm ic morbidity and m ortality due to 

diarrloealdisemseprimarily nsxociated with floods 

and droughrsareexpccted to risein East,South 

and South-EastM iaduetoprojectedchangesin 

thchydrologicalcycle. 

By m id-ccntury,increasesin semperatureand 

associateddccreasesinsoilwaterarcprojccredto 

lcad to gradualrcplacemcn:oftropicalforestby 

savannain easternAmazonia.Scmi-arid vegetation 

wilrend to l)creplaccd by arid-land vcgetat'ion, 

* Tlzerc isarisk ofsigniflcantbiodiversity los 

rhrough specicsextinction in m any areasof 

tropicalLatin America. 

* Producrivityofsomeimportantcropsisprojected 

Lo clccreaseand livestock productivity to decline, 

with adverscconsequencesforfood security In 

tempcratezones,soybeanyieldsarcprojectedto 

increase.O verail,thc numberofpcopleatrisk of 

hungcrisprojectedtoincrease. 

* C langesin precipitation pattcrnsand rhc 

disappearanceofglaciersarc projected to 

significantlyafectwateravailability forhuman 

consum ption,agricultureand encrprgeneration.

lournaloftbe.xkfowzlHumanak/,a a mmision,14/..9,2010 

Sm allIslands . Sealeveltise isexpected to cucerbateinundation, 

storm surge,erosion and othcrcoastalhazards, 

thusthreateningvitalinfrktsfructure,setlements 

and faciliticsthacsupportthelivelihoqd ofisland 

com m unities. 

* Dèterioration in coastalconditions,fbrexample 

. 

through erosion ofbcachesand coralbleaching, 

$ 

isexpected to af-fectlocalresources. 

@ 

Bymid-century,climatechangeisexpected ro 

reduce waterre-sourcesin manysmalislands,e.g. 

in theCaribbean and Pacific,to thepointwherc. 

they becomeinsumcientto meetdcmand during 

Iow-rainfalperiods. 

. W ith highertemperatures,increased invasion by 

non-native speciesisexpcc-ted to occuy,particularly 

on m id-and high-latitudc islands, 

Sourcr:Fkl/eSPM.2.f'rv,vrv#lofsomepropctrd rgionaldrvdzt'tcIpccsyntlvsisA'eitlr/2007 

Carefulreflection on som eoftheim pactshighlighted in :lAetable 

abovewould revealthatpopularionswhoserightsarectlrrently protected 

poorly would likely to belesswelequipped to adaptto (heim pactsofclim 

atechange,asrhey arealso leastefectivein mobilizing action atthe 

lcvelofnationalgovernmentsorinternationalbodie's.They are likely to 

lackthecriticalrcsourcesrequircd toadapttotheprojectcdalterarionof 

Lheirenvironnacntaland economic conditions.In some countries, 

particularly wherc democracy provide.sdiflkrentscctionsofsociety access 

to redressalofproblemswhich would im perilthe protection ofhuman 

rights,action isbeing taken,even though notnecessarily atIevclsthatare 

rcquired.Tl4e Governmentoflndia,forinstance,hasiniriatcd several 

schemes to ilnprovecurrentconditions,and theirprogressisbeing 

monitored through carefulydelned indicators.lndia'sForeign M inister) 

M r.S.M .Krishna,in hisspeech atChcUN M DG Summ itheld in 

september20 l0 highlig'hted thecountly'sgrowing concern on theimpacts 

ofclim atechangeand theircfectson vulnerablecom muniticsand rcgions 

inIndia.Hcappropriatelymentioned'therealitythatrainfedagricuiture 

accountsfor60 percentof:hecrop areain lndia,and clim atechangchas

aggravated tlnesituation in those rcgionsofthecountly which have 

traditionaly been afectcd by droughtsandfloods.TheIPCC .*.R,4 has 

clearly broughroutrhe facttlattheimpacfsofclimatechange in those 

areaswhich havc existing stressesof variouskindswould seethesestresses 

being exacerbatetlasin thccascofstrcssesrelated to watcravailability The 

Foreign M inisterrightly em phasized Ll'egrowing awarenesin thc countl'y 

on thcchalenge of clim ate chaltgcand the commitmentofthcgovernment 

and the pcopleto mountingappropriatcnationaland regionalresponses. 

A majordeve'lopmentinIndiahasbeenthcNarionalAction l7lal:on 

ClimateChange(NAPCC)ledbythcPrimeM inisterhimsclfThisAction 

Planwasannouncedonthe30tl)oflunc2008,andsincethel:efortshave 

beenin hand involving thePrim eM inister'sAdvisory Councilon Clim atc 

Change,to providesubsiancetocach oftltecightm isions,which arepart 

of:heAction l3ian.ln orderto arrivcattheNAPCC,statcgovcrnm cnts 

werealso caled on ro providcvaluableinputs.I:iSessenrialthatparticularly 

in respectofadaptarion measures,capaciry iscrcated attht:localIevelto 

ensurethatcomm unitiesand individualsrightdown to the grassrootslevcl 

takeactivepartin adap:ation.Attlenationaland sratclevels,govcrnments 

also hayean im portanrpartto play.Forinstance,givcn thelarge numberof 

farmersdepcndenton rainfed agriculturein thiscountly,acarefulcvaluation 

and assessmentofprojcctedimpactsofclimatechangeindiTerentpartsof 

the country becomesim perative.Thisrequiresdetailcd scicntificwork 

involvingdownscalcdprojectionsusingglobalmodelsChatiltcorporate 

climarechangeandrhemajordriversthatarebringingitabout.R'heseinclude 

170th naturalaswelashuman induced factors. 

TERIiscurrently engaged in working wi:h a numberofscate 

governmentstoensurethatdownscaled impaco areassessedandprojecLed 

Fordifcrentpartsofthecountry.Thcstatcsoflndiaarelargeenough and 

often vcly diversein agro-clima:ic and ccosystem charac'teristic -s,and, 

therefore,requireimpactsto bcsrudied for'specificsub-regionsineaclt 

state,sincethesearcbound to show signiflcantdiferences.Theuscof 

sophisticated modelsrequirespowerfulcom putercapacity ald capabili:r 

and itisforthisreason t1atTERlhasinstaled asupercom putcron whicla 

modeisarerun fordifercn:statesof lndia. 

Oncequantitativeestimatcsofprojectedimpactsareavailable,these 

arcthcn otim ated in termsofthcirsocio-economicimplications.Itwould

I JoutmaloftheNfzrlrlz/ffvrêlzrlRtkbn Cemmistion,Wl.9,2010 

then becom epossibleto see how the achievementoftheM DGSwould be 

afccted asaresult,and how thesc m ightalso influenceçheprotection of 

human rightsby implication.In general,apartncrship between those 

involved in thephysic'alscienceapectsofclimatechangeand socialscieluists 

who could Study thesocialand hum an dimensionsofthe chalenge 

asociated with clim arcchange,hasrcaly notmaterialized to an adequate 

cxtentforworkingon these issues. 

O neimportantimperativethatunderliesa1the actionsincluded in 

theNAPCC and theelghtm issionswhich haveto beimplemented now 

with asense ofurgenu'y. isthe nced foradequate research on the physical 

scienceand socialScicnceaspectsofclimatcchange.Such research should 

idealy precedeany asscssmentof thehum an dimensionsand policy aspects 

of-theproblem,butatam inimum avigorousprogramme ofresearch 

should bcundertaken im mediately even asthcm issionsof(hcNAPCC 

arebeingimplcmented.Refinementsinprojectsand activiticscanthenbe 

made bascd on new knowledgethatkeepsemerging from research rhatis 

carricd out.Thismatter,ofcourse,raisesagcneralissue,which ispertinent 

to chc form ulation ofstrategiesand policiesin areaswerechange is 

imperative.Ifwe have to takc decisionsthatmake the bestuse offnancial 

and otherresourcesrhen intelcctua'1effortsofahigh ordershould deilne 

rhc design ofany course ofaction.ln respectof the M DGS,while 

govcrnmentsand otherorganizationshavetaken som ev'ery desirablestcps 

Co help achieve:hegoalsand targctswhich havebeen set,thercisneed for 

astrong par:nership berween a1stakcholdcrs,involving'civilsocicty;rescarch 

and acwademia,businesand industry(to theextcntpossible)and,ofcourse, 

governmenrs.Thiswould ensurethattimely and appropriatefeedback is 

availableform idcourse correctionsand refinementsin actionscurrently in 

hand.Thiswotld also bcimportantforcoming up with innovationsand 

changesthaccould actualy help in achievingthcM DGSatminimum cost 

and with maximum beneflts. 

Sixt'y threeycarssinceIndiabccamc indcpendentand with adequatc 

cxpericnceoffunctioning with ademocraticform ofgovernmenthavc 

broughtaboutsignalachievcmentsand satisfkctolz rarcsof growth and 

development,butthc country stillhaswidespread poverty,which could 

getexacerbated with theimpactsofclimatcchange.Atanyrate,some scuions 

ofsociev would provcto bemorevulnerable than othersto clim atechange 

im pacrs.and itisimportantthatscience,socialscicncc,research,government

policy and people'sparticipation come togetherefectively to dealwith 

thischalengeaswcmovefonvard in thiscentury.Even in :hemostadvanced 

societiestheplightofthe poorcould meritsom cspecialattention and 

effortsto ensurethattheirrightsand abilitiesto pursue sustainablc 

livelihoodsisnotaFected adversely asarestltof climate change.In acountly 

asdivcrseasIndiaantlwith poverry widespread,including rhegrow'th of 

numberofthe poorin some ofthemostprosperouscities,theimpactsof 

climate changewould beasrelevantto thc slum dwelersofM um bai,who 

may haveto dealwith frequenply occurring extremeprecipitation events, 

asthecommunitiesin theSundarbanswho areliving underthethreatof 

sealcvclrisc.-f'herightsof thcsevulnerabiecomm unitieshasto betreated 

asan importantpriorityin ourpoliciesatevct'y levelof thegoverpment 

and asan im porrantchalengeforthose who areinvolvcd in thcstudy of 

climatechangeand itsefl-ectson society in variouspartsoflndia.

Status ofA chieving M illennium 

D evelopm ent G oals of Ensuring 

Environm entalSustainabilityin India 

Prof.us'arfçé C..s'iaap.f' 

-?lNativeAmericanproverb statesr/vt'%Je#./notJ'rs/per/rtheplanet 

#wr?iourancestorsbutit/rr/?z/t'tJwzaourcéïi/rea',r/U'Jisr/Jt,next 

Jjg?;J#'cantcomponentofsustainabledevelopment-tlnelr/?;cl//eof 

intergenrrationalequip. 

'LTheMDGS)IJ't?embodyJaçfckumanrkhts-tkerigbtsfe/z./g 

person on r/lrz/kzr/L'ltoé-/téaeducation,skelterand yecvrfty.F>rGoals 

areambitiousbutfeasiblrdzazftogetkervplr/lthectlrvre/geayiw Unitcd 

Nationsdevelopmenttzgzizffz,setrât,coursefor4f'worldîr-#-f'F.,Jto 

aleviateextreme . 

pt/tpN by 2015.' 

- 

United Natiom J'errerwṟpGeztvw/Ban Ki-moon 

Recentreporpsgivesa very dism alpictureof theworld cnvironment 

when they mention 'seven citiesare aboutto Sink',lorthatyear20l0 was 

thehotestyearof Iast100 years,thatglaciersaremelting very fastz,and 

thatcountriesarefacingworstkind of drinking water'and otherproblcms 

threatening theexistenceof human being on PlanetEartk.Thereforc,thc 

'lnternationalDecadeforAclion,2005-2015'1,hasbeen declarcd to promote 

thecentralimportance offreshwater,qualit'yoflif-e,and othcrbasicneeds 

*Dean,(Faculty ofluridicalSciences),ModyIns:irtlteofTechnologyapdScicnces 

l 7 CitiesAboutto Sink,http://travel.yahooqcom/p-interests-sjgg86g8 

2 GlaciersAreM eltingFasterThanExpecfation-uN Report.ScicnccDaily.M arch 18,2008 

3 SolutionsforaW ater-shortW orlcl,availablc atl'lttp://info.kdhealtlt.org/pr/m 14/ 

m 14print.shtml 

IournaioftbrNg/f/rz//Human Rigbu Commtjsion,141Ta2010

of the society fortheirsurvivaland stzstainablcdcvelopmenṭ lthasrightly 

been declarcd theseand manyenvironmentaliwucshavea umed threatening 

dimensionsand broughrthcworld i5atrhepointofdisaster . 

M illennium D evelopm ent G oals and Environm ental 

Suktninability 

W hen l89 HeadsofStateand Governmentfrom the North and South , 

asreprcscntativesoftheircicizens,signed the M ilennium Development 

Goalsatthe 2000 UN M ilennium Sum mit4 , thcrewasa palpable senseof 

urgency to rcduccpoverty by halfand achievecquitablcand sustainable 

developmentforal.-rheM ilennium DevelopmentGoals(M GDs),2000 

hasdcclared 8 goalshand 2 1targetsto beacirved by al:heStatcsby 

2015.They wereagreed upon by world lcadersand otherstakeholdersat 

differentuN Sum mitsand Conferences.ln thcM ilennium Declaration 

itwasrightly pointed our(he td'w em ustspareno èforrto freea1lof 

hum anirs and above alourchildren and grandchildren , from tlethreatof 

living on aplanetirredeemably spoiltby human activities,and whose 

rosourceswould no longerbe sum cientfortheirncedf'.ltwasalso resolved 

R 

to adoptin a1lourenvironmentalactionsanew ethicofconservation and 

stewardship'.ThcUNO and variousagenciesidvigorously pursuing a1tle 

countriesto achievethese goals.Theseventhgoalis'EnsureEnvironmcntal 

Sustainabiliry'which isvcl'ysignilcantin the presentday situation ,-flle 

abovedeclarafion ofUNO spealtsIoudly about(heimportancethesegoals 

have assumed.By linking the M DGSto the Inrernationaly Agrced 

Developmen:Agenda IADAI6,world lcadersand developmentpartncrs 

haverecognized theFnergiesamong variousdevelopmentgoalsalzd rargcts , 

and the need fora!Aintegracd approach forachieving tltem . lthasalso 

been recognised and rcalised rhatrlaese eightgoalsarenotindependentof 

each other,ratherthey arclinked wkth each other .Likedemographic goals 

zi M GDSwereadopteclby U.N.ç',cneralAssembly oIl8 Sept'elnber , 20U0,which wcrcendorsed 

by l89 gountrics. 

'' 

Thcsc8 goalsarc-1.Eradicarcllxtrenlel>tlverty altlHullger , 2.AchicveUnivcrsalPrimary 

Educalion,3.Prom orcGenclerlquality Altd EmpowerW onlel ,1.RcdtccChild Morrality, 

5.lmprovcMaternalldcaltb 6.(-ombatHiv/Aids'7.MalariaantlOdlcrDiseases .8.Elstlre 

Envirorsm enl'alSustainability. 

6 O riginalzd from the scriesof globalcolfercncesIleltlsincc)990 , rhc IADGSarcaprotluctof 

broad-bastd pr'ocescsofconsultatiolstha:itvolved civilsocicty 

, govcrnmcn:andnlultilaîer:tl 

organigmrionsatcountry.regiollaland glob:tlJevels.

. Journalsfr/?eNationalHumanA/j/?fxCommtîst'on,IW R 2W / 

areclosely connected to poverty and human health,cradication ofpoverty 

and hungerwilcnsure the environmentalsustainability.Lastly,theglobal 

partncrship wilhelp dw eloping and under-developed countriesto achicve 

these goals.-fhusthesegoalsarcintcrconnected and intcr-dependentand 

complcm entanr/corolary to each other. 

Butithmsbeen feltthatten yearson from the originaladoption of2he 

M DGSarthe 2000 M iilennium Summ it,and despitercmarkableprogress 

in somecountries,colectivelywe arefaling shortin theirachievement.In 

the revicw mecting held atNew York on 20-22 September,2010,the 

SecretarpGeneralremarked intersewordsthat'(B)etweennow and2015, 

wem ustmake sure thatpromisesm ade become prom iseskcpt.The 

consequencesofdoing otherwisc areprofouncl;death,slncssand despaïr, 

needlesssuffering,lostopportunitie.sform ilionsupon milionsofpeople'?. 

TheU N Revicw Sumlni:on fhe M ilcnnium DevelopmentGoals 

concludcd on 22 Septemberwitlthcadoption of a globalaction plan to 

achicvc(hcgoalsby 2015 and theannouncementofbmajornew 

com mitmentsforwomcn'sand children'shealtlz,aswclasotherinitiatives 

againscpoverry,hungcrand disease. 

lnternationalD eclarations on Environm ent vis-a-vis 

H um an ltights 

In Scptember2010,the memberstatcsofthe United Nationsmelin 

Ncw York to discusswhatprogrcshasbeen made towardsthcM DGSand 

agrccwhich ac:ionswilneed (o bctaken to cnsurethatthegoalsarcm ct. 

Thisisin sequelto tleStockholm Confcrence of1972 which wasarevcile; 

sounding man'sawakeningto thesensitiverelationship with thcnature. 

M uch concern wasshown notonly aboutthepresentneed butto makethe 

Earth am uch safrrplacc to live in for:heprogeny and thc f-arcofmankind 

asawltolc.M rs.lndiraGandhi)thethen Prime M inistcrof lndia,w lile 

addresing rheConfcrenccindicated that'population,polution and poverty 

areinrerrelated problemsand there m ustan intcgratcd approach to solve 

them togethen''f hesecond principleof:heStockholm Dcclaration made 

i:clearthat'Thcprotection and improvementofthc hum an envirolment 

isamajorissucwhichafectsthewel-bcing ofpeoplcsand economic 

7 New York,22 Scptelnber20 10 -Stcrctary-Gcncral'sclosing rcmarlu atHigh LevelPlcnar)r 

M ccting of tltt'GcleralAssembly onthcM ilennium DeveLoplnentGoals.

dcvclopmentthroughouttlptworld;itistheurgentdesireofthepeoples 

ofthewholeworld and thcduty ofalGovernments.'A word ofcaution 

wasalso mcntioned in thcfollowingwords- 

'% pointhastleen reached in histoorwhen wcmustshapc ouractions 

throughouttheworld wirhanloreprudentcarcfortheircnvironmental 

conscquences.Througl)ignoranceorindifercncewecan do m assiveand 

irreversibleharm to rhecarthly environmcn:on which ourlifeand wcl 

being depend.Converscly,throlgh fuilcrknowledge and wiseraction,we 

can achieveforourselvesand ourposteriry abctterIifeinan cnvironment 

more in kecping with hum an needsand hopes..To defelpd and im provc 

thehum an environmentforprcscntand future gcnerationshasbccomean 

imperative goalformankind-agoal(o bepursued togethcrwirh,and in 

harmony with,the establishcd and fundamentalgoalsofpeaceand of 

worldwideeconom ic and socialdevelopment,'g 

ThisDeclaration madeitvery clcarthatman hasarighttoahealthy 

environmcntand asolemn responsibilityto protectand presel-vethenatural 

environmcnt.'M an hasthcf'undamentalrightto frcedom,equality and 

adequateconditionsoflife,in an environlnentofaquality Chatperm itsa 

Iife ofdignity and wcl-being,and hebcarsasoiemn rcsponsibility toprotec: 

and improvetheenvironmentforpresentand future generations, 'Since 

Indiawasaparticipatoly and signatory oftheStockholm Declaration,it 

passed m yriad lawsto giveefcctto the principlesagreed upon therein. 

From thisDeclaration,i:wasrecognised Lhatahcalthy environmentand 

polution-freeenvironmentisafundamentalrightavailablcto a1human 

bcings,Therefore,variouslawswere passed by world governmentsrelating 

to variousaspectsofCle cnvironment.lndiabecamethefirstcounrry to 

incorporatespccilcprovisionsrelating to prorectionand presetwation of 

theenvi'ronment.llSom espcciflcIawswerealsopassed Co achievethis 

objectivelike-the'W ildlifc(ProtectionAcfof1972,Nvater(Preventiol 

8 TlleStockholm Confercnccwas leltlfroln5fo 16June,l972alldwasarrendcdbythe 

representaxivesofl14 countries.ItwasrheilrsrInternationalConfcrclceoI'hlman cnvirolunent' 

and itsDedamtion of26 Plinciplesisknown astheldagnaCarxaoItHunlanEnvirolmellr. 

9 Prodomarion6 oftheStockho l)IDeclararion of1972 

10 PrinciplelofriteStockbolm Declaration of'1972. 

l1Artide48A andArticle5 1-A (g)wereincorporated in 1976 by(he42nd Constitutional 

Am endment.Artide48A--l'he'sratcshalleltdeavourtoprotectandimprovetheenvironmenr 

and ro safeguard the forcstsand wildlifeofrtl3ecotlnrry'.Articlej1A (g)-'A1lthecitizcnsof 

Indiashallhavcrundanelttalduryto...protectandprcsclvethenacuralcnvironmenvincluding 

wildlife.forestsandlakesand havccom pasion forliving creatures.'

J'ournaltv/rlgNationalHumanAèâtrCommision,Fi19,2010 

and ControjofPolution)Act,1973,Forest(Conservation)Act,1980,Air 

(Prevention and ControlofPolution)Act,1981andtheEnvironment 

(Protection)Actof1986.Similarly,thcUSA passed thcNaCional 

EnvironmentProtection Actin 1969 and UK pmsed thePolution Control 

Actin 1974. 

TheW ord Com mission on Developmentand Environmentin its 

report'OurCommon Future'(1987)waslrsttouSethetcrm 'sustainable 

development'ancldefined itasthatwhich meetstheneedsofthe present 

withoutcompromising theability of thefuturegcnerationsto m ecttheir 

own needs.'ThisRcportdeclared in unequivocaltermsthatrightto a 

polution freeenvironmenrisahuman rightand to m akc properand 

rationaluse ofthenaturalresourcesisthe fundamentaldury of-al.K ght 

ro developm entcannotbecxercised atthe costofenvironm cntal 

degradation asthefutureofhum an being largcly dependson thcnatural 

cnvironment.Iralso linked environmentalproblem sto socialand 

economicsystems.Asasequelto it,thcU.N .Earth Summ itwasheld at 

RiodeJaneiroin1992andproducedveryimportantthrecdocuments: 

Agenda 2l,Convention on BiologicalDiversity and convention on 

ClimateChange.Agenda21also included 'sustainabledevelopment, 

poverty,human hcalth,developm entofwomen and children, 

conscnrationofnaturalresourcesasprimeobjectivesfot)eachievedby 

themembcrsrates.Atitsclosc,M auriceStrong,theConfcrcnceSecretarp 

General,calcd theSulnm ita 'historicmom cntforhumanity',ln the 

ycar2000 a significantdevelopm enttook place and EartlzChartcrwas 

declared .In itsprcamble itdeclarcd that- 

W estand ara criticalmomentin Earth'shistory,atimewhcn humanity 

m ustchooscitsfuture.Y thcworld becom csincreasingly intcrdependent 

and fragile,thcfuture atonceholdsgreatperiland greatprom ise.To m ove 

fonvard wcm ustrecognize thatin themidstofamagnilcentdiversity of 

culturesand lifcformsweareonchuman family and oneEarth comm unity 

wizhacommondestiny.Wemustjointogethertobringforth asustainable 

globalsocicty founded on rcspectfornaturc,universalhuman rights, 

economicjustice,andacultureofpeace.-fowardsthisend,itisimperative 

Lhatwe,thcpeoplesofEaryh,dcclareourrcsponsibility to oneanorher,to 

the greatcrcom munity oflife,and to futurcgenerations

Itwasalso lnadecleartlat'Thercsilience ofthe com munity oflife 

and thewel-being ofhumanity dcpend upon preseningahealthy biosphere 

with alitsccologicalsystem s,arich varitv of plantsand animals,fertile 

soils,purewaters,and clean air.Theglobalenvironm entwith itsfinite 

resourccsisacommon concern ofalpcoples.Theprotection ofEarth's 

vitality,diversity,and beauty isasacrcd trust.'h-l-he Charferplaced human 

dignityatthe(op and thatwith S'incrcased frcedom ,knowlcdge,and power 

comesincreascd rcsponsibility to prolnotethccomm on good.'ltisthe 

duty ofthecomm unity to 'ro preventcnvironmentalharm and to protcct 

therightsofpeople'17.Principlcl-3 has,in expicitterms,declared that 

'çEnsurethatcomm unitiesa:aIIevelsguarantcchuman rightsand 

fundamentalfrccdomsand provide everyonc an opportunity ro realize his 

orherfulpotenrial'. 

'Prolnotesocialandcconomicjustice,enablingaltoachicveasecurc 

and m eaningfullivelihood tha:isecologicalyresponsiblc.' 

ln 2002,the'World Summ iton SusrainableDcvclopmcntwasheld at' 

Johannesburg.Italso ensureditscommitmenttoimplcmenttheUnited 

NationsM ilenniam DevelopmcntGoalsof2000:3.TheDeclaration also 

focused 'on theindivisibilit'y ofhuman diglAity and atercsolvcd,through 

dccisionson targets,timetablcsand parrnerships,to speedily incrcascacces 

zo such basicrcquirementsascleanwacr,sanitarion,adequatesbcltcr,encrgy 

health care,food security and theprorcction of biodiversity...'14Italsoplcdged 

to flghtagainstwidespread problemsofhumanity in the f'oilowing words- 

'Nve ream rm ourpledgeto placcparticularfocuson,and givepriority 

atention to,thefightagainsttheworldwideconditionsthatposcseverc 

threatsfo fhcsusrainabledevelopmentofourpeople,which include:chronic 

hunger;m alnutrition;foreign occupation;armed conflict;ilicitdrug 

problems;organized crime;co ruption;naturaldisastcrs;ilicitarms 

tram cking;rrafficking inpcrsons;terrorism;intoleranceand incitementto 

racial,cthnic,religiousand otherhatreds;xenophobia;and endemic, 

communicableand chronicdiseases,in particularH IV/N DS,malariaand 

tu 't) Crcu lsis'15 O . 

12 Principlcl(2)(a)oftleEarthCharter. 

l3 Principle20ofhJohanncsburpDedarationonSustainableDcvcloplnclt.zooo. 

lzi SccPrinciple 18ofthcDcdaration ladeon Sept.di,2002. 

l5 SccPrinciple19ofchcDcclaration madeon Sept.4 .2002.

Iournalt/t/peNationalSsrzlzm Rigiœ Ctlzarzlfrfzv;,I'M % 2010 

Thusitcan besaid thataficrthedeclaration ofthe M ilennium 

Developm cntalGoal,2000,wasrecognition ofthebasic human needsof 

mankindandflrstintcrnationaljointvow tofulfiltheeightgoalsand 

twentyone targeu to beachieved byworld states.A curso!y reading ofthe 

Declaration makesitclearthatitwasacom mitmentto building a hum ane , 

equitableand caring globalsockty,cognizantofthe need forhuman dignity 

foral.ln away itwasanothcrachievementinthcjourneyofhumanrights. 

Italso revealsthatthese declarationshavetaken carcofalmostaIlthc 

declarationson human right-ranging from theUniversalDcclaration on 

H uman Itightsof1948 to U N aflèmation oftheRightto Safe and Clean 

DrinkingW ateronluly28,2010.6.Thusrighttosafeand drinkingwater 

hasbecom capartof(he UniversalDcclaration ofHuman Rights , 1948. 

Sincelndiawasaparticipatory in almosta1theconventionsand dcclarutions , 

ithasratifled theseintcrnationalagreements . .Asaresultofwhich,the 

SupremcCourthasbased itsdccision on m any intrrnationaldeclarations/ 

conventionsto recognizeand implemcntvarioushum an rightsl7, 

M D G 7 -Ensure Environm entalSustainability 

M DG 7 which aimsto ensureenvironmentat.stustainability encapstzlates 

abroad array ofkey environmentalissuesincluding biodiversity , air 

polution,forcsts,climare change,fish stocks,lack of clean and drinking 

water,sanirarion and im provcmentofslums,ltwasalso-committed by the 

world statesro pursuesustainabledevelopm-ent,in accordance with the 

principlescontained in thc Rio Declaration on Environm en:and 

D cvclopmentof 1992,including the principle ofcom m on but 

differcntiated responsibilitics,and taking into accounttherespective 

capabilitiesofcountries.O thcrrelated areas'of concern were idcntified as 

(alimptcmentation oftheUnltcd NationsConventlon to'Combat 

16 OdlcrimportgnrDeclarationsare-ConvenîiononthePrevcltion anclPunishmentofthc 

CrimcofGcnocide,l948:CollvelttionAgalnst-fbrtureandodterCruel , lnhumanand Degrading 

Treaulxrnt,l985;Covenanton Civiland PoliticalRightpl9661Covenanron Fxonomic . Social 

and CulturalRighrsofI966)Elimination of AI1FormsofDsscrim ination AgainstNvomen of 

lg7gkconvcntion on rleRigltsofChild,1989;Dedaration on Righfto Development'.l986; 

BeijeilgDcclararionon RightsofWomen,1995;lnternationalConvcntionAgains: 

'I-ransnationalOrganizdCrimcs(with'Specialrcfcrenccro-l-raflckinginWomenandChîldren), 

2000:Declaration on the Rightsof Disabled Pcrsons,1975;U.N.Dedarafion ontheRights 

ofindigelousPcopIcs,2006:And man)eothers 

l7 SeeVisllakav.St'atc()i'itajastlal),AIR l997SC .5011)LaksltmiKanrPandeyv.Unionof; 

Illdia,1?84 lntlaw S(!1h9;Sakshiv.India,AIR 2004 SC 3566.

Desertification,(()forestanctshtsustainatlcforestmanagementjtc)new 

andrenewablecnergy sourccsand low emissiontechnologies,td)new and 

rtnmvableencrgysourcesandIow emisiontcchnologies,te)integrated waste 

managemenssysrcrus,tf-')marinebiodivcrsityând ecosprems,including fbh 

stocks,which contributc to l-ood security and hungerand poverty 

eradication eforts,tg)toprescrvcfragilemountain ecosystemsasan 

im porfan:sourceof fresh warerand asrepositoriesofrich biologscal 

diversitpth)Promotingsuscaknableconsumption and production 

paterns,ti)reducing sium populationsanE improving thelivcsof slumdwelcrs,with 

adcquate supportofthe internationalcomm unity,by 

prioritizingnationalurban planning strategieswith the participation ofa1 

stakeholtlers,tj)prolnotingequalaccessforpeopleIivinginsltlmstopublic 

selwices,includinghcalth,education,energstk)wateranclsanitationand 

adequateshelter,and promoting sustainablcurban and ruraldevelopmcnt, 

and (l)totakeurgentglobalactiontoaddre-ssclimatechangeasperprinciples 

ofKyoto Protocolof199718tocontroland contain thegrcenltousc gases. 

TheConvention on Biologica)Diversity 1992recognizes,forthe first 

tim e,thatrhe conselwation of biologicaldiversity is'acom mon concern 

ofhumankind'and isan integralpartofthedcveloplnentproccss.The 

main goalsof thisConvcntion,besidestlte consenration ofbiological 

diversicy,were(a)Sustainableuseof:hecolnponcntsofbiodivcrsity,and 

(b)Sharing the benefltsarisingfrom th'ccolnmcrcialand othcrtltilization 

ofgencric rcsourcesin af'airand equirableway. 

Indiéand M D G 7 of Environm entalSustainability 

Jndiahasage-old cnvironm enfalefhicsand alwayslnclicvcd in Cl4e 

philosophy that'weshould livein harmony with nature.'Ancicntlndian 

literature (Vcdas,Upanishads,Smritisanclthe EjpicsRamayana, 

M ahabharata,and Gita)haspreachedtorespectNatureand hasbelieved in 

conservarion of naturalresourcesrathcrtlan thciralnihilationlg.M any 

vcrsesin Rig Vedaand AtharvaVedaaretotaly dedicated to thepraiseof 

Lord Sury'a(Su1A),VarunDevta(God'of'Water),VanDcvi(Goddessof 

Forest),PrithviM ata(MotherEarth)andorhcrs.Thusnaturalforceshave 

been identifled asGodsand Goddcsesso asro develop areverenratritude 

18 TheKyotoProtocol(entcrcdon l1.12.l997)ain,cdrorcduceoveralcnzissiollsofthc 

grecnhousegascsby atleas'r5% below l990lcvcls(n the com m itlnel)rperiod 2008to 20 12 

in ordert()pronlotesustainablcdeveLoplnenI. 

'1slSceShastrir';.C),Envlrontuentall-qw,l(2008).

I loutw lp/fâ:NationalHtonanAfg'/pl Commision,IW.#,2010 

towardsnature.The destruction ofvariousrcsourcesofnature wasdcclared 

asasin in thcabove mentioned ancientliterafure . Thisphilosophy was 

ableto protectand pre-serve thenaturalruourcesand maintain rheecological 

Lalance,Even EmpcrorAshokawasdeclared 'Ashoka-:heG rcat'ạshe 

believed in planting treesand diggingwelsin the country ,il1otherwords 

hcbelieved in presenution and protcction of theenvironment . . &sarcsult 

thisagc-old philosophy ,vcgetarien covcrofIndia waswclguarded,river 

Ganga and othcrriverswerevcty clean ,atmospherewaspolution frce and 

wehad avely rich floraand fauna.Butthescenario laaschanged with the 

adventofforeign culturc in India . TheEnglish peopledid very litrle to 

protectourvegetation cover.Ratherby passing thc ForestActof1927 , 

they regulated the cu ring of thcforestcoverof India-a greatIossro the 

nature ïcshabitat.lndustriatisatlon also added %etto tlae ilre and damaged 

thc naruralenvironm entextensivcly , irreparably anJ unthinkably.'rhe 

ancicntphilosophy ofharmoniousrclationship with Naturehasbeen 

destroycd alLogether.Today wc havc forgotten (hatccosystemsand 

biodivcrsiry areChefundamentalbuilding blockson which weaI1depend 

forourexistcnceand development . N ow tim cisripewhen wc Should take 

concretestcpsto shapeourfuturcand rosecurcthc fufureofourprogeny . 

DuetounprecedenCcd,unscientificand unbridled cxploitation of 

naturalresourcesand gipantic unhcalthy industrialadvancemcnthascreared 

myriad environm cntalprollems.Someof such problemsare change in 

climatcpattern a1over:heworld , greenhousegasescausing globalwarm ing , 

and ozoncdeplction.Othergeneralproblemswhiclawe arcfacing everpvhere 

arewatcrpolution,atm ospheric polution , radiation,noisc polution, 

disposalofc-was:e,m unicipaland industrialwasre ,sanitation and human 

serrlemencctc.Tlzesideeffectsofsuch environmentalproblem shave given 

riseto tl4e problcm sofsafepotablewarer , slums,health and hygiene, 

exponensialgrowth ofpopulation and scarcity offood and housing . Rising 

ofscalcvel,lnelting ice-caps , backlash ofTsunami,Katrina,Rita , dfought 

in variousareasofthc world,expansion ofdescrtsare some ofthe 

representarive samplesof aftereffectsof degrading cnvironmenț Indiais 

no cxcepLion co thcsc consequcnccsand facing problemsof ecological 

imbalancesand cnvironm enraldcgradation . Variouspartsof Indiahas 

expcrienced ho testdaysofthelasttwo decades , rainfalin descrtareas, 

smog and worstatmospheric polution in metropoliran citics , frightening 

backlash ofrhesca in the forln ofTsunam i , riseof big slumsand otlner

elated problem s.Destruction ofbiologiczldiversity wildepriveusof food, 

timber,flber,fuel,lnedicineand freshwatcrand also cssentialservicessuch 

a-swatcrpurilcarion,airaltd Soilquality,polination,pestcontrol,climate 

regulation,flood controland protection againstnaturalhazards.Thisisal1 

theresultofadetcriorating environmentand disrespcctfulattitudeof 

mankind fornaturalrcsourccs.Expanding descrfin thewest,shrinking 

' 

vegetation coveroçIndia,contaminatcd watcr,sprawling slumsand 

vanishing rarcstof rarcspeciesoFfloraand fauna declarcsloudly thatour 

environmenrzsnorsustainablc and itsrequiresrherapeusic rrcatmcnt 

im mediatcly before itistoo Iare.Irmustbercmcmbcred thatw lile we al 

dcpenclon naturalscnriccs,thepoorare usualy fhcm osfvulnerableto 

environmentaldcgradation,lack ofclean waterand fettile land,leading to 

increased hungcr,ilncsand poverty.Therefore,sustainabledevelopmcnt 

isthecrying necd ofIndiato saveitssuccesive genera:ionsfrom :he scourge 

of environmentaldestruction. 

Thethen Prim eM inistcrofIndiaM rs.fndiraGaldhivoiced hcr 

deep concern in t'heFirsclnternationalConference on HumalèEnvironlnent 

heldatStockholm (5-16 June,1972)andindirecrly advocaced forraking 

immediatcand integrated approach to solvechrce M ilcnnium Development 

Goals-povcrt'y,polution andpopularion.Sinccthan Inclia5smaking every 

effbrtto achicvethe goalofcnvironmenralsustainability and otherrelated 

problelnsIikepoverty,slum dwelling,unbridled population growth and 

health and hygiene.N ow itisan accepted fac:thatLhesea1problcmsare 

interconnected,interrclated and lnterdepenclent.and inrerwoven with 

rheconceptofhuman righps.'rhcStockholm Dcclarafion ofl972 declared 

in uncquivocaltermstlarhealtlayand polution-frceenvironmelxtisa 

fundamcntalrightof-alhuman beingszoand itissincquanon forthe 

welbcing ofthcpeopleworld overzl.The Declaration also suggcsted to al 

world governm entsCo cvolvc legaland adnlinzsrarivc lnechalisnasscl 

achievethescobjectives.&sascquelto ittl4eIndian governnpenshasadoptcd 

variousstaturory and adm inistrarive stcps to contain and colcrol 

elwironmentaldegradation and ccologicalimbalances. 

20 Principle1'M anhasthei'tldalneltalrijil'tLo frfxdom ,equality ald adcq lareconditionsof 

life,in anenvironmentofaquality thaîgerm itsa lifeofdignity anclwclI-lcing,antlhebears 

;ïsotemn responsibitily tu protectalt'lilnprovc thccnvironmcntforprcsentalkd fu turc 

gcncralions...' 

21 Prodamalion2'Thcprorectiot:andirlprovelentoftlelunlanenvironI'ncn:isamajorissuc 

which affcclstlacwcl-being ()fpeoplcsald econolnic devclopmenr(lArotlghoutthcworld;it 

isthcurgcl)tcjcsircofthe pcoplt!softltew loleworldand thcdury ofaliGovern lnclts'.

Journaltḻ/-r/zeNationtlf'frzraap Riglm C/zlvz/nbrs1419,2010 

Legislative M echanism 

ConstitutionalM andate 

hsenvisagcd by the Stockholm Declaration of1972 and other 

inrernationaldeclarationzz,Jndia hasadop td many lcgislative and 

administrativemeasure.stoachievetheobjectiveofsustainabledeveloptnenr 

and cnvironmentalsustainability . Italso importantto note thatavery 

signiflcantstep hasbeentaken by the Inclian Parliamentto givcconstitutional 

protection to cnvironment.TheParlîamentincorporateciArtidẹ s48A and 

51A (g)bypassingrhe42nd amcndmentintheConstitution ofIndiain 

the ycar1976,Article48A hasdcclared itaduty ofrhc Stateto protectand 

im provc thc environm ent , whereasArticle5la(g)hasmadeita 

fundamentaldury ofthe citizensofIndiato protcctand improve thcn atural 

environmentindudingforest , wildllfean2 lakesz3.-rlusIndiabccamethe 

flrsfcountry to givc constirutionalprotection to environmcnt . ltwasa 

verysignifscantstep towardsthcenvironmenralsustainability asitbecame 

afbundafion stonetolnuild thccnvironmentaljurisprudcnccinIndia .N ow 

itistheimperativeduty of thcstateand centralgovernmentand local 

bodiesto ensureand safeguard the environmenṯ manmade and natural, 

ThcSupremeCourtofIndiahasbased itsmany signiflcantjudicial 

pronoùncementsrelating to environm cnton thebasisofthcse two 

constitutionalprovisions.zd 

Though Chaptcrl1lof d4e Indian Constiturio n,which hàsnarrated 1 

fundamentalrights,haslyotmentioned rightro a polution frccorhealrh y 

environmcntasoneof rhefundamcntalrights , tleSupremeCourroflndia 

hasinferrcd itfrom Ar . ticle212$oftheConstitution . TheCourthasdeclared 

rhatrighttolifeprovideunderArt21 . 

22 OllrComnzon Fulure , (1987).orRcportoçtleU.N.commissionon Devcloplnentald 

Environmcnr. 

23 Arridc5la (g)'Altlte citivnsofIndia shalhavefundamenraldu!y to protec!and improveth e 

nacuralcuvironiuer?(lduting foresx , lake-s,andwisdlift andluvtcomm ssionforlidngczeatm eș' 

24 SeeHinch LaITiwariv , KamalaDcvi.(2O01)6SCC 496;M.C . M ehra v.Union of lndîa.AlR 

2002X(7-l696;BobayDying & M gf . Co.v,Bombay EnvironmentalActionGroup , 200605 

SCC zi3zfilntclectualForuln.'I'irupathiṿ StateofA.I.AIR 2006 SC 13soisushantaTagore 

v.UnionofII)cIia,(200j)5SCC l 16;S.SachidanandPandeyv . Statcofq(B.,(1987)2SCC $94; 

tural l-itigation altd Entitlement Kendra, DehradunIv, sratc of U .P,AIR 

l986SC6521M .C.M ehtav.KamalNath .(2000)6SCC 213;Es5arOilLrd.v.HalarUckarsh 

Samiris(2004)2 SCC 392 arkd orkcrṣ 

. 

25 Article2 1,'Nopersolslallbeclcprivcdoflife atd personallitaernrcxcep:accordilg'to th e 

procedlrccstablislkcd bylaw.'

Si 

encompasscswithin itsambitthe protection and preservation ofthe 

environment,ecologicalbalance,f-rccdom from polution ofairand water, 

andsanitation,withoutwhichlifecannotbeenjoyed.Any contractoraction 

which would causecnvironm entalpolution ...should beregarded as 

amounting to violation ofArticlc21..'Fherefore,there isaconstitutional 

imperative on thcstatcgovernmentand the municipaliLies,notonly to 

ensurcand safeguard propercnvironm entburalso an im pcraciveduty to 

take adequatem easurcsto promote,protect,and improve 1.)0th the 

manm adcand thenaturalenvironmeltt.'zG 

In a casedealingwith limcsponcquariescausing deforestation,soil 

crosion,and riversiltation,theSuprcmcCourtm entioned utherigh:of 

Chepeopleto livcin ahealthy environmentwith minimaldisturbance of 

theecologicalbalanccn.z;Thiscasewasthelrstand uniquccaseof India 

dealing with environlnentaldcgrada:ion and ecologicalimbalancc.z8'The 

courtalso madeitclearthattherecannolbcdcvelopmentatChecostofthe 

eltvironmcnt.Both haveto go hand in hand.Thusi:wasan implicit 

declaration ofrightto sustainablcdevciopmcntand sust'ainability ofthe 

environm ens. 

InN.D.Jayalv.UnionofInt1ia29andothcrcases,theSupremeCourt 

hasmadeitclearclàatsuszainable dcvelopmentand righ:Lo apolu:ion-frce 

and h'ealthfulenvironmentisafundamenralrighl. 

Hundredsofcascshavebeen decided by thcSupremeCourtand high 

courtsonthebasisof,orinfluenced bytherightLo healthy environmcnt. 

Among the environm enralisuesaddrcsed by thesccascsare: 

. airpolution inDell:icaused by mototvehiclcs'o 

. waterpolutionof:heGangcsRivcrby tannericsll

lournalḻ/à/ieNationalHuman JDX o'Commision,11)1% 2010 

* protectionofthe-lkjM ahal,abou:292industrialplantsordcred ' 

to eitherswitch from coke/coalfo nacuralgasorrelocaceand 

shiftfrom TajTrapezium3z 

@ 

industrialairpolutions3 

* roundwatcrmanagemcntM 

* therightro water:s 

* mining and quarlying activities% 

* forestconscrvation and displaccments; 

* disasterscaused by hazardousactivities38 

* largedam projectss: 

@ sentencing forenvironmentalcrime-s4ë 

* geneticaly modified organismsifl 

* slnoking in public placesAz 

clbsureof minesin Arayalihilsand protection of wi1d1ife43 

noisepolution4 

@ 

@ 

rightto potable/swectwatcr4s 

properdisposalofbio-m edicaiwastexti 

rightto shelterd? 

5.2 M ,C.Melàtàv.Unionoflndh Nl-fajtrapezium case)A1R 1997SC 755. 

33 M .C,Mcbtav.UnionofIltdia(1997)llSCC 327. 

34 M.C.Mehtav.UnionofIndia(1997)11SCC .5129M.C.Mehtaṿ Unionoflndia2004(12) 

$C l18 

5.5 .&1'Polution ControlBoardl'M .V.Nayudu A1R 1999 SC 812 ,2001(2)SCC 62,:200l(9) 

SCC 605. 

' 

36 M.C.Melt'av.Unionoi'India1996(8)SCC 462 

57 

(1998)9SCC 'I'.N.GodavarmanThirumulpad 61522000(7)SCALE v 380. Union oflndiaAIR 1999 SC 43 , (1998)6SCC 190 

- 

. 

38 IlclialdCouncilforElviro-l-egalAcliolv.UnionofIndiak lt1996S(-.1(46 

39 NarmadaBachao Andolan v UftionofIndiaADR 1999 SC 9345 

40 UPPollurion Boartlv.M ohanM eakinsLtd . (2000)3QSCC 745 

41 ArullaRodriguesv,Union oflndia,lalbNo .260 of 200j,Orderdated 22/09/2006. 

, 62 M urliS.Dcoraṿ UnionofIndia.(2001)8SCC 76h 

zié5 TarunBllaratSangh,AlwarU Unionof lndiaAf)R 1992 SC 514 ' 

44 ChurchofGod(FulGospcl)lnlndiav.K.K.R.M .C.WrI/.WeAssociglion,(2000)7SCC 282 

dj F.A.Huxsain v .Staîc ofKerala,AiR 1990 Ker.32l 

. 

46 DnB.L.wadherav,UnionofIndia,(1996)2SCC h94 

47 IntcllcctualForum,'rirupachiv . StateofA.;t,AlR 2006 SC I3j0;OlgaTe lsṿ Bombay 

MulicipalCorporationl985)3SCC 545 -

In thefotestconsenration case,the originalwritpetition focused on 

ilegallogging in oneforestregion,burtheCour:expanded thecaseto 

covertheforcstsof cntirecountly and forcstpolicies4s.On the basisofthis 

single lawsuit,rheSupremeCourthaSaddresed dcforestation.ilegal 

logging,timberpricing,licensing,and transportation oftim ber,mining, 

and pianning.TheCourtalso crcated itsown com miteero investigateand 

rcporton ilegalm ining in stateforests.M orethan 2,000 interlocutoly 

applicationsrelated toforestly havebcenadjudicatcd pursuanttothissingle 

writpctirion.Sincc 1996,theSupremeCour:ofIndiahasassumed the 

rolcofthcprincipaldecisiol)makerso farasissuesrelatingto forestsand 

wildlifeareconcerned.lrhasmorcthan110reportedjudgmentsofthe 

SupremeCourtrelating to variousaspectsofforest,forestry and forest 

produccs.Sinccthecasesrclatingtoforestsare being hcard forthelastnine 

yearsby theCourr,thereforcthey haveapartofwhatisKrmed ascolztinuing 

m andamus;TheCourtkcepsonpassing ordcrsand direcrionswith aview 

to monitorthef'unc:ioningof theexccutivc ,ratherthan passing final 

judgmenzs,lthas1ed tofundamentalchangcsinthepattern offorest 

goverhance and dccision making,ln vicw ofcontinuing pronouncelnent 

ofjudgmentsintheform ofordcrsanddirectionsinthiscasc,itlasbecome 

aguiding force in theconservation ofthevcgetation covcrofIndia.The 

Courthasstrictly int'crpretcd the clausewhich cautionsthatforestland 

cannotbeused fornon-fbresrpurposeswitùoutthepriorapprovalofthe 

CentralGovcrnment.

JournaloftbeNz/ftvlz Human2f#JJyCommision,W!..9,2010 

sequelto this,SupremeCourthasadopted doctrincof'lntcrgenerational 

Equity'and 'PublicTrustDoctrine'.ThePublicTrustDoctrine declares 

that'Stateisthe trlxsteeofa1lnaturalrcsourceswhich aremeantforpublic 

useandenjoyment.Thcstateasapublictrustecisunderalcgalduty to 

protectthenaturalresources...'T'he acstheticuseand thepristineglory cannot 

beperm itted to beeroded forprivafe,commercialorany ofheruse .'52 

The courtfkrtherdeclarcd that'ourlcgalsystcm .includestlw pubtictrust 

doctrineasapartofitsjurisprudcnce,T lestateisthctrusteeofal1natural 

resources,which arebynaturemeanyforpublicuseandenjoyment.Public 

atlargeisthebcneficiary of sca-shorc,running water,air,forestsand 

ecologicaly fragileland.-l-he state asa trustecisunlera Icgalduty to protect 

thenaturalrcsources.Thcseresourcesmeantforpublicusecannotbe 

convcrted into privateownership.ns3 

ThcUnitcd NationsGencralAssembly voted overwhelmingly toaflrm 

'' 

therightto safcand clean drinkingwaterand sanitation a.sahuman right 

thatisesscntia.lforthefulenjoymentoflifeand alhuman rigl4ts.'s4This 

hasbeen dcclared asoneof-thefundamentalrights-apartofrighrto lifeby 

theSupremc Courtin many cases, 

In Rescarch Foundation ofScienccv.Union of1ndia5theCourt 

declared that'sT leIegalposition regardingapplicability oftlaeprecautionary 

principleand polutcr-paysprincfplewhicharepartoftlaeconceptof 

sustainable dcvelopmcntin ourCouncry isnow welscttled.In Vellore 

Citizrls'Nvelfare Forum v.UnionofIndia(1996)jSCC 647athree- 

Judge BcnchofthisCourt,afterreferringtotheprinciplcs evolvedin 

varitlusinternationalconfercncesand Co the conceptof 'sustainable 

development',interalia,hetd vhattlw precautionary principltand poluttrpaysprinciplehavenow 

emerged and govern rl'te Iaw in ourcountry,asis 

clearfrom Articles47,48-A and51-A(g)ofourConstitutionand tlzat,in 

fact,in :hevarious environlnen:alstatutr.sincluding theEnvironmcnt 

(Protection)Act,l986,the-seconceptsarealreadyimplied.Theseprinciples 

have becn held ro have become partofourlaw.Further,itwasobserved in 

VeloreCitizens'NvelfarcForum cascthartheseprinciplesareacccpted as 

par:ofthcctlsLom ar)rinterlpational1aw and hencc thereshould beno 

52 7lN.GodavarmanThirumulpadv.UniolkofIndia(2002)10606 

hJ M .fl.h/fehtav.KamalNath,(l997)lSCC 388,atzj13 

jl U.N.Gc1lcralAucmblyRcsoltltiondaredJuly29,2010 

55 2007411)3;(:A.LE75

difficulty in accepting them aspartofourdomesticIaw.Refercncemay 

also bem adeto rhe decision in thecaseofztl:tPolution ControlBoard v. 

Prof M ,M Nayudu (1999)2SCC 718wherc,afterreferring tothe 

principlesnoticed in VcloreCitizens''WelfareForum casethesamc have 

been explained in m orcdetailwith aview to enablethecourtsand the 

tribunalsorenvironmentalauthoritiesto properly appiy thesaid principles 

in them atterswhich comebeforcthem .In thisdecision,ithasalso been 

obsenred tlzattheprinciple of good governance isan accepted principle of 

internationaland domestic laws.lCcomprisestheruleoflaw,efectiveStatc 

institutions,transparency and accountability and publicaflhirs,respectfor 

human rightsand themeanilzgfulparticipation ofcitizensin the political 

proccsoftheircountriesand in thedecisionsafecting theirlives.Reference 

hasalso been madeLo Article7 offhedraf'tapprovcd by :he'W orking 

Group ofthelnternationalLaw Com mission in 1996 on 'Prevcntion of 

Transboundary Damagcfrom H azardousActivitics'to ilècludetheneed 

fortheState to rakencccssaly 'Iegislarive,adm inistrativeand othcractions' 

to ilnplenaentrhe duty of prevcntion ofcnviron men talharm . 

Environmentalconcernshavebeen placed on thesamepedestalashuman 

rightsconcerns,lotlIlcing traced to Article 21oftheConsfitution.Itis 

theduryofthisCourtto renderjusriceby takingallaspectsinto 

consideration.Ithasalso been observed thatwith aview to ensurethat 

thercïsneitherdangerto tl:ecnvironmentnorro Cle ccologg and,arthc 

sametime,ensuring sustainablcdevelopment,thecourtcan referscicntilc 

and technicalaspectsforaninvestigationand opinion toexpertbodics'. 

T-hcprecautionaly principlcin i(sCurn had led Lo thespecialprinciplc 

ofburden ofproofin environmcncalcaseswhereburden asto theabsencc 

ofinjuriousefectof(heacrionsproposedisplaced onthosewhowanrto 

changethestatusquo.'Theprccautionary principlesuggeststhatwherc 

Chercisan idrntilahlerisk of scriousorirreversible harm ,includlnp for 

example,extinctionofspecies,widespreadtoxicpolution whicharemajor 

threatsto esentialecologica!processes,itm ay beappropriate to placethe 

burden ofproofon (heperson orentity proposing :heactivity thatis 

pofenfialy harm fulro tlecnvironlnent.ltrequiresanticipatory action to 

beCaken forthelikely risk.'ln 'rirupurDyeing Factory v.NoyyalRiver 

AyacutdarsProtcctionA sociations6,JusticeChauhanalsoexplaincd that 

'The principlesof'poluterspay'and 'prccautionary principlc'havcto be 

read with thedoccrineof'sustainabledevclopment'.

' Journaltl/r/?:N tionalAk/nazRiglm tD zrzrfçWtw,14/.9,2010 

T'he SupremeCourthasdecided many casesrelating to variousaspects 

ofenvironm entwith thehclp ofthcStockholm Declaration , l972,RiodeJaneiroCon'ferenceDcclarationsof1992(known 

asEarthSummit) 

which includesAgcnda 2 1,Convention on BiologicalD iversity and 

Convention on Climate Changc,and Reportoftl-ie International 

Comm ission on Developmentand Environmcntknown asO urCom mon 

Future(1987)JohannesburgConferenceDeclaration on Sustainable 

Development,2002.Thcalovementioned principlcs/doctrine-shavebeen 

adoptcd orborroxved from them . 

CoastalZone M anagem ent 

Thecoastalzonehasplayed asigniflcantrolein :hedevelopmentof 

world civilization.Besidcsacstheticbeauty ofcoastalareaand itsaqua:ic 

Iife.irprovidesfood and livclihood to thc nearby dwelcrs . Fishing isthe 

main mealsoflivelilood.R'hus,aquaticlifcisthemain food ofthcarca . 

Theseborh (food andlivelihood)areconnccted Cohuman rights.1:is 

provcd tltatcoassalareasare very rich ofminerals,oiland gas.Various 

commercialactivitieshavestarted exploiting coastalzones . Such areasare 

wirlzswim ming,boafing and seaside hotcling busincs . 

'rhercforethey afevery im portantand havcdifferentecologicat 

characterisrics.Coasralzoncsare tlzemceting pointLctween land , seaand 

inland warersanclextendsup to l2 nauticalmilesin thesca .Sincc India has 

acoastlilzeofabout7500 km (Lakshadweep coastallineisl32km.and 

Andaman & Nicobarlsland 1900 Km).Itisalso importantco notcthat 

coastalinehavcvery sign ilcantecoloc with widerangesofnnangroves , 

coralreefs,scagrasessaltmarshes,sand dunes,estuaries)and lagoons . 

X4ushrooming hol'els,colonics,high riscbuilding anḍothercom mercial 

consrructionshavtpurcoastalecology in dangerand causinglargescale 

destruccion.Sim ilarly,dumping ofmunicipaland othertoxicand chemical 

wastesin thisarea,spilingofoi1in largescaleand many otherhuman 

activi:ieshavepu:coastalzonesatthc pointof extinction . Itrequircs 

immediafcattcnrion asclcan coastalzoneseco-system providesfood , 

livelihoodand healrhy environmentto the learby dwelers .Afteragrcat 

deba:e,in l99 ltheCennulGovernlncntissued thcCoasralRcgulation 

Zone(CRZ)Notilcationcxercising i:spowersconferredundersection 

56 Allk2p()9 sc

5(3)(c)oftheEnvironmcn:(ProtccLionAct,1986).Thislasdesignateda 

coastalareaof12nauticallnilesasEcologicalySensitiveArea(ESA).Now, 

no activiLy including shrimp aquaculttlre industryh',m ining,can be 

pcrfornAed dum ping oftoxicwastc,m ulti-storied constructions8and orher 

activiticswithouttheapprovalof(hcCentralGovernmentperforming the 

otherformaliciesoftlc EnvironmentClearancc Regulation of 2006.The 

Suprem eCourtl4asalso directcd thcCentralGovernm entto appointan 

' 

authority'to looking aftertlycecoioprofcoastalzoneofIndia.Butsomc 

constructionswereperm itted asthcywercfound in tlte intcrestof public 

asfheneed fordevclopmenthasto beharmonized witi'ttlcvaluesof 

ecology59 

TheprincipleofSustainabledevelopmenthasalso lneen lnadcapplicable 

inrhemanagemen:of(hecoastalzoncsby theSuprcmeCour:asactivities 

likeconstrucrion ofrailwayscanlporbcprohiîaited altogerher.In S . 

Jagannathv.U liol:ol-Indiatk',tlcCotlrtcxplailedtlpat 

J/zzwafoftbeNationalHumanRigbtsCommision,Wl.% 2010 

area m ustwisely planned and designcd asthey directly makeim pacton 

COaS talzone areas6l . 

ThcSwaminathanCommitteeReporrof2005(whlch : wasappointed 

torcvicxw theCRZ Notification,1991)hasrecommendedaparadigm shift 

from regulation ofthcClkz to sustainablem anagcm entof coastalzones . 

TheReporthastaken into consideration (he population inrensity in the 

area,resulting in need fbrhousing,hotel,mining and othercommcrcial 

accivities,expandingtourism andindustrialprojcctinthisarca.lthas 

recommended intcgratcd progrcssof theareaand to expand (he rolc of 

Zonemanageauthoriry from regulation of activiticstosustainableand 

integrated managelnentofthc coastalzones.A DraftCSZ N otilication, 

2008hasbcen circulated to exam ineand to invitethesuggcstions.itis 

hoped thatChingswilimproveby itsStrictim plcmentation and weshal 

beabletoachieveourobjectiveofelwironmentalsustainability. 

Vegetation Coveroflndia 

Vegetation ofa country isvcry significantand'33% vitalfor 

environmenralsussainability Itissaid thatthere mustbeatIeastvegetation 

cover.Thiscoverwentdown to 12-14% beforenventy yearsand now itis 

daimed tha:ithasrisen to19-219'c .Scientiûcaly ithasproved thatwidesprea.d 

deforestation hascontributcd to globalwarm ing-a green house cfl-ect,which 

in turn,hasresulted in meltin: ofkce caps,risein sea level,clmate patern 

change and above :1riseintlw tem peratureworld over.Fore-stsno(only give 

usfood,fodder,fruits,fcrtility ofland,furnirure,medicine,rainfalbutalso 

keeps(hecnvironmentclcan,producesoxygen gasand absorbscarbon dioxide . 

Therefore rhey areknown as'poolsofcarbon dioxide',themomentatreeis 

cut,tonsofcarbon dioxidcisbcing released in theatmosphere,and it 

contributesto globalwarming.Thusitisan integralpartofrightto clean 

and healthfulenvironment. 

TheForestActwaspassed in 1927 which failed to savetheforesrsof 

lndiaandtheIndianParliamentpassed theForest(Conservation)Actin 

198062toalrain(hcobjcctofenvironmentalsustenableforestconservation. 

Section 2oftheActprohibitsany useof forestland for'non-forestpurpose' 

6 l SlchMaldalCo-op HotlsillgSociery Ltd.v.Union oflndia,AIR 2000 Bom.121 

62 Itisavery smailActconsisting of5vc sectionsonly.

withoutthc priorapprovalof(1teCentralGovernment,TheSupremeCourt 

hasbanned such 'non-forcstactlvities'induding miningz,thermalpower 

projccts6tand construcrion ofRoad,industries,sawmils6shotelsand 

resortsK etc . Itwasalso dcclared thateven thelicenscsisued bcforethe Act 

of1980 cannotl)crenewed wifhoutthepriorapprovaloftheCentral 

Governmen/7.TheGodavarm an T lirumulpad casehasbccome atorch 

bearerand landmark casein thepresewation and protcction of:heforestof 

Indiaasirhasprovided detailed guidclinesforsustainable developmentof 

vcgetationcover,TleCourthaspronouncedabout110 judgmenr.sinthis 

caseby taking up variousaspec:sof forestand non-forcstactivities.ltwil 

notbeoutofplacctomenrion rhata,few yearsback,cnvironmentM inister 

ofthe StateofM aharashtraand Secretaly ofenvironmentwassentto J'ail 

fornotahiding by thcpriorapprovalclauseoftheAct.A forestation and 

the conceptofcompcnsalory forcstation werealso introduced by theCoun. 

In theligh:ofthesedevelopm entsrl-lcCentralGovernmenthascome 

ourwith aN otification and hasconstituted Cofnpensatory A forcstation 

Fund M anagementand PlanningAuthoritytz:omanagcluoncy received 

towardscom pensatory forestarion and nct-present-valuc in pursuance of 

the ordersofthcCourt.Inaf'orm,thisL nd ismeantfortheregeneration 

ofeco-system ofthatarea.Itwasalsoclearthatforestsare notassetsofand 

owncrship of-aState burnaçuresgiftto thenation.ThereforcStareisthe 

Crusteeand public isthe beneflciaoctig 

'Damagcto theenvironmenfisdamagcto 6hecounrry'sasse:sasa 

whole.Ecology knowsno boultdaries.ltcan haveimpacton climate,The 

principlcand parametcrsforevaluarion ofthedamagchavctobcevolved 

alsokeeping in view thelikely impactofactiviticson fufurc generation'.7o 

63 Tarun BharatSangh,Awarv.UnionofIndia,AIR l992 SC j14;'EN.Godavarntan-fhirumalpad 

v.Union ofIndia.AIR l997 SC 1228'IlN .GodaK,N.ChinnappaRedtlyv,UnioltofIndia, 

A1R 2003 SC 724 

64 BalwasiSevaAshram v.StateofGujarat,AIR 1987SC 374 

65 JawahadalSharmav.Div.ForesrOflccr,U.I!IAIR 2002SC 769 

66 M.C.MehtamKalualNatl),(l997)tSC(2388:UnionofIndiav.KamaLhzlolidayResorts 

Pvt.Lfd.(l996)lSCG 774 

67 T,N.GodavarmanTlirtlmalpadv.Uniolt()fIndia,Allt1998SC 769;Am$ikaQuarryWorks 

v.SratcofGujrat,AIR 1987SC l073 

68 Notification datcd April23,2004 issucd underScction 3 ofrle Environnaent 

(ProtectionlAct.l986 

69 TN.GodavarmanThirumalpad(87)v.U lionoflndiaj(2006)1SCC 1,at34 

70 Ibid.arp.59

JournalV'r/z:NationalzfvrzlarzRklm Commision,Fi/.9,2010 

W ildlife Preservation and Protection 

W ildlifeisalso abeautifulgiftofnaturcto the mankind which musr 

bepleserved and protected by a1oftls.-fhere isalsoaconstiturionalmandate 

and 'fundamcntalduty'to 'havecompasion forliving crcatures . /l'This 

philosophy isinter-connected with the public trustdoctrinc.w ehavc two 

majorccntralActsto preserveanclprorectwildlifc-ta)TheW ildlife 

(Protcction)Acr.1972and(b)thcPrevcntionofCrueltyagainstAnimals 

Act,196 1. 

TlxcW ildlifc(Protecrion)Acthassetup NationalParks,National 

G ameSanctuaries,Game Resenre.sanJ othkrtbingsto presewetl'lewildlfe 

o fte h country . 

Ir h as b cen doncwith avie'w to stop poaching and to 

preservevariousspeciesoffaunalikewhitc tigers,bustards,Iions,leoparcls, 

rhino,wild zebrahelephantsand othcrs.Ilegalhunting,kiling,breeding 

ofanimalsin captivity possession ofvfrophieFl,and ivorjm and construction 

ofbtlilding in forcstarcaisan ofenccundcrtheAct.Itisalso true to say 

thatwildlife istlàeguardian and profectorsofforests.And Che Prevention 

ofCruelry agains:AnimalsActalmostputro an end to circusanimalsand 

anim alskcptby rhemadarisand othersforactivitiesperforming warious 

acts.Now itisan ofcnceto keep any arvimaibe itmonkcy orbearorblack 

buck ordccrorbirdsc:c.74 

Theconceptofsustainabledevelopm entcameinto question in the 

cascofConsumerEducaLion and Research Socîety v,Union ofIndia75, 

ThcStatcofGujaracused theareaofChinltaraSanctuaryformincral 

exploiration.TheCourtolnservcd thatifthercismaterialto show that 

'ircversiblereversedamage/efl-ecton wildlifcisthelikely rcsuitofthehuman 

activity theCourtmustintcrvenc,Similarly,in Tarun BharatSangh,Aiwar 

v.Union of1ndia76thcCourtordered forthe closureofm iningactivity fbr 

thcconservation forestsand wildlifeof SariskaTigerPark.In some casethe 

7lArticlc5la(sof!hclndianConsritulion 

72 Pyarc1.a1v.State(DelhiAdminisxrationlAlR l995SC l!59 

73 Intlian HaltdicraftsEmporium v.tlnionofIndia.A1R 2003SC 5240)BaIram Kurnawatv. 

U tioloflI1dia,AlR 2003SC 3268 

74 NavilM.Rahejav.Unionoflndia,(2001)9SCC 762)ChiefforcstConservarion,wildlilk %. 

N isarKhan,AiR 2003 SC 1867. 

75 AIR 2000 SC 97j 

76AIR 1992SC 5l.41;TheStareofRajasthanalsohastheItajastltanNvildAatimalsandBirds 

ProteclionAct()f195laltdfheRajasthanForeztAct,l953.BothtlaeActswereaisoappimble 

in lhiscase.

Courthastaltcn acautiotlsapproach w lilc pcrTuitring personsto colecr 

forestproduceand to live insidet'hc forestar(:as.77In State of-Biharv. 

M uraclA1iKhan785tcaui5olcd tlaf 

R 

theprcservation offaulyaand lora,somespcciesof'which aregerting 

extinctatan alarm ing ratc,hasLccn agrcatand urgentnecesity forthe 

survivalofhulnanity and theselawsreflcctalast-dirch baErle...'77 

lndigenousPeople and Environm entalSustainability 

Ttisawelestallishcd fac:t'hatindïgenouspeopleorpersonsareshe 

realownersand stockholdcrsofforestsand itsproduccs.-I'1àeSupremc 

Courtquotcd theM oïherEartlofRed Indiansin S.Sachidalan.clPandcy 

v.StateofNE B.ISUwhicl:praisesNaturcand thatn'laltkind ispartof(hc cco 

system .Personswho wcreliving in forcstsfron'lLimciln mcmorialwcre 

managing :he'colnmons'efflcielytiy wi:laoutcausing dalnagcto (le narure. 

Thougl:hcCtlnstitution oflndiapronaiscsto inlprovethestatus 

and conditionsofthe indigenouspeople of India,tlpepromisc wasf-uliled 

in 2006 wlten the Parlianzcntpasscd thcScltedtled Tribe and O rher 

TraditionalFores:Dwelers(Recognition ofRight(o forest)Actalpd it 

cameintoforceon Jan.2O07.TheGovernmcntdeclared ittot)ea 

' 

rectificatson of alaisroricalmiskakc'. 

Sinceindigcnotls/tribalpeoplcliving in forests,devclopeclspecial 

knowicdgeofmedicinalplants,raditionalmedicinesand klowlcdgeto 

pre-servethenaturalhabitat.They Inelicved in living in harmony wich narurc. 

Because of thisreason thepristineglory ofnaturcand naturalacsthetics 

wasproperly protected.Thcy l'evcrlearn't:heprinciplesofenvironmental 

sussainahility,bu2rhey passed on to usacleanand l'ealrhfulenvironmcn:. 

Butby making big datns,unprcccdenrcd industrialadvancemcn:al'd over 

and unscientificcxploitation ofthenaturalresourceshaveresulted ln sharp 

declineof cnvironmentalqualitltIn tlaisprocess,thc worstsuferershave 

becn theindigenous/rribalpeople.They have been disllaccd from çheir 

naturalhabitatand tl'eriglàtto useforestsandforestproduces.'l'heiroriginal 

77 Pradeep Kishen v UIlionof(Ipdia,AIR )997 NC 2010)AnimalalclEnvirolmentalIlefesc 

lhlnd v.union oflldia.A!R !97OSC 1040 

78 (I988)4S('2((2655 

79 Ibid Atp.(162 

80 AIR I987 SG Il09

Journalḷ/'râeNationalHuman A/r/pa Commiuion,P:19,2010 

placesof-living havebeen snatched and thc have becn forced to m igrate 

from theirland-placcofhabitat.-l-hisaloneisa flagrantviolation ofIluman 

righcsmsitdeprived them of theirsource oflivclihood and medicinalplants . 

Thelossoftraditionalknowledge isthe violation ofintelectualproperty 

rights.A cursoly study of thisActmakesitclearthatthisActismerely an 

eyewash asithasfailed to grantabsolurc rightto managetheforesrsand 

rightto use it.Ithasnotbeen able to rectify thehistoricalmistake and 

grantand recognisebasicrightto forcsB.Asthey havcbeen displaced , they 

who are-friendsofnature,havclostthcrightto manage thecriticalhabitat , 

rightto liveand livelihood . Thcy arc also faced with theproblem of Slow 

disappcarance of traditionalknowledgeand m edicinalherlnsand planu . 

Thereforeirisnecesary to protectthe friendsofnatureand prcserve 

intclectualpropcrty rights . 

Besidestheabove m entioncd Actof2006,the BiologicalD iversity 

Actof-2002 hasalso recognised theintelectualproperty righ:ofz14c 

indigcnouspeopleand devcloped a mechanism to protectthetraditional 

knowledge ofthe indigenouspeople .TheActaim satto providebiological 

diversityksustainabletlscof itscomponentand fairand cquitablc distribution 

orsharing of bencfir.sarising outofthe useofbiologica:resources .The act 

hasdeûned theterm 'stzstainable use'is'thetuscofcom ponencsofbiological 

divcrsiry in suclzam annerand atsuch ratethatdoesnotIead to thelongterm 

decline of-thebiologicaidiversity maintaining itSpotentialto mect 

the ncedsand aspirationsofpresentand future gcneration .'SlItisto be 

remem lncred (hatthisActwaspassed to fulfltheobligationsunderthe 

U.N.ConventiononBiologicalDiversitz SigneclatltiodelanciroinJune. 

l992.Thusitisabig and appreciablestcp towardachicvingtheobjectives 

ofenvironmentalsusrainability . 

Energy and N aturalResources 

hswefinish finiteresource,sofenergy , weevolvenew and renewablc 

and clean and green enerc sourcesand 1ow emission technologiesIikewind 

energs sotarenergs ener from human and anim alexcretaand enerpr 

from biomass.Sincewe have desertin thewestern par:of India , w e can 

and harnessthissolarenergy which wilbeclean,cheap and green energỵ 

Sim kiazly,wind entrgy bcharnesed in thecoastalaremsoflndia .F-xperim encs 

81 Section2(e)oftheBiologicalDiversityAct,2002.1tcameintoforceonFebruary.5,2003

in variouspartsofworld anf.llndia-have proved itbeyond doubt. 

Elcctrilcation ofpatnaisbased on theencrr produced by human excreta, 

Solarencrgy isalso used nowadaysin governmcntaloficesand hospitals 

etc.Thisisalso astep in (hedircction ofclpvironmentalsustainabiliv. 

Aplethoraoflawshasbccn passcd by thcIndian Parliam enrto protect 

and preservevariouscom poncnfsoftheenvironmentprescrveand presen,e 

thepresentenvironmentdzand to safeguard itforourprogeny.The 

Environment(Protection)Acc,1986alonchasscvenSchedulesandeleven 

Rules.-fhe-se Rule.shavcprovidedetailed proceduresto contain and control 

variousproblemsrelating to environmcntalpolution which inciudesrules 

on HazardousNVa-SCI:S(M anagementald Handling)Rules,1989,Hazardous 

M icro-organisation Rulcs,1989)Bio-medical'Whstes(M anagcmentand 

Handling)Ru1es,1998,MunicipalSolidNvaste(ManagemenfandHandlin# 

RuIes,1999,OzoncDepletingSubstances(RegulationandControl)Rules, 

2000 etc.Itspeaksof tl'eintention ofçhclndian governmentto safeguard 

:hcreprescntativcsampleofnaturewchavewirh usto passipon to the 

coming generation.ItistruethatChousandsofrares:ofrarespeciesofflora 

and fauna havebeen destroyedby thcdcvelopmentalactiviticsofmankind. 

Therefore the presentspeciesofanim als,vegetation and birdsarethc 

representativesam plesofnature.%k,astrusteesof(hem ,haveto hand 

them overto ourchildren and :osucccssivegenerarions.Nvc areduty bound 

tomanagetlaem properlysothatourprogcnycanknow,cnjoyand Lakc 

advantageoftheirprcsenceastlteyarethcrealbcnelciaricsofthistrust. 

M uch hasbccn doncand much m oreItasto bedonein ChisdirccCion.lt 

hasrightly tleen obsenred- 

'w estand ata cri:icalmomcntin Earth'shistory,a timewhcn 

hum aniv m ustclpoose itsfuture.Asthc world becomcsincrcasingly 

interdcpendentand fragile,thefutureatonceholdsgreatperiland grcat 

promise.To m ove forward wem us:recognizethatin (le midstofa 

magniflcentdiversity of culturesand lifeformsweareolpehuman family

JournaloftbeN/zlonzlHumanRiglm Commission,Wf,% 207: 

and oneEarthcommunitywithacommondestiny.W cmustjoin togcther 

to bring forth a sustainableglobalsocicty founded on respectfornaturc, 

universalhumanrights,economicjusrice,andaculturcofpeacc.Towards 

thiscnd,itisimperarive thatwe,tlaepcoplesofEarth,declarc our 

responsibilityto oneanother,to:hcgreatercom munityoflife,and to 

futuregcnerations.'o 

Thereforeitissuggested thatwehavcto make awarcofthisdangerous 

problem and createawarene-ssamongstal.W ehavc to actnow asmankind 

ison thevergeofextinction.'Thercsiliencc ofthecom muniv oflifeand 

Chewel-being ofhumanily dcpend upon prescrving a healchy biosphcre 

with alitsecologicalsystems,arich varietyof plantsand animals,fertilc 

soils,pure warers,and clean air.Theglobalenvironmentwith i(sfinite 

resourcesisacomm onconcernofalpeoplcs.Thcprotection of Earzh's 

virality div/rsity,and beauv isasacred rrust.' 

Now,ithasbecome apparentthatenvironm entaland hum an rights 

areinextricably linked..hsweincreasingiy recognizetheseriousimpactofa 

degraded cnvironmenton human health and welbeing,wearebcterplaced 

toadjustourpolicies,culturalpracticcsand lawstoreilecrourenhanced 

understanding ofcnvironmentalproblems..Asaresultofwhich weshould 

beable(o protecphuman rightsand human dignity.T hiswilcvcntualy 

lead to (hearticularion oFamoreintegrated approach in dealingwith socioeconomicand 

environmcntalproblem s,encouraging tlaedevclopmcntof 

asustainable modclforthcpreservation of liologicalresourcesan'd natural 

ecosystems , 

f 

orr 

h' 

e use an 

d 

e 

lf'o 

) ylp 

entof130th prcsentand future 

genera:ions. 

In the end lquoteafcw Iine.sby Elwjrn BrooksNvhite84which reitcrate 

:heageold principlcof'livein harm ony with nature'- 

'Iwould feelmoreoptim isticaboutabrightfuture forman ifhe 

Spcnrlesstimeproving thathecan ourwitNature and moreCim etasting 

hersweetnessaltd rcspeccing hersenioriry.,....' 

S.3 EartlïCharrer.Prcamble-paraz 

84 ElwzlBrooksWhire,k'jsay ofE.B.Whitr

Arm ed Forces SpecialPow ers Act: 

Theory and Practice 

Chaman faf' 

Theseem ingly intractablesituation in Kashm irValey arising from 

rhcstreetprotestsby stone-peltingyouthshasre-opcned thcdebateover 

theArmed Force.sSpecialPowcrsAct(AFSPA).ThcAc(hadcomeinfor 

strong criticism in M anipurin 2004 in the wake of therapeand m urderof 

Thongjum M anoramaallcgedlybythemenofA sam Rifles.Itwasbeing 

condemncd publicly forwidesprcad human rightsabusesand demand for 

itSrepealwasalso being prezscd through thehungerstrikeof nose-fed lrom 

Sharmilasincc2002.PrimeM inisterM anm ohan Singh had,then,promised 

to the peopic ofM anipurtlRatthe Governmcntwould considerits 

replacementbyamorehumanelaw.A commiteeheadedbyJusticeB.E 

JeevanReddywasaccordinglyappointed toexamine:heoperation ofthe 

Actin rcgard to thepurposebehind itsenactmcntand widespread complaints 

ofabuseofitsprovisionsby thearmcd forccs.ThcComm iteesttldied thc 

m aterin depth with publicconsultation ilwolvingvarioussegmentsof 

society including theArmy and sccuriry organizatiolAs.TheCommittee's 

reportsubmitcdinlune2005,saysthat'thcActha5becomeintheNorth 

Eastasymbolofopprcssion,an objectofhateandan instrumentof 

discrimination and higb handedness'.ltparticularly assailed theimm unity 

provision (section 6)by asking thequestion.'W%etherthearmed forces 

need extraordinaly protcctiveguarantee.sand immunity in lineofduty more 

than thc ordinanrpeoplenecd theconstitutionalprorection'.Noting the 

way in which thcspecialpowcrsgivcn undcrtheAcrtothearmcd forccsto 

*ForlncrSpecialRapporteur,NH RC 

pz:r?vz/oftbeNzrïtuijzlzfzwzp RightsCommision,Pà/.#,2010

Journalp/'r/zeNationalHumanRigbu Cerzrafrlpz,WI.9,2p1p 

'' 

arrcst,search and shootany oneon the basisofmercsuspicion'were 

being abused,tlw comm itreerecom mended itswithdrawaland replacement 

byanamended vcrsionoftheunlawfulActivities(Prevention)Act. 

A crucialysigniflcantfactofthelusticeleevanReddyReportwhich 

addsto thecomplcxity oftheissue can beread in theComm itee'sfinding 

that'theovcrwhelming desircofthcpcopleoftheNorth Eastisthatthe 

ArmyShould remainthoughtheztrmed Forces(SpecialPowcrs)Actshould 

gO, 

Thereporthasremainedquietlyshelvcd becauscofseriousoljections 

from theDef-ence M inistly ThcArmy isnotprepared to acceptany dilucion 

ofthe law whichwasenacted forthepurposeofcnahlingthcarmed forces 

to efectively dischargethcirdutiesasaid to civilpowerin arcasafflictcd 

with seriousproblemsofinternalsecurity such asterrorism,insurgencs 

left-wing extrcm ism etc.Theheadsofotherarmed forcesofthe union - 

BSF,CRPF,ITBP etc.-hold thesameview and considerthespecialpowers 

yralzted by theActasesscnrialforthe pcrformanceand morale oftheir 

troopscngaged in internalsecurity operations.The resurgenceof mass 

protestsin KashlnirValcxy withdemand forwithdrawalof-theAFSPA is 

seen to haveevoked aresponsesuggesting the possibility ofinitiating action 

on:herccommendationsoflusticcJeevanRcddyCommittcc.Ithcrcfore 

considcrthisjunctureasthemostappropriatetimeforthepeopleofthis 

countorparticularly themcmbersofthearmed forcesand advocatesof 

htlm an rightsro have a good perceptionalclarity about(he important 

featuresoftheAFSPA and (heiractualapplication. 

Thc AFSPA wasflrstcnactcd in 1958fortheBorderStates/UTs 

constituting North Eastlndia.ParalelActswerelaterpmssedforPunjab 

andChandigarh in1986andlammu& Kashmirin 1990.TheActcomcs 

into play only aftcrthe issuing ofnotification by the Governor/ 

Administratorofthestate/UT underSection 3 oftheActdeclaring whole 

orany partof such state/U'1-asa'Disturbed Area'.TheActprovidesno 

definitionof'DisturbcdArea'.Itha.srobejudgedaccordingtolocation, 

situapionand circumstancesofaparricularc-ase..Asper:heprovisionsof 

section FJof:hc Ac',itmcans'disturbed ordangeroussituation necessitacing 

Ci'edcploymen:ofarmed forcesin aid ofcivilpower'. 

Sec.4oftheA-FSPA confcrspowersofarest,Search and useofforcc 

Co thcexselpofcausing dcath on every comm issioned oflcer,warantoë cer,

non-com misioncd oflcerorany otherperson ofequivalentrank in thc 

armed forcesin adisturbed arca in cerain welSpecifled situationsconnected 

nith maintenanceofpublicorder.-f'hcwording ofthesection clcarly implie.s 

Chartheuseofdeadly forcein orderto ncutralizeathreatto maintenance 

ofpublicorderhasto stand thetesrsofnece-sity and proportionalitywhich 

Human Rights'insrrumenrsacceptasjustifiablegroundsforderogationof 

fundamentalhuman rightro life.Thepowcrsgiven E,y rheActcannot 

justifytheshootingoftlnarmedciviliansorakilinginforcecustody. 

Sectiolz5 of:heAFSPA says:Any person arrcstcd and taken into 

custody underthisActshallbe madeoverro the o ficerinchargcof(he 

nearestpolicestation with the lcastpossibledelay,togetherwith arcportof 

thecircumsrancesoccasioning the arest. 

Thisprovision requirestharthe person arrested and materialscized 

f'rom hiscustody orprem iseshasto behanded ovcrtothelocalpolicewirh 

2heleastpossiblcdclay.Although n()timelim ithasbecn puron tle 'least 

possibledelay',ithascome(o bcacccpted to mean that(hearrcstcd person 

should behanded overto localpoliccwclintimcto enable itcoproduce 

him/herbeforethe magistratewithin 24 hoursof actualarresrin accordance 

with theprovision of theCrim inalProcedureCodc. 

Section 6 of A FSPA says: 

N oprosecucion,sui:ororherlegalproccedingsshalbeinspiturcd 

exceptwith theprevioussanction ofthecentralGovernlnen:againstany 

person inrespectofanylhing doneorpurported to bedonein exerciscof 

the powersconferred by rhisAcr. 

The provision ofprevioussanction folowsthelogicbehind Scction 

197 criminalprocedurecodeand prohibitsprosccution ofamem bcrof 

armed forcesaccuscd ofmisusing thc powcrsundertheAc:unlessthe Ccntral 

Governmentgrantssanction.-l-hcprovision ismeantto protec::hearmed 

forcescngaged asaid tocivilpowcrformaintenanccofpublicordcragainst 

frivolousand vcxatiousprosccution. 

lhaveexplaincd abovcthcsalicntprovisionsoftheAFSPA sotha: 

readersunderstand exactly whatAFSPA sayswhileconsideringpopular 

criticism of i:soperation.

. 

JournaloftbeNz/o/izfHmnan.RJr/J> Commislon,Vi/,9,2010 

M y expericnceofworking in theNorth East,lrstaslG,BSF,Shillong 

(1990-91)witljurisdiction overAssam,M eghalaya,M anipur,and 

Nagaland andlaterasthcDirectorGeneralofPolice,Nagaland(1993-96) 

telsmethatthccriticism ofAFSPA isrooted largcly in thewidespread 

violationsofthe provisionsofthe Actratherrhan thcirlcgitim areuse in 

serioussituationsdcmanding fough handling.Itisnotthccxtraordinanz 

powersgiven tot'hcarmed forcesthatinvire publicircbuttherotaldisregard 

of(he safeguardsprovided in theActtoprekrenraluscofthesepowers. 

TheconfcrmentofpowersundcrSection 4 oftheActto flre orto use 

forceupon publicorro destroy any armsdum p orto areatwithoutwarant 

any person ortoentcrand search any premise-swithoutwarranton Iow 

rankingoflcialslikeaHavildar(NCO)hasbeen amajorground of 

widespreadcriricism oftlneAFSPA SinC.etheenactmentoftheAct.Although 

DelhiHighCourphasrejectedthcpleasosrikethisprovisionas'badand 

unjustificd'IAIR 1983Delhi513(5.53,534):1LR (1984)1Dclhi,(DB)), 

thisextraordinary provision with pronencssto abuseisrcsponsiblcforthe 

perceived anti-peoplc characterofthcAct, 

llavefound thcmisuseofprovisionsof Section 5 and 6 OFAFSPA to 

beCl4emaincauscofiCsunpopularityandmassrejectionparticularlyinthe 

NorrhEast.The arnled forccshavebeen dishonouring theobligation of 

Section 5requiring tle transferofthearresred pcrson and theseized matcrial 

ro tlenearestpolices:ation.A good num lerofpcrsonsfrom am ong those 

taken into custody during opcrationsarele:ofafterques:ioning without 

bringing rheirarreston record,'l'hosewho areformaly arresLed aredctaincd 

and tor:ured in army campsBrdaystogetherand handcd overafterfudging 

theperiod ofthcirdeten:ion.Clari&ing thatthesatisfaction asto existence 

ofgroundsforarrcstu/s4 (c)by the armed forcesmustprecedearrestand 

cannotfolow it,theGuwahatiHighCourt-(1982)1GauhatiLR 756 

(DB)-hashcldC14a:rhepersonarrcstcd cannofbeintcrrogatedafrerarrest 

butmustforthwith behal,dcd ovcrto policeasperScccion 5.TheGuwahati 

HiglCourthasdealtwitl:anumbcrof complaintson thiscountasH abeus 

corptlspctitions. 

Thc ilicgalprac:ice ofkccping theseizcd weapols,armsand 

amm klnition and oLhersuch m aterialand cxhibiting them as 'W ar 

trophics'widely prevalcnrin unitsofthc armcd forcesdeployed in 

disturbcd arrasisablatanrviolation ofthcprovisionsof'thcAFSPA

c. 

whichisnotonly overlooked butopcnly cncouraged asamoralcbooster' 

by seniorofflcers. 

Recklesslnisuseofthtp.rovision ofprevioussanctionforprosecution 

ofofending oficialshasgivcn credencetotheargumentçhatAFSPA has 

ilnnaunity scrip cd into it.-I-l1eprotection oferedlpy Section 6 ismeant 

forbonafideactsoftlearmcd forcesperfbrmcd in lineofduty which 

often resultin colareraldalnagc ro tlcpopulaçion t'rappcd in exchangcof 

flrebctwcen thcarmed forcesand rcroristsFinsurgcn:s . Ithas,in actual 

practicc,bccomeaprotectivcslield fronlt'rialfor(hoscacctlsed ofheinous 

o fenceslike kidnapping and murderof unarlned civilians .Nvithholding 

ofsanctionforprosecutionincaseslikct'hcPa!hribalincidenrofJ&K 

wherethc(2Blinvcstigationhascstablished kiling ofinnoccl'tciviliansin 

cold blood can only mcan confcrlnel'(ofdc facto im 1nèunity on al 

transgressions0f'thc AFSPA. 

The constitutionalvalidi(y of 1t!AFSPA wasctlpfirmcd by thc 

Suprelnc Courrof lndia i1)l997 in deciding aPll -fileciby thcNagapeoples 

movemrntforH uman Itigkds . -1-kc apex courtacceptccltheassurancesgiven 

by theArmychicfaboutscrupulousadhcrenceto tlaesafeguardsprovided 

in (hcAFSPA to ensureprotectionofHl) .sin tiyeopcration ofAFSPA in 

the affccted arcas.7'i1e cotlrtpcrused and endorsed tile 1ksto FTcn 

comm andnacnts-Do'sand Dolftsissued by the arnlyfol.rlpe guidalcc of 

i:som cersand lnen involved il1thc operation of AFS PA . Nvhilc (he 

intention ofrhcarnpy esfablisltmrnrcannot'bedoubted and thoroughness 

ofdrafting ofthe guidclinesisalso bcyond question ,whatisrcalyrequired 

butisseldonAseen istlAestrictly lawfulappliuation ofïheAFSPA on the 

ground.Tlziscalsloraradicalchangeinthcnlildsetandfunctioningsryle 

of the armed force pcrsonneḷM y long expericnceofworkingwilht'he 

arnacd forccsincludingarnay oficcrsoferslittlelopethafigca',beaclticvcd 

and AFSPA can bc allowed to stay ultaltcred obviating :henced ro dilu'e 

(he fcarsol'neprovisionsofrhcAl7S PA . 

1have found nposrofficersllavecomcacrossin the Arnly ald Cctl:ral 

armed forcessuch asBSF,CRPF , I-1-BI:tetc.unwiling t()ad lnitnlistakcs 

ald apologizerotheaggrievedciLizcns . M ostoftlcm colsidertlcmselves 

duty bound t'o prosccrtlteirpcrsolhnclin a1operatiolpalsituarionsincludilg 

thoscinvolving kiling ofinnocelprpcrsonsinw lati'salwaystreatrd asline 

ofduty.Somel'nay go even to tlnecxtelèrof vicwing incidcnIsof-rapeor

; Journaltl./WpeNationalffvrzaaRiglm Ctm pliïlW6'?i,1W.9,2010 

kiling of ach id asprofcssionallapsesworthy ofomcialproscccion.Thcy 

stubbornly belirvethatadmision of mistake.sand initiation ofaction against 

the wrong doerswotld hul'tthemorale and weaken the com batcapabilities 

oftheirunits.Iwish to narratein thisconnection an unplcasantand 

unforgctable experiencefrom my Nagaland days. 

A convoyoftheRashtriyaRifles(RR)movlngfrom lmphalto 

D imapuron 5M arch 1985gorpaniclkywhen atyreofoneitsheavyvehicle.s 

bursrrightin thcmiddleof Kohima town.Thinking instinctivciy that 

tkeylaad comcunderflrefrom insurgents,thejawansopened ilreusing 

shortand medium range weaponsincluding 2'M ortars.Seven civilians 

includingrwoal'nontholdinfantwerekilccland24othersinjured.The 

poorly supewised contingcnfunleashed areign ofterroron thc Narional 

Highway passing Lhrough Kohima,stopping a1lmovelnentsofpeople and 

herding a group ofciviliansincluding many wornen atoneplace.They 

refused to talk to phelocalD1G ofAssam Riflcs,aserving Army Brigadicr, 

butsolnehow aloweclmeand D .C.Koiimato reach rhc sceneofincident 

afterdisplayingagood dcalofdisrespectto 'civilian authorities'.Ittook us 

acoupleofhoursto securereieaseofthe detained civilians,arrange 

evacuationof(hedeadand injuredtotheGovtHospitaland persuadethe 

convoy to moveto theM sam Riflecampus.-fheincident,duly publicized 

byrhenapionalmedia,broughrRajesh,Pjlof,the(henM inisterofState 

forHome,ro Kohimathenextday.lconducted him and a coupleof 

seniorArmyoficerswho had comefrom theArmy CorpsHcadQuarters, 

Dsmapuraround thesccneoftragcdy and convinced them thattheincident 

wasamajorblundercausedbypanicreactlonofabodyofprofeysionaly 

incompetentand poorly led men crossingan areaofperceived dangerin an 

edgy state of m ind.Thegovernmentordcred a comm ision of inqui!y 

headedbyjusticeD.Sen,aretired judgcoftheSupremeCourt.ldeposed 

beforerhcConalnission asDimapuralittlcwhileaftcrlhad finished my 

tenurcinNagaland andjoined theBSFHQSatDelhi.M yevidcncemarkcd 

by grueling cross-cxamination by theArmy Ialvyersand latercorroborated 

by thedcposition ofS2 Kohim a,aChakesang Nagaofilcerproved 

clinching in enabling theCom mision to give itslinding againstthe.RR 

uni:.ThearmyHQs,stildeterminedtopresenttheawfulincidentof5 

M arch asacounterinsurgencjraction succeedcd in shelving thematterby 

takingthecaseto th: Supreme Cou t.A paralclapproach can beseen in 

thcPathribaland anum berofotherrecentcasesfrom Kashm irwhcrcthe

c: 

CB1investigationhasprovcd involvementofarmy oficersin rlze kiling 

ofinnocentcivilialsburrhetrialcannottakcplaccbecausc tlaeCentral 

Governmenthasrefused to givcsanction forprosecution undersection 6 

ofAFSPA. 

AsbroughtouCbyJustice1$.1?JcevanReddyCommittee,thepeople 

ofNorth Eastvicw thccontinucd presenccof army indispensabieto their 

safev and sccurivy althoughthey areopposed to AFSPA and wantitto 

leavc.Samc istlze casc,invaryingdegrees , in otherpartsofthecountly 

wh'erepoliceisfinding i:diflcultto copewifh increasing ch alcngesto 

internalsecuriv on itsown and hasbecameheavily dcpcndenton central 

armed forcesformaintaining publicordeṛ Speciallawslike (he AFSPA, 

m'adcin relaxation ofcertain normsoftheîlasichulnan rightto fairtrial , 

are arïopcratiortalnecessioz'l-hcy arcdesigned carei-uly to suitably enlunce 

thcpowcrsofIaw cnforcennentagencicsincluding thearmed forcesin 

proportion to the ncw threarsto internalsecurity on thcoltchand and pass 

thetestofConstitutionalNralidity on tlw othcr . Viewed i-rom Chisperspective 

AIISPA isaI)cssentialpicccoflcgislacion wlpicl)givcspowcrofarrest , search, 

Seizureand useofdeadly forceinclulingfsrepowerto tipearmed forccsto 

enablcthem çoefcctivclydisclyargetheirdutit:sasaid Co civilpowcṛTht: 

safcguardsprovided in Section 5 oftheActarem cantto prevenrmisuseof 

thesepowers.TheJlrovision ofprevioussanction provided inSccsion 6 is 

ajustandreasonableprotectionexteldedro rilemembcrsofthcarlned 

forcesforlawfulactspcrforlned i1Athelineofduty . 'rl'e Act,ilz n4y 

undersfanding,hascomeinforcriticism notforchecontrntsofi:sprovisions 

bu:rhcfaczrhasthese provisionshavconly been m isused and abtlsed . .As 

regardstheNorEh East,lhavcno hesitation il1statilg thartleActhas 

aclzievrd hardly anytlàing otherrhan causing hardshipsto che civilian 

populationandconscquentalienationofavastmajorityogpeople.1:would 

l)ewiseon thcparfofthe goverlnlcntto cxaminethel'cconplzpeld:ytions 

ofthcJusticeB.P Jecvan lkeddyû-ommirtecfrom t'heangleot (a).thc 

high possibility oftheprovisionol-thcAc:Cobemisused misuse(b) . thc 

massivcextentofrhciractuallnisusercsulingingrossisolationoflàtlman 

riglrsin areasof operarion oftlpcAcr(c).hardly any colptriburion lasbccn 

m ade by tzhcActto l'hc ovcraleffectivencssofthe armed Forcesin 

combacing insurgency anp then decidcwhethcrwcrcaly need tlpisA.ct 

which isaquestion mark olpourclaim toaliberaldemocracy govcrncd by 

ruleoflaw.

TheCivilSocietyand H um an m ghts 

Prof Ftèels Atal' 

Eversihce theUniversalDeclaration ofHum an K ghcs,way back in 

1948in Paris,theCivilSociev hasbcen on the forefrontofthismovem ent. 

In a fnessageto theInternationalConference held in Sepfem ler2008in 

Paristo celebratethe 60th anniversary ofthe UniversalDeclaration of 

H uman Rights,SecrerarGeneralBan lfi-moon,highlighted therole of 

theCivilSociety in thesewords:'Forsix decades,human rightsdefendcrs 

have sacrificed liberty,comfortand even lifeto ensurethatalhuman beings 

can enjoy therightsenshrincdintheDeclaratioq-irespectiveoftheirrace, 

religion,erhnicity,gender,orotherstatus'.Severatotherspeakersatthis 

Conference eukogized theim portantrole thattheNGOshavcplayed in 

putting human rightsatthe centreof Numanity'sagenda.ThcCivilSociety 

conLinuesi(smission to advancehuman rightsaround theworld. 

Theneed foremphasisinghuman rightswasintensively feltin thc 

afterm ath ofthcSecond W orld W ar.itischc ravagesof Secon'd W orld 

W ar,destroying theenormousculttzralheritageofthe countriesdirectly 

involved in it,and ('aking tol/ofdhundredsof innocenclives-noronly 

from (hewarring countriesbuCalso from the alied countries,thatled to 

thecreation ofthcUnited Nations,and the adoption,underitsaegis,of 

thc UnivcrsalDcclaration ofHuman Rights. 

Thedcvastationscaused by theSecond W orld W arIed r-heinternational 

comm unityto devisewaysand m eansto forestalany such warin futurcso 

asnottojeopardisethepathofprogressofthehumanir)c TheUnited, 

Nationscrcated to 'Rcconstruct'the institutionsdemolished by thewar 

in rhedeveloped world,and to help acceleratctheprocessofdevelopment 

. *Formcr,PrincipalDirector,SocialScicncesUNESCO 

l?utmaltl/k/?eNationalSf/rzlarlRighu Commision,WJ,9,2010

of the-fhirdW orld thatsufcred fhe pangsofcolonialism and wasdragged 

into thcworltlhrarby colonialmasters.Itwmsrealizcd thatthcprocessof 

industrialrevolution notonly broughtcountriesofthe world closerbut 

alsounevenly dividedthcm asrulersand tLerulcd.Thelatterbccamcthe 

slavesoftheformer.Slavery ofthateracamcto be regardcd msthe worst 

form ofviolation of H um an Rights.Thcdemand forfreedom raised by 

Ieaderslike M altatmaGandhiwas,in fact,a waragainstalformsof 

oppression,unequaltreatmcnt,and tortureand exploi:ation,and wasthe 

szrongcstasscrtionofilum an rights. 

ltwasSouth Africa,and notIndia,whereGandhibcgan histirade 

againstsuch atrocisics.Thisvery factunderlincstheemphasison universal 

brotherhood,so centralto tl4cconceptofhuman rights.Gandhigavethe 

darion cal(o a1hulnanity to non-violently raise thevoiceagainstalfornls 

ofoppresion and desporism . 

Itisthekey featuresofsuch nlovem entswaged agailstLheoppressive 

regimcsthatgotincorporafeclinto them ovcmentforhtlm an righrs. 

However,human rightswero noConly intencled to opposetlcrcgimeslur 

to spread acultureofamity and non-violence.GandhiwasasInuch opposed 

tothealien rulcasto thepractice ofuntouchability associared with the 

lndian castesystem,and ro t'he widespread povcrty 

Alfhough the Unitcd NationsDeclaration on Htlman Righrswasmade 

in 1948,soon afterthecnd ofthc Second 'W orld W ar,and tlàcsctting up of 

thc 'United NationsOrganization,theconccptcanbe traced back ('o various 

'religionsand civilizations.ln alctlruresand traditiolsthcrcarcelements 

thatcorrcspond to tlaeconceptofhuman rightsasdefinedil:tlaeUniversal 

Dedaration, 

Theseidealsofacivilsocicty form thecoreof-human rights.'l-he 

Declaratiol)recognizes:theinhercntdignity and thcequalald inalienable 

rightsof'ailmenzbersof'thchumalzfamilyf-or'freedoln,justiceand 

peacein rheworld.It highlightsthefkctin irsPrealnblc that 'disregard 

and contemprforhum an rightshave resulted in barbarousacswhich have 

outraged th'econscienccofmankind .'H uman rightsarercgarded esential 

'iflnan isnotro lnecom pcled to havcrecourse,asaIastresorr,to rebelion 

againsttyranny and oppresion,rlathum anrightsshould beprotectcd by 

theruieofiaw '.itwashoped thatthisprinciple would perm itfriendly 

relationsbetween tlpegovernmcltsaswel. 

'

. 

JournaloftbeNkrfonlfHumanRiglm Ctmpnhsln,Wf.#,2010 

The universality of thcDcclaration liesin the factthattherightsare 

claimed foralpeoplesoftheworld,and decricsoppresion,subversion, 

and underdevelopm ent.United Nationsbccam e fhe nam c for (he 

intcrnationalcffortforreconstruction and dcvclopm ent-reconstruction 

ofthe devastatcd Europe by rescoring thc signpostsof culture and 

achievementsofhumanity,and dcvelopmentof thecountricsoftheThird 

W orldsufferingfrom poorinfrastructure,ilitcracy,isolation)andabjcct 

poverv.Todo al1this,isin accord with the high idealsofhuman rights 

Cha:areendorsed$ral1cultures,rcligions,andcivilîzations. 

ThisDeclaration isendorsed practicaly by a1themcmberstatesof 

the Uniped Nations.7-hevariousinstitutionsundcrtheUnited Nations 

umbrelahavepassed convcntionsand covenantsin theirrcspectivcareasof 

specialization to promote the causeofhuman rights.Forexam ple, 

L'N ESCO ismandated to 'to contributc to peaccand securitz by promoting 

colaboration among rl'te narionsshrough education,scienccand culturein 

ordertofurrheruniversalrespecrforjustice,fortheruleoflaw andfortlàc 

lzuman rightsand fundam cnzalfreedomswhich areaffirmcd forthc pcoples 

oftheworld,withoutdistincrion of race,scx,languagcorreligion,by :he 

Cltarterofrl7eUnited Nations',In itsPreamblc itissaid: 

'îincr?zwr.Fbrgininthe7zsl'pgz/.fofmen,:.risJ'r;the7:/,.:7:/.rofmenr/p/?rth.e 

defences('-//twccmustJ,f'constructri ' 

Understood in thism anner,itcanbesaid thattheentircwork ofthe 

UN isgearcd towardst14cprotection ofhuman rightsand promotion of 

peace and developmcnt.Aṣan example,UN ESCO hasdeveloped its 

program meforEducation in H uman Rightsattheschoollevcl.Ith;tsalso 

created University Chairsin Human lighrs,and haspasscd Declarationsor 

Convenrionsrcgarding.therightsof:heindigenouspcople,Lioethicsand 

hum angcnomc;ithasalso promoted theconceptoftolcrancc.Thelistof 

:heUN ESCO Dcclarationsand Conventionsto human rightsisgiven in 

Appendix1. 

Humanrightsarethcjointconccrn ofChe(i)Internationalcommunity, 

mainly :heUnired Nations,also cheinrcrnationalNGOs;(i)(hemember- 

States;and (i)narionallevclNGOs. 

'f'l4einternationalcom mtlnity -com munity reprcsentcd in the fora 

of rheUnited Nationsand internationalNon-GoveramentalOrganizations-

0: 

hasthepronaotionalrole inrcgard to human rights . Thetask oftheUnitcd 

Nationsisto diffusetleinformation related to human rightș educatethe 

peopleandCI4egovcrnmcntsil,regardtothehumanrighrs:andtointewcne 

in appropriate mannerin siftlationswhere thcse rightsareviolatcd -with 

thcobviouslimitation flattheUN isnotapolicingagency;ithasno tceth 

to enforce on thegovernmcntstheimplem entation ofthehuman rights 

provisions.TheNGOsopcrating attheintcrnationallcvelserveasthe 

watchdogs,and usctheresourccsattheircommand to publiciseviolation 

ofhulnan righrsand to creatcworlk opinion agains?the oppressive regimeṣ 

Ifistlw m ember-states(hathavethe obligarion fo re -specftheircom mitmenr 

ro :he UniversalDeclaratiol'ofhuman rightsand to demonstratcitin fheir 

governance.1:isthetask ofthcgovernmentsto ensurercspectforhuman 

rightsand suitably anaend the waysoftheviolators , Like:he international 

NGOs,thc nationalIevclNGOsbecolnethemouthpieceofthe civilsociety 

ofthecountly and perform :hefunction ofgiving wide ptlblicit'y :o the 

casesofhuman rightsviolations.antlraiscvoicesol)bchalfof :hevictims 

fortheirredressal. 

TheConceptofCivilSociety 

Theconceptofcivilsociety,curren ly in vogue , issom ewhatvaguc 

and il-defincd.Thcreissomesection ofscholarship whichregardscivil 

society asabroadcrconceptapplicableso thesociety asawhole , orro the 

entirehumaniry,Suchpeoplethink thatcivilsociety markstheadvanccd 

stage ofhumanit'y lcaving bchild savagery and barlarism . O n theother 

kand,thisterm hascometo bcused morcnarrowly forthe action groups 

ouuide ofthc.govcrnmentattlw nationallevet-and particularly tlAoscthat 

areanti-startlsquo,and thcinternationalnon-govcrnmcntalorganizations 

attheregioltalornationalleve!.l-leseinternationalNG Osarerecognised 

by the internationalorgankzationssuch asrhevariousUN agcncies , tlae 

N'Vorld Bank,etc.,and arcgiven advisory sratusalowed to addressthc 

intergovernmentalgathcringswithou:having arightto vote . Somchow, 

thesearenow rcgardedasreprcsentativesof(heckviisocicty-andarejust 

caled CivilSociety.Thisisnotaccepred by a1lforavarie:y ofreasons . 

Sincetheseorganizationsareprivateiy created by like-mindcd individuals 

they are treated asself-prociaimed reprcsenratkves . M ostsuch NGOsare 

run by retircd UN offlcialsorgovernmentbureaucratsorscniorleaders . 

'W ithoutdoubttheirinrentionsaregood and they haveausefulrole in

. fournaloftheNationalHuman Az:ç'ltçCommdsîon,Uil#,2010 

prom oting the rightcause,questionsare generaly raised'abouttbeir 

rcpresentativeness.Thcreare also meny bogusN GOs.Then thercare 

N GOsthatarein good book.switlathegovernment;in fact,they arc creared 

t)y thegovcrnmentto pcrform thetasksthatthegovernmentmachine:y is 

unable to carly ourbecauleof severalbureaucraticorpoiticalrestrainrs. 

Similarly,nationallevelN GOSarc also crcated by some internationa , l 

foundations,orsome powerfulgovernmentsto seweastheir'unsùspectcd' 

armsto carnrout,in addition to theirm anifestactivities,some 'hidden' 

agenda,Also,doubtsare expresscd abou'tthc constituency scrved by them. 

1am personalwitnessCo an intcrnationalm eerofyouth NGOs,laeld in an 

Asian countgrsometwo decadesback,in which m ostinternationalNGOs 

working in thearcaofyouth werefrom Europe,and theparticipantsin 

majority belongedtothe'seniorcitizen'categontM oresurprisingwasthe 

fact,thatvely few Asiansat:ended thatjamboree. . 

Somcalso raiscaquesrion mark on thepreflx 'Civi1'.H ow isitthat 

only :heNGO sare civil?lfnota1governmentsare'military-ruled',what 

arc thcy-un-civil?IlAthe British Cimes;citiesin India had m ilital'y 

canronmcntsand civillines,where thelasterreferred to the non-military 

adm inistration.Butin the new usage,civilhasbecomeanarrowcrconcept. 

Thisprefatorialisnccessaly hereto say thatthc useofthcword Civil 

Society in thecontextofhuman rightsiscurrently used asa synonym 

NGO s. 

Ishal,therefore,conflnemysclfto thislimftcd connotation oft'he 

concep:of C ivilSociety 

Thcwork oflnternationalNGO sin rhearcaofH uman Right's 

Overthe ycars,severalinternationalNGOshavecontributed to the 

causeof human rights.TheN GOsworkingforwom en,childrenjyouth, 

indigenouspeople,refugec.scrc.arealso seen asworking forrhiscause.The 

officeoftheHigh CommisionerforHuman Rights(OHCHR)has 

Com pilcd alistof rhoseorganizationsthatreprescntCivilSociery and 

contribute to the causeofHuman Rights.They are divided into two 

caregories:(l)Human RightsDefenders,and(2)thoseworkingforAnti- 

D iscrim inacion.

1. H um an RightsD efenders 

Humanrightsorganizarions(NGOs,associations,victim groups) 

Relarcd issue-bascd organizmtions 

Coalitionsanclnetworks(women'srights,children'Srights, 

environmcntalrights) 

Personswith disabilitiesand rhcirrepresentativcorganizations 

Communirpbased groups(indigcnouspcoplcs,Ininorities) 

Faith-basedgroups(churcles,reigiousgroups);Unions(tradcunkons 

aswelasprofessfonalassociationssuch asjournalistassociations.bar 

associations,magisLratcassociarions,studentunions) 

Socialmovements(pcaccmovelncnts,studentmovemcnts,prodemocracy 

movelnenrs) 

8. Professionalscontributingdirectlytotheenjoyrneltofhuman rights 

(humanisarianworkers,lasvyers,doctorsandrnedlcalworkers) 

9. Relativesofvictims 

Publicinstitutionsthatcary outacrivitiesaimed atpromoting human 

rights(schools,uliversities,researchbodies). 

11 AgenciesW orking againstD iscrim ination relativeto 

Children 

Clilnatechangeand thcenvironment 

Econo'm ic,sociaiand culturalrights,including therightsto health, 

housing,food and water 

H IV/AJDS 

Hum an rightscountry assessmentand planning 

6. H um an righçsand business 

H uman rightsand councer-terrorism 

8. H uman rightsand disability 

H uman rightseduca:ionand rraining

4 Journalt/r/peNationalHuman Afr/?l Commision,IW,9,2010 

l0. H um an rightsm ainstreaming 

l1. H uman rightsmonitoring and invcstigations 

l2. H um an rightsin pcaceoperations 

13. Indigenouspeoplesand minoritie.s 

l4. The M ilennium DevelopmentGoalsand therightto developmenț 

including povert'y reduction 

l5. Racism 

1ö.Theruleoflaw anddemocracy,includingthcadministrationofjusticc, 

good governancc,accountability,impunity and anti-corruption 

initiatives 

l7. Securitypolicies 

18. Tradeand globalization 

l9 . Trafficking 

20.TransiLionaljtlsticc 

2 l. W omen'shuman rightsand gender . 

'Theseprogrammcsseck toinjecrexpertiscandfresh thinkinginto 

selecred cross-curting themestha:areof particularimportance to theUnitecl 

Nationshuman rightsprogrammestch asequality and non-discrimination . 

They addressgroupsand issuesdesening specialatention , such asvictims 

ofracialdiscrimination,minoritiesand indigenouspeoples , women'srights 

and gender,disability,raflcking and pcopleafected by H IV/AJDS . 

'' 

'ThcUnit:d NationsBrochuresugge - ststhat'A strong and autonom ous 

civilsocicty ableto operatef'reely,anclknowledgeableand skiled with 

regard co human rights,isakey elemcntin securing sustainable human 

rightsprorection atthenationalIeveḷCivilsociety actorsare thercfore 

cssentialpartncrsin theUnited Nationshuman rightssystcm , 'TheUn 

brochuredeflncsthccivilsocicty actorsj .s 'individualswho voluntarily 

engagcin formsofpublicparticipation and action around shared interestș 

purposesorvaiucsthatarecompatiblewitb the goalsof cheunited Nations . 

'' 

T lere are,however,internationalNon-Governmenralorganizations 

which spccificaly work forH uman Righcçsuch asAmnesty Tnternational , 

HumanRighrsWatch,and lnternationalPeaccResearchY sociatiönIIPRA)

- (heiatterhasregionalcḥaptersaswel.Amncstz lntcrnationalalso hasits 

representa:ivcsin difercntcountrieswho supply to itinformation relative 

to:hcviolation ofhuman riglts.Over:hepastsix decadestherehasbeen 

an expiosion ofHuman RigltsNGOs,at:heinternational,nationaland 

locallevels,from sm allocalcom munity groupsto largeinternational 

organizations. 

Thesebrganizationsp.romotc and Jnoltitorhuman rightsby translating 

comptex internationalinstrumeltsilpto intcligiblclanguageand propose 

activific.sto beundertakcnby conccrned citizensinthcirown com munit-yl'. 

hum an rightsorganizationsengagcin iobbyingand advocacy and make 

efbrtsto convincetheU litcd Natiol4sand otherintcrnationalA sociations 

and agencie.softheneed to conrinualy excrcisemoralpressureon rhcnationai 

governmentsto respecthuman rights.M any such humanrightsNGOs 

enjoy 'observcr'sratusininter-governlnenralbodies.NGOsspecifically 

devotcd to human rigktsalst)conveneconferencesunderthcauspicesof 

Oslo Frecdom Forum .'l-hisfbrun:isregarded by many aslpum an rights, 

equivalentofthcDavosEconomicl'orum.' 

Achievem entofSom eInternationalN G O s 

1. Amnesty lnternational(Al) 

Am nesty Internationaiisaworldwide movementoflxcoplewho 

cam paign fọrinternationaly rccognizetlhuman rightsforal. Am ncsty 

International'ssupportcrsarethosewho fecloutraged by l'um an rlghts 

abuses,who work to improvcl'um alèrightsthrough calnpaigning and 

inrernationalsolidarity,AIhasm ore than 2.8 m ilion mcmbersand 

supportersin l50 countriesfrom diferentrcgions.1:coordinatesthis 

supportto actforjusticeonawiderangcofisues. 

Am nesty Internationalclaimsrhat'alitscampaigningand rcsearcl)is 

factbased. 

Among the many activiticsAlcariesout,thcfolowilpg necd aspeciflc 

mention: 

@ 

send expcrtsto talk with victims 

* obsenretrials

Journait/tâeNationalHuman#:/JtîCommission,14z19,2010 

. interview localoflicials 

liaisewith hum an rightsactivists 

* m onitorglobaland localmedia 

@ 

publish detailed reports 

inform thenewsmedia 

publicizeourconccrnsin docum ents,leaflets,posters,'advertiselnents , 

newsietersand websitcs 

Itmakesseriousefforrsto Stop hum an rightsabusesby m obilizing 

thc public to pu(prcssureon governm ents,armed poiiticalgroups, 

companies,and intergovernmentalbodiesvia: 

publicdenlonstrations 

vigils 

lctter-writing cam paigns 

. htlman rightseducation 

@ 2WaPCIRCSS-f2iSin gCO IRCCFU 

@ direcrlobbying 

* targcted appcals 

* emailpetitionsand otkeronline actions 

* partncrshipswith localcampaigning groups 

com m uniry activities 

* co-operarion with studentgroups 

Scrup i1a l960s,(heAmnesty Intcrnationalcelebrated its40th 

annivcrsary in theycar2001.On thatoccasion,Amnesty International 

changcd itsstalutesro incorporate into itsmission work foreconom ic , 

socialand culturalrights. 

IreneKhan,Secrecary General,Aznnesty lnternationalsaid in aputllic 

lccruredelivered on lglanuary 2005: 

'U sing invcstigativere -search,the techniquesofnaming and shaming, 

:hepowerofastute lobbyingand mediawork,we have chalenged the 

absolure powerof the sovercign state . W e haveinsisted thatgovcrnments 

mustbe accountablcnotonly ro Lheirpeoplebutalso open to intcrnational 

Fcrutiny.ThanksCo lobbying by human rightsgroups,thcreisnow a

plethoraoftreatiesaltd lawsthat,forinstance,ou:law torture,abolislzdeath 

penalry,recognizethecquality ofwomcn,and thcrigktsofchildren.Thank.s 

to thework ofhuman rightsgroups,treaty monitoring bodies,the ofilce 

oftlaeUN H igh Comm issiolerforH uman Rightsand thelntcrnarional 

CriminalCourthavc been esrablisked.Atthedomcsticlevel,human right.s 

groups-întcrnarionaland nationa!-havcplayedamajorrolein the 

disbanding ofaparrheid in South Africa,in developing dem ocraric 

governmentsin Larin America,Eastern Europcand partsofAfricaand 

Asia,and in rurnilzg the tidcagainstimpunity in somepartsofthe world.' 

Amnesty InternationalclaimsLhatasaresultofitsworldwidecampaign 

'Frofn Brazi)to'Bulgaria,goverlpmentsltaveadopted laws,setup national 

hum an rights instirutions,introduccd constitutionalprovisions 

incorporating fundam ensa)principlesof hum an rightsaand made human 

rightseducation a partof thecurriculum .'lrene Khan exprcsseshcr 

satisfaction ovcrd'e achievclnelarsofA1by sayilg that'Forbetcrorworse, 

human rightsare increasingly becoming the vocatlulary ofothermovernents. 

W om cn'sgroupscapcurvd tltc human righrsagertdaatrhe ViennaN'Vyrld 

Confercnce.Devclopmencorganizationshave begun to speak ofa righrstlased 

approach (o developlnent.Indigenouspeoples,landlcsspeasants,:hc 

disablcd,area1plotting theirown placein thelandscape of human rights.' 

2. H um an RightsW atch 

Human Rights'Watchwasf-'ounded in à978 underthcnameHelsinki 

N'Vatch form onitoring :heactiviticsof thethcn SovietUnion particularly 

to sec'whethertheStatecomplied with theH elsinkiAccords,iHelsinki 

'Watch adopced amechodologyofpubliciy 'nam ing antlsham ing'abusive 

governmentsthrotlgh mediacoverageand through direc:exchangcswith 

policymakers.By throwingrheintcrnationalspotlighton human rights 

violationsin theSovietunion and itswssalstatc.sin EasternEurope,Helsinki 

'Wach claimstohavecontributed to thcdem ocratictransformationsof 

thc region.On thepattern ofthisAccord,AmericasNvatcl:wasfounded in 

l981toarrestt17epatern oftlloody civilwarsil:CcntralAmerica.This

lourw loftheNationallfi/ra/zpzRtjhtsCommision,14/ ,9,2010 

agency notonly addresscd perccived abusesby govcrnmentforccș Lut 

applied internationalhumanitarian law Io investigateand cxposcwar crimes 

oftherebelgroups,and exam ined therole played by foreign gov ernm ents, 

particularly (heUnited Stares , in providing m ilitary and politicalsupport 

Co abusivcregimcs.In lateryears , AsiaXvatcl(1985),AfricaW atch(1988), 

and M iddleEastW atch(1989)wcreadded , and clzisclustcrwaswidely 

known as 'Thc W atch Com mirtees . 'Soon afrer,somewherein thelatc 

1980s,a1these commiucesgotmcrged underoneumbrelato form H uma n 

RightsW atch. 

H uman RightsNvatch iscngagcd in opposing violationsof basic 

human rights,and in raising itsvoiceagainstcapitalpunishment and 

discrim ination onthcbasisofsex . Ithasadvoaated freedom of religion and 

freedom of (he prcss . Ithasraiscd isuessuch associaland gender 

discriminariolp,tor:urc ,militaryuseofchildrcn,politicalcoruption , abuscs 

incriminaljusticesystcms,and(1elcgalisationofabortion . 

H um al)ltightsNvarch producesrescarch reportson violations of 

intcrnationalhuman rlghtsnormswith avivw to drawîng intern ational 

aztention :o abuscsand pressuring governmentsand international 

organizarionsto take efecfivestcps(o haltthem and to refbrm their 

struc:tlrc . 

Assessm ent 

lrom thcbriefaccountof-rhesetwo majorinternationalorganizationș 

outsideoftheUnitcd Nations , and treated asN GO s,itisclearthatthe 

pasteffortsof theseo'rganizationshaveprimarily focused on (hc abusc of 

powerand violenceinflicred by the State , particularly in tbe dictatorial 

regim es,butno(shuLting cheireyesfrom atrocktiescom mirted on the 

citizensby regimcstlàatclaim to bedemocratic . lthasalso criticised,thc 

countricsfrom thc devcloped world -and claim ing to be reference models 

fordem ocraticgovernance--forgiving supportto the dict atorialregimcs 

of theThird N'Vorld countries . 

1:isonly recen:thatthcseorganizationshave turncd to thc issuesof 

socialand economic rights . Rcflecting on thepastachievcmentsoFA1and 

suggesring afuturecourseofacrion , IfencKhan said:'W ebclieve in a 

visiol)ofaworld in which rl-lc powerfuland the powerlesshave cqual

ightsand cqualprotrcliol',aworld thatissafeand fairnotonly forthe 

Privileged but'alsoforthepoon' 

NGOsoperating atthe narionallevelare,itmustl)csaid,notal1 

engaged in theprorection ol-'human rightspersc.In m ostcountrie-s,Human 

RightsNGOshavcfolowed Lhe 'nanaing alpd slaming'lncthodology and 

raiscd tlcirvoiceswhelàeverthegovernm entshavebecomeviolcntin 

handling (hc opposition.Silcelnostofthetimc,NGOstakcsidc of:he 

so-caled 'victirns'ofthcalcged 'statv t'crror'(hey aresecn asantigovernment,and 

lnany arediscrcdited for:his.Thef-'actthat:heword 

Nolz-Governlnenlaliselnploycd fortlpenlthey arcsecn asanti-governmcnt. 

Dcbatcscontinueabouttheroleofstlch N GO s.Thecolzllnon mal)is,af 

times,puzzled when such groupstakethe sideoftl'tcrebclgroups,terroristz, 

and lcadersoftlelnovelzaclpLssucl'as:heNaxalites.O n theonehand, 

conccrnsarccxprcssed about'themannerin w lichsuch groupsdestroy 

publicpropertz,kilinnocclptpcoplc,and denaand srern governlnentaction 

to curb them;ontheotherhand,when such actionsaret'akelagainstthcm, 

and som eof(heseresulti1:kilingsof:lAerebclsorthetcrrorists,ortheir 

incarceration,thcH ulzlan Rightqsactivistsraiscthcirfingersat:hcdefence 

and rhc policepersonnelfortle 'cxccsses'comm itted by thcn'i.How then 

aStatecnsurelaw and order?Sadly enough,theactionsofthe 'outlaws's 

rebels,and revolutionariesarclpardly meltioned asviolatiol'sofhuman 

rights,butactionsCaken agains:rheln forsuclèbclzaviourarc viewcd asH R 

violations,R'hisisnot!'o say.however,tlattlearmsofthegovernmcnçdo 

notviolateH R;butcvcry caseofstrong and decisiveaction takel'b),tlc 

governmentagailst'them cannotbeexctlscd tlndert17cprerextof'H R. 

Poverty and H um an ltights 

SinceNGOsarechal:ging in tlteirenlphasesand are ilpcrcasingly 

turning towardsthesocialaltd econom icriglts,itwilbcadvisablcro 

cxaminehow thel-IR framcwork lclpsthcCivilSociety ro con riburcto 

overcomcthedelcitsofdevelopment. 

ln thissection,an aftenaptisJnadcto analyset'heroleoftlcCivil 

Society in combating poverl'y. 

Increasingly,pcoplearecoltlilground thcvicw thasthcprcvalence of 

poverty isanindicarorofgrossviolation ofhunpan righrs.

lournaloftbeN/H/?VZ/HumanRigbtsCommision,W/.9,2f)J!) 

Tlw Problem of Poverty 

Poverty isregarded asthe main stumbling block to socialdevclopment, 

A1lcountriesof the world openly adm itthe existence ofpoverty in.them , 

and a1haveshown theircom mitmenttoeradicateir.Poverv wasoncof 

themain issucsdiscussed attheW orld Summ itforSocia!Dcvelopment , 

held in 1995 in Copenhagen.Itisinteresting to noterhatinanyspeakersat 

theSumm itdiscussed theproblem ofpoverty int'heframework ofhuman 

rights. 

ThcCopenhagen Declaration an'd Programm eofAction callsforan 

integrated approach to povertyeradia tion,sustainablelivelihooi andsocid 

integration.Folowing theSum mit,fhe Unitcd Nationsobserved theYear 

1996 asthclnternationalYearfortheEradicationofPoverty IYEPI.The 

United NationsGeneralM sem bly,inicsre-solution 50/1O7of20 Dccember 

1995dcctared to observe the FkrstUnited NatioasDecade fortheEradication 

ofPoverty(l997-2006).Quitenaturaly,a1theagencieswithintheUnited 

Nationssysrem asigned priority to poverty and developed acrion plansto 

combatitfrom theirr'espectivevantagepoints.Human rightsorganizations 

andacrivistsalsojoinedthecampaignanddeclared povercyasaserious 

violation ofthefundam entalhuman rights. 

' 

Nvho arcthePoor?Thisisstilavagucconccpt.Therc areseveralways 

in which the poorcan beidentilcd:1.Poorarethose who could notm eet 

rheirdaily nccds:2.Poorarethose who arcsociaily deprived;3.poorare 

rhosewho feclrelafiveiy deprived. 

Sincepoverty islnulsifaceted,itmanifcso in Severalways.Forexam ple: 

Poorincomcanddearth ofresourczs(incomepoverty).'rlxishasfour 

rypes:itmay be 

(i) Absoluteincomcpovcrty 

(i) Low inconle 

(i)Relativeinconlepoverty and 

(iv) Subjcctivcincomepoverv. 

Starvation and malnutrition 

Poorhealth and sanitation causing diseasesand decreasiag longevity

Lack of acccssto education and otherrelated facilities.In thc 

com munity context,itm ay mean non-existence ofaschoolin the 

neighbourhood;butforahousehold itmay also m ean lack of paying 

capacity forsending achild to school 

H omelessness--peoplewithouthomcsorthccomm unitywith poor 

housing,such asslum s.Peoplccan be rendercd homelessbecauscof a 

naturaldisastersuch asan earthquake oratyphoon and m ay notIne in 

aposition to incurexpensesin luilding ashelterforthem .Evcn the 

wcl-to-do can becomepaupcrsbecauscof-disasters-naturalormanmade 

6. Unsafeenvironm en: 

Socialexclusion and negativediscrimination 

Thc abovclisting would suggcsrrlafpoverry coultlbecaused not 

only by low incomcbutalso b)rnon-availability of,ordenialofaccessto, 

otherfacilitiesand service-s.Povertz can t)e caused 170th atrhelcvelofa 

comm unity ornation,and attl'eIevelofthcindividualfalnily.Population 

growth,environmcntaldetcrioration,depletion ofresources,naturalhazards, 

hard living condirions,and wrongpolicicsofthegovcrnmen:are,intcr 

alia,factorsthathavecaused povcrty in difcrenrcontexts.Certain typesof 

poverty situationsareatributed to thedenialofhuman rights-forcxamplc, 

slavely totalitarian regimes,colonization,ctc. 

T he Connectbetween H um an Rightsand Poverty 

M any peopleregard':hepersistcnceofpoverty asviolarion ofHuman 

Pvights.Since Articlc2 ofthcUniversalDeclaration ofH um an Rights 

declaresdiscrimination unacceptable,and since (hetwo intcrnaLional 

covenantsexplicitly condclnn discrilnination based on socialorigin or 

property;pcople living in conditionsofextremepovertyaresceltasdcprived 

oftheirhuman rights. 

'hvhileplcading forthcelim inarion ofpovcrty,hulnan rigltsactiszists 

invokethefundamentalprinciplcsofhunpan riglts,namely,(i)thc equal 

dignity ofaI1human bcings;and (i)(hcprinciple ofequalityand nondiscrimination.Irn'lay 

bcrecaled ChartheUniversalDcciararion ofHuman 

Rightsbeginswith (hcwords:'whereasrecognition oftlzeinherclrdignity

: Journalof r/peNationalSlz- zRigbu Commiuion,7//..Q,2010 ' 

and oftheequaland inalienable rightsofalm embersofchehuman fam ily 

isthcfoundationoffreedom,justiccandpeaceinrheworld ..' 

Similarly Article1of the UniversalDeclaration afflrmstlnat':11human 

beingsareborn freeand equalin dignity and rightsf'.Itisrightly contended 

thatpeopleIivinginabsolutepoverty arcvictimsofdcfactoordcjure 

discrimination that,in away,violatestheprincipleofequality Poverty 

leads,itisargued,to a1lkindsofdiscrim ination,including racial 

discrimination and aparthcid. 

Those who invoke human rightsin thecontextofpovcrty,argue that 

thepoorare deprived ofthcfolowing specilcrights: 

Thc rightto a dccentstandard of living.(Article25 oftheUniversal 

Declaration thatsays:'evenrone hastherightto astandard ofliving 

adequateforthehealthandwcl-bcingofhimselfandofhisfamil/') 

Therighttohotlsing.(RefertoArricle11oftheInrcrnationalCovcnant 

onEconomic,SocialandCulturalRights) 

Therighttohealth.(Ref-ertoArticle25ofthcUniversalDeclaration 

ofH um an Riglpts,and Article12 ofthelnternationalCovcnanton 

Econom ic,Sociatand Cuturalm ghts.The lattersays:'therkghtof 

evelyonetotheenjoymentofthehighestatainablestandardofphpicxal 

altdTncnralhcalth.). 

Thcrigh:toeducation.(RefertoArticle26oftleUnivelsalDeclararion 

arldArticlcs13 and 14 ofrhcInrernationalCovenanton Economic, 

Socialand CulturalRights.).Guided by this,the world community 

adopreclthcfamotls1990Jomticn DeclarariononEducationf-orA1l 

(EFA),Avhich istheprimefocusofthe work ofUNESCO.? 

Thrrightto work.(ltflgurcsinArricle23 oftheUniversalDeclaration 

ald i1)Articlcs6 through 9 ofthe lnfernationalCovenanton 

Econolnic,Socialand CulturalRights.) 

Theriglzrto protecrionofrhefam ily.(RefertoArticle16ofthc 

UnivcrsalDeclaration,which says: 'thefamily isthenaturaland 

fundamentalgroup unitofsociety and isenrirled Lo prorection by

society and thcStatc'.Italso figuresin Articlcs7 and 10 of the 

InternationalCovenanton Economic,Socialand CulturalRights.) 

T herighttoprivacy (Rcferto Article12 ofthc UniversalDeclaration 

and Article17 of:heInternationalCovcnanton Economic,Social 

andCulturalRights.) 

Therightto recognition asaperson before the1aw and to beregistered. 

(Referto Arriclet5oftheUniversalDeclaration and Articles16 and 24 

oftheInternationalCovenanton Economic,SocialandCtzlturalRights.) 

9. Therighttolifeandtherighttophysicalintcgrie.(SecArticlc3of 

the UniversalDeclaration,and Articles6 and 9 of theInrernational 

Covenanton Economic,Socialand CulcuralItights.) 

Therighttojustice.(SeeArricles10and l1oftheUniversal 

Declaration,andArticlcs14 and ljofthc lnternationalCovenanton 

Economic,SocialandCulturalltights.)Apartfrom otherobstacles 

suchasiliteraq,complexityofrhcproccdures,mistrustof(hejudicial 

Fstem ,itistheindigentcondition thatpreventstùepoorfrom taking 

rccourseCo Iaw. 

Therightrotakepart'inpoliticalaffairs,(Article2lof(heUniversal 

Declaration andArticle 25ofthe InternationalCovenanron Economic, 

SocialandCulturalRightsrefertothisright.)Inthiscontexr,i:is 

necusarytoreview tlaecrireriaforjudgingtheparticipationofpeople, 

Forexam ple,in lncliathcre isgencraly a high participation of the 

Poorin voting,orin staging someprotests-butcheseare wrong 

indicesin thcsensethatthepooraredraw lin:o thcprocessthrough 

the poliricalInanipulatorswho 'tluy'theirparticipation;the 

participation ofthepoordocsnotreflec:theirfrcedom ofchoice. 

Therightto participateinsocialand culturallife.(Referto Article22 

oçthcUnivcrsalDeclaration and.Ar:icle l5 ofthe International 

Covenanton Economic,Socialand CulturalRights.). 

Thc listing ofthcrightstlatareviolated in thecontextof(hcpoor 

suggeststhatpoverty isadelialof-notthisorrhatrightbutof human 

rightsasawhole.ltisnotonly thceconomicrightsofthepoorthatare 

violated whcn he sufersfrom absolutepoverty,buttheentircgam utofhis 

civil,polipicaland culturalrightsisviolated.Absolutc poverty,asissaid in 

aUN document,is'an accumulation ofmutualy reinforcing lnisfortuncs:

kournaltl/r/z:NationalHuman AèâzrCommision,I*f.9,2010 

poorliving conditions,insalubrioushousing,unemploym ent,il1hcalth, 

lack ofeducation,marginalization,etc.'Thereisaveritable'horizontal 

viciouscircleofpovert'. 

Thchumanrightsperspectiveregardspoverty asdenialofjustice. 

Advocatcsof thisapproach hope thatthe poor,'oncerecognized as:he 

injuredparty,wouldacquirearighttoreparation forwhichgovernments, 

rheinternationalcommpnityand,ultimately,eachcitizen wouldE)ejointly 

liable.A strong intercstwould thus'beestablished in eliminatingpoverty, 

asam atrero fu rcncy..,' g 

Approaching poverty asahum an rightsissuemakesitmorethan a 

socialproblem and getsitlinked ro thequestion ofbasicsocialand economic 

rightsmsalsociviland poliricalrights.Such an approach would requirenew 

instrumcntaliticstoensureelimination ofpoverty.Itwould necr-ssitatenot 

only vigorousefortson thcpartof thcStatr.sbutalsoinvolvemcntof:he 

civisociery,non-stateactors,and m ultinationalcorporations. 

Itisnow recognised thatmerepasagcoflegislation,and government 

expenditureon she socialsector,isnotenough to mizigatethisscourge. 

The W orld Sum m itforSocialDevclopmentdid discussseveralmcasures 

such as-fobin -1-% 3on internationalfinancialtransactionsand theconccpt 

of20:204.A proposalmade by ThomasPoggesforGlobalResources 

Dividend isalsodoing rounds.A carefulreview ofa1theseproposalswould 

suggcstthatal1thesuggestcd measurcsareprim arily meantfortherem oval 

ofpoverty ofgivcn regionsorcolnmunities;thc'y do notaddrestheproblcm 

ofphc individualpoor. 

Viewingpovcrty asa 'violation ofHuman Rights'bringsinto the 

picturethenon-poorsectionsofthe society.To thecxtcn:the non-poor 

are held responsibleforcausing pọverty,oraggravating it,onem ay talk of 

violation ofhuman rightsby t14cnon-poor.ln thisperspective,chepoor 

may appearasvictims.Thcsocialresponsibility of thc Stateisalso invoked 

in thisframework.SLate Plansand programm esaddrcssing to the needsof 

3 pames'lbbin 'A I'roposalforIlïlernationclMonerary Reform',Emtrrnsctprltlprlik ukurnal 

)978,pI).15.5-59. 

Thcproposalsuggesred fhat20% of a1'lO DA -OverseasDevclopmeltAssistalcc-would be 

uscdfortlte socialsectorprovided therccipientgovernmentagreesl'o spc'ul20% ofitsGD P 

u1tlissecfor. 

See 'l'homasPogges'Eradicating SystemicPoveny:BriefforaGlobalResourceDividend'in 

l'ournal(laf-/flzwt7r?Dtwrlopment.2001'pp.59-77.

thepoorarcpartofthisframework.-fhepoorcan rightfuly dcm and from 

theStatea1thcsupporttoemergeoutofthecondition ofpovere . 

AreH um an m ghtsaPanacea forPoverty? 

Oncmust,however,ask thepertinentquestion:Can wcresolvethc 

problem of poverty through :he instrumen:sof Human Rightsalone?-fhe 

answer,Iam afraid,wilbc negative. 

Conceptualy itisim portantto distinguish between varioustypesof 

poverty.Ifpoverty were*caused by dcnialofH um an Rightsitsremcdy 

would certainly 1ie in therestoration ofsuch rights,Butifpovcrty prevenṭs 

one from Che exerciseofcertain human rightsthen efi-orcswould bcneeded 

to obliteratethosefactorsthatcrcateolstacles.ln thatcasese'ven apoor 

wilbe ablc ro cxercischishumanrights,tlutthismaynotaffecthispovertỵ 

M creexercisc ofhuman rightsdoesnotguaranteeabolition of poverty . 

Scen thisway,jarovidir!g educapiqn ro the poorshould bedifferentiated 

from the fightagainstpovcrl.Educationisafundamentalright ; and thc 

poorchildren should notbedcnked accessto edueation,butprovision of 

cducation may noralw'ayslead to eliminat'ion ofpovcrty . Thereisamplc 

statisticstt)indicatcpoverty among theeducated -tlc'form ercom munist 

block countriesoffcrcountlesexamplesqf this;similarly , thcpoorcould 

befound amongshosewhoareinjobsorwhoarenormallyhealthy-A 

devastatinj earthquake,orany orhernaturalcalam ity,can rcndermany 

homclesand jobless,andevenpcnniles.Forsuch lcild ofpooronccannot 

ofertheusualrccipcsofeducatiolioremployment .Theeducated m ay be 

awarcoftheirhum an rights,and yetm ay sufferfrom poverty t'ha a tiscaused 

notby thedcnialofhuman righrsbutby Mtherfactors. 

Thehum an rightsapproach has(1:e advanta-gcofcreating anpong the, 

poorawarencssofrhcirrights,and alsoofhinting attlenon-poorabout 

thc implici:cliscriminarion in tltcirInchaviourrowardslhe non-rich . Butat 

thc sametim c,itcontinuesto supporraphilanthropicattirudeofchariry 

and ofmoralresponsibility towardsthelessfortunqtecompatriots . Even 

internationalcooperation lingeson theprem iseofcharity 1:remainst()be 

Sccn how the poorcan assertthcirhuman rightsand seekrcpairsto the 

socialdamagcto thcirlives.-l-heattitude ofcltarity among (he non-poor 

cannothelp build sclf-confidenceamong rhepoor.Thcy wilcontinueLo 

lae parasitesalèd lnay even seeadvantagein appcaring ro bcpoorand

JournaloftbeNg/r4z;/z/Human 44/2/:Contmisiom 14lJ?a2010 

downtrodden.Thiswould go againstthe philosophy of cm powermenc. 

Thisiswhatishappening toIndia'spoliorofpositive discrimination.A 

vested interesthasdeveloped among therecipientsofgovernmentstlbsidies 

ro remain bacltward;a 'creamy layer'hasdevclopcd in thesegroups,butit 

refusesto optoutoftheprivilege.sso make morefacilitiesavailableto their 

Poorbrethren. 

N eed foran Integrated Approach to Pover? Eradication 

ltlnustbe adm ited thatdiscussionsofpoverty are fulofrhctoric. 

R-hosewho spcak forthepoorhavcnotpcrsonally experienced poverty, 

and m ostof thcm do notknow whatpoverty entailsforthoscwho livcit. 

There ismeritin thealegation thatw lilethc non-poorspeak thesocialy 

rightlanguage,decrying poverty anclsympathisingwith (hepoor,rht:y nced 

:hc poorto maintain theirnon-poorstatus.The manifcstaims,in such 

cases,differfrom theirlatentintentions, 

'fhescdays,em powermenthasbecomcakey word and isemployed 

freely with totalendorsementfrom evely one.Any onccontradicting it 

facesthe prospectofbeing dubbed asrcactionary,anti-secular,and an:ipoor.Burdespiteitsovcrusethcconceptremainsvaguelydeilned 

and the 

word isused moreasasynonym formany things-providing education, 

participation in voting and in proteatsand denaonstrations,entering the 

jobmarket,goodhealth,humanrights,andsoo'n.Itisinsuch amilieu 

thatthe roleofthecivilsociety hasalso been highlighted. 

Treating povertyasahuman rightsissuecan add am oraldimension 

to thepoverty debate,lnurcannotsoivethcproblcmsof the poor,orcradicarc 

thephenomenon ofpoverty-fhismay makeStatesand thenon-poorsectors 

ofthe society sensitiveto theissucsand may even help cmpowerthepoor 

inccrtain ways,buthuman rightsalonearenotenough to colnbatpoverty 

C oncluding Rem arks:H um an m ghtsand SocialSciences 

From theabovethereaderm usthavegathered the impression thatthe 

words 'CivilSociety'and 'N GOs'areused assynonyms.In intcrnational 

confercnces,itisthcNGOsthatarercgarded asthcreprescntativeoftheCivil 

Society Th4laterword camein currenûymtherlate,anclhasbeen monopolised 

by theNGOs,Ithink thatthereisaneed to m ake thedistinction.

Thisissucwasraised in thcUN ESCO Round-fable organiscd atthe 

W orld Sum mitforSocialDevclopmentin Copenhagen in M arch 19956. 

A question wasraised:IsCivilSociety an oppositeoftheGovernmcnt? 

Doestheword NGO includealso :he so-caled 'Private Secrort'?Arethe 

N GOsnotthc partof thcenvironm cntofthe non-poor?Itiswelknown 

thatm any organisationswork 'on belalf'ofthepoor,butthey arcnot 

run by thcpoor.Thcspokespersonsforthepoorarenotalwaysthepoor; 

whatrhey rcprcsen:arc:heirown perceptionsofthepoor,orofpoverty, 

and theirown prescriptionsfortheclimination ofpoverty.Such NGOs 

ony i 'co-opt'and 'incorporate':hcpoor,asthepoorneitherhavethe 

luxuryoftilneorofrcsourcesro invcstin (heactivitiesthatdo notdirectly 

and immediatelybenefitfrom inlnaterialtcrms.Questionswerealsoraised 

aboutChe'effectivenessofparticipaLion in putllicIifeby thepoor.Past 

experiencesuggeststhatparticipation ofthepoormeansaddition to the 

crowd assemblcd by theagitators-they areused astoolsin :he nameof 

participarion,and theirparticipation isassurcd througl)paymentofa 

m odicum offceforadding to thenumbcrofthe crowd.In any case. 

participarion doesnoteliminate poverry. 

Letmcend thiscssay with apersonallote.AsUN ESCO 'SRegional 

AdviserforSocialand H uman SciencesforAsiaand tlcPacificfornearly 

two decades,itwasmy responsibility topromote qcaching and research in 

hum an rights,particularly in (hesocialsciences,inhighereducation.This 

promotionalwork,howevcr,rcmained conflned mainly to university 

departmcntsofLaw -parricularly lnternationalLaw -and of Political 

Science.ln rhercgion ofAsia and thePacifid such teaching wasmainly 

normative,and vely little by way of-research wasdonein thesedepartments. 

The celebration oftheH um an RightsDay on 10th Dccember'wasthe 

mostimportanractiviw in many countries.ThecelebraLioltook thcform 

of aseminaroraguestlectureon theimportanccof Human ltights.The 

funcling supportsoughtby :he university departm entsrelated to the 

translation ofvariousdocuments-UniversalDeclaration,conventions,and 

6 AsUN ESCO'Scoordinatorforworkrelaleçlto thew orld Summit,I laclorganizcd this 

Round 'l'ablein colaborationw'illtCRO P -QalnmittecforResearch onPoverty.Seethe 

ProcecdingsofrilisRound 'l-able:Poverryand Participationin CivilSociety (cdited by Yogesh 

Ataland Else?ycn),New Dclhi,Abhinav Publications.1997. 

hswas(hecaseinotherparrsoftheworld aswel. 

TheGcneralConfercnceoftheUni:cd Narionsadopted theUniversalDeclaration ofHuman 

Rigbtson l0 December1918.Every rearthisdayiscelcbrated asdaeHumanRighrsDay.

9 JournaloftheNK/O- JHwman Af.g'étrCommisiom #b/.9,2010 

covenan s,organization ofspeciallccturesforthcgeneralpublic,and 

arranging competitions-esay writing,poetry,orcartoonsand paintings 

relativeto H uman Rights.M y officedid al1this,besidesbringingouta 

Ncwsletteron IntcrnationalLawg. 

The Reportsproduced by organizationssuch asAmity lnrcrnational, 

orby theUnited StatesGovernment,related to thecompilation ofcasesof 

H uman Rightsviolationsin variouscountries.No doubt,thesereports 

atracted mediaatention,butthey alsogenerated politicaldebates.ltis 

interestingto notethatwhilcnogovernmentexplicitly opposed Human 

RighLs,sevcraltid notencourageany work on them .Howcver,UNESCO 

did suppor:somc researcheson 'awareness'regarding H uman Rights 

amongstspecialgroups.Butthatwasa11. 

lalwayshad afeeling ofdiscomfortwhîletreating H uman Rightsasa 

socialsciencespecialty.7-hequestion wasoforientation --.how to approach 

thcsubject?W hatqucstiqnstoask?W hom'toask?How togobeyond 

macro staristicsto em piricalresearch?No departm eqtsothcrthan thosc of 

PoliticalScicnceand lxaw evershowed any interutin H um an Righcs.Some 

universitiesdid considerthcprospectsofintroducing an orien'tation course 

in H uman RightsforalIthcstudentsrbutnothing cam eto fruitibn. 

1mustconfessthatmuch ofwhat1read as.research materialwasmore 

in (hc naturcofcomlncntariesand explications.UnderthcUNESCO 

auspices,ldid organizean internationalseminarin Bangkok Co discussthe 

place ofhuman rightsin variousreligioustraditions.Thatwasan cxercise, 

Irealized wh ic conductingCheseminar,to provideacounterargumentCo 

ràe 1 gencra lcrt 

iicism ofHuman Rightsa's'Wcstern c'oriccptualization;the 

paperson variousrcligionsprcsented ltthe'sem'inartried to show fhatthe 

ideaofHum an Rightsisuniversalaad i iscommonly ' sharcd byalreligions . 

Again,(hisexercisewasbased on theanalysisof religiousscripture.sand did 

notprovideany explanation fortheviolation ofH uman Rightsby the 

religiousfanatic.sandfundamentalistswhowerepromotingJehad and 

indulging in bloody com munalviolence. 

Socialscienceswould haveto develop aparadigm to handlethe isuc 

ofHumanRightsiftheyrealywishedrogobeyond 'journalistic'reportage 

9 Editedbymeincolaboration withProfesmrV titMunrm bhornofChulalonglorn Univcrsityk 

Bangkok.Profcssorvicitalsodevelopcd achildrcn'sgameonHurnan RightswiṛhL'N Fsco 'sbelp.

or'political'commentaries.Ifsocialscientistsassocialscientistsdealtwith 

H uman Rightsin :hcsanle m annerasN GO leaders,orpoliticians,or 

socialactivists,they mightpromotethe causeofhuman rightsbutwould 

notstrengthen thecauscofsocialscicnce-s. 

To conclude,letme quote the SecrctarrGeneralofthe United 

Nations)who said thison tlcoccasion ofthe 60th anniversary ofthe 

Declaration ofH uman Rigkts: 

'Itisourduty to ensurcthatthcserightsarca living reality-thatthey 

areknown,unders:oodandenjoyedbyevcryone,cverzwhcre.Itisoften 

rhosewho mostnced theirhuman rightsprotected,who also need to be 

informed thatthcDcclaration exists-and thatitexistsforthcm .' 

Appendix 1 

ListofM ajorConventionsand DeclarationspassedbyUNESCO 

GeneralCongressrelative to Human Rights 

(A)Conventions 

AgreementforFacilitating thcInternationalCirculation ofvisualand 

AuditoryM aterialsof-an Ezucacional,Scientificand CulttzralCharacrer, 

(the'BeirutAgreement'l;l948 

UniversalCopyrightConvention,1952 

InrernationalConvention fortheProtection ofPerformers,Producers 

ofPhonogramsand Broadcasting Organisations(the 'Rome 

Convention'),1961 

Convention againstDiscrimination in Education,14 December1960 

ProtocolInstituting aConciliation and Good Of6 cesColnmission 

to beResponsiblcforSeckingtheSetlementof Any Dispureswhich 

m ay Arisc between States Partiesro the Conven tion agains( 

D iscrim ination in Education,1962 

UniversalCopyrightConventionasrcviscda:Parison24July1971 

* Convention on Technicaland VocationalEducation,1989

I 

JoutmaloftlwNa/f/rpzfHutnanRighuCbra'rzifrlr/xWl#,2010 

(B)Declarations 

Declaration on thePrinciplesoflnternationalCulyuralCo-operation, 

lnternationalCharterofPhysicalEducation and Sport,1978 

* DeclarariononRaceand RacialPrejudice,1978 

Dcclaration on FundamentalPrinciplcsconcerning theContribution 

of M assM ediatoStrcngtheningPeaceand Prom otion ofHum an 

Rightsand to Countering lkacialism ,Apartheid and lncitcmcntto 

W ar,1978

Role of Civil Society and H um an 

Rkhtsin thePresentSituation 

Prof.#aaâfrSingh' 

Introduction 

Theprotection ofbasichuman righo isone of fhcmosrpre-sing and 

yetmostelusive goalsof the internationalcom munity'.Since theadoption 

of the UniversalDcclararion of H uman Rightsin 1948,tlaerehasbeen a 

rapid growth in internationallaw mechanismsforthe protcction ofhuman 

righta.Therearcnearly 100 univcrsalandregionaiagrcementsregarding 

theprotection ofhumanrightsto which avastmajorityofnationSratcs 

lintlthemselvestodayz.Yet,thclingering eFcctsofviolence,clisease,fam ine, 

*ViceChancellor,NationaiLaw University,Delhi 

1 Emilie M .Hafner-Burton & Kiyotcru Tsutsui,Human Rightsin aGlobalizirlg 

World:TheParadoxofEmptyPromiscs,1l0 A.I.S )375(2005). 

2 TheUN HumanRiglatsTreafymcchanism isgroundcdinthcsevencorehuman 

rightstreatics(InternationalCovenantonEconomic,Socialand CulturalRights; 

theInternationalCovenaltton CivilaldPoiiticalRights;IntcrnationalConvcntion 

ontheEliminatlonot-AjlFormsofDiscrimination;ConveltiononthcElimination 

ofAllFormsofDiscriminationAgainst'Womcn;Convcnciok)againstTortureald 

OtherCruel,Inhumau orDegradingTrcaqmentand Punishmelt;Conventiono1z 

:heRightsoftheChild;and thrlntcrnationalConvcnliollontiyeProrcctiolofthe 

IlightsofM igrant'Workersand MembcrsorthcirFamilics),whichsetlegalstandards 

forrhepromorionand prosectionofhumanrirhrs.Complianccismooiroredb), 

treaty bodiesthrough Severalprocedurcs,including rtporting,considerationof 

individualcomplaints,and,forrwo Ereatics,ilquiriesinto Systeltlaticviolations. 

SetKarinLucke,RcmarksatthcAnlcricanSocic:yoflntcrnationalLaw Proccedilgs 

ofthe98:1AnnualM ccting(M ar.31-Apr.3,2004). 

Journalo/t/?eNatiovlMo zr;Riglu Comtnision,kb/.9,2010

' Journalt/râeNationalNvrzaRightsCtwzm zor?,#bl#,2010 

and the destrucrion ofcconomicand socialinfrastrtcturc continucto violate 

human rightsand increase rheworld'sdcath to13 . 

Togctherthescformalmechanisms4,with theinformalmechanisms 

in termsof civilsociety,transnationaladvocacy networks , socialmovements, 

and non-governmentalorganizationshavecreated new standardsof 

intcrnationalhuman rightsnormss .Thesecom hined cforrsatborh thc 

formaland informallevclhave reduccd ,to acertain extent,thedemocratic 

defcitin infernationallaw m aking bygiving increased opportunity to non - 

governmentalactorsto participatein formation of globalhuman rights 

standards. 

The realquestioniswhatgood arethe - scintcrnationalhuman rights 

normsifthcy arenotcnforceclatal?Even thougl)thercareinsernational 

instirutionalmechanismsforenforcementof-human rightstreaticș to 

m onitorand enforcctreaty obligations,thtxy prove to beweak inenforcing 

intcrnationalhum an rightsnorms . So whatshould l)e done whcn 

internationalmechanismsarenotenough forenforcementofinternational 

human rightsnorms??tsH athaway and Burton suggest , globalcivilsociety 

and domesticenforcementm echanismscould play an importantrolein 

thecfectiveenforcemcntofinterna'tionalhum an rightsnorms . Vrhere 

internationalbodicsarelesactivein theenforcementoftreav com mitmelts 

;5 Oncconseaativcestijnateofthedirccrdeath folfrom civilwarssince1945exceedsl6 

m ilion.morethan fivctimcs asm any people a .shave died in inrcrsratewarṣ In thel990s,over 

90 pcrccntol-cleathscaused by svaroccurredin ilkrcrnalconflictṣ SeeJercmyM .Vfeinstein, 

huidr A& /?r(?a 4-5(New York:fzambridgeUnivcrsity Press , 2007) 

4 Luckc,supra lotc2 . 

5 FunhcraspcrChinkin and Boyle,thtrartgeard diversity ofaoa-stafeauorsmtlktitilnpor siblt 

I()do moretlan gcneralizeabouttheirlaw-milrlng acriviticṣ N everrhclcssîhereislittle 

tloubttha!variousnon-stateacclrscontribureindiffercntwaysto rhcemergenccof iltcrnatiolal 

novms.Atarklsoylc& ChrkstsncChknlun,TbrMaking J/-/zltrrnzrlsnz?/Law 44 ,tNcw'York; 

O xfordUnivcrsityPrcss,2007).Therojeofnon-staçeactorsinmakingofinfernarionalnorlns 

hasbeen rccognized tayscholarssuc .h asBrunoSimma,AnclreasPauluș M ichaclReislnan.and 

H arold Koh.5eeB.simma& A . Paulus.lil'he Responsibility oîIndividualsforHuman 

RightsAbuscsin Ilterl)alColilicts;A l'osilivistView' , 9.5Am.f 1nt11.302.306(1999);M. 

Rcisltlalt,ThcView from theNew HavenSdzooiof Intcrnationall w aw,86 Am,Socy'Int'lL. 

PROC ll8,l22(1992);H.Kol4,NvhyDoNationsObcyInternalionalḻ asv?l06YALI LJ 

2599.26264l996-7);JusticeRalsoomer1nlah,InternarionalHumanItighrsNormș in 

DtvrlopingHumanRighlslurisprudencr:7'>rDomesticApplkatonoffnternativnalfftratzaRleghts 

Nt/rzrv I(HumanRightsUnit.CommonwealrbSecretariat'ḻondon,1988J.Scegeneraly 

Kcnncth 10(14'Defending Economic ,Socialand CulturalRights:PracticalIssuesFact:d byan 

Eutertzatiuust1llkmanltkl'îtsOrsanh.atkons'26Hum.Rts.Q.G5(2004) .

=' 

(asintheareaofhumanrights)itfalsupon domesticinstitutionsto fll 

thegap.M zny scholarsargucthatdomestic enforccmentmechanismssuch 

asdomesticcourtscould play animportantrolein enforcing intcrnational 

human rightsnorm s.6 

Butarc domesticcourtsobliged ro cnforceinternationalhum an rights 

norms?Undcrmostoftheinternationalhuman rightsinstruments,aState 

partyisrequired to takcappropriatemeasuresto implementitSinternational 

human rightsprom ises,which inclucle adoption oflcgislative measures. 

ItLaslneen argued specificaly in rhecontexsof shecconomic,social 

and culturalrightsthatlegislation isindispcnsable in orderto apply 

intcrnationalhuman rightsnormsrorelationsbctaveen privateindividuals, 

ro overrïdeinconsisrentlcgislation,orro remedy situasionswhere nonlegislativemeasureshavebecn 

provcn inefective7,ln thisscenario when a 

Statefailsto fulilli(silrerlationalobligations,domesticcourts,arein a 

position to implementtherespolsibility oftheStareparty TheConsticution 

providesforthe dom es:iccourrsto scrve asa mediatorbetween rhe 

internationalhum an rightnormsand nationalsociety.Thereisno single 

variablethatconclusively explainsthecnforcementofinscclarionalhuman 

rightsnorms6y domesticcourtsin general;asaresult,itisdiflcultto 

generalize from expcriencesofdomesticcourtsin diferentJ'urisdictions. 

Therearemany variablcsstlchasclomestic politlcalpresures,parricular 

constitutionalstructurcsand histories,legalcultureand the relative 

i:ldependenceofcourtswhich determinehow cffectively dom esticcourts 

could enforceintcrnationalhtlman riglcsnorms. 

6 SeegelteralyAndreNolkacmpcr.IntcrnatiolalyWrolgftzlAcu inDomesticCotlrrs,l0lAl1R.J. 

1n('1L.760(2007);EyalBencvcnisti,'JudicialMisgivilvsRegartijlgthezïpplicationofInternalioual 

l-aw:AnAn.:1,ysisofAtltudesol-NationalCourrsnkiEur.J.lnt'l.1-5d2(199.3);YuwetlShany.How 

Suprelncis(lteSupremeL'tw orthclmnd?ComgarativeAnalysisofthe l lucnccofInremational 

Human Rights-l-reatiesUponThcIntcrprctation OfConstitutional'lèxtsBy Domcsticccnlrts,t5l 

Brooi' . Jlnt'lL.:511(2006);JoannaHaningxon.71>cDemocraticClal'lcltgeofIncorporation: 

InlcrlationalHulnal)RightsTreaticsand NationalConstitutiolt,.58 Vict.U.W cllington. 

I-.lcv.2 17(2007).SealsoEnforcinglnternadontdHumanRigbtsinilpwtv/irCouru (Bencdetxo 

Conforti& FrancescoFrartcioIlied,TlkeHague:MartinusNijhofFI'ublishers.1997);Karen 

Knop Hcm andThere:lntenlatioltalL.w inDomoricCourrs,32N.Y.U.J.lIltdl.& Pol.501 

(2000). . 

Mathew C.R.Czraven.theIldterlaliotaionEcnonomic,Social,and Culturaltliglts125(1995); 

cf,YuvalShaly,How SuprclucisthcSlpremcLaw of theLald?ColnpatativeAnalysisofthe 

influenceof-lnrernationalHtlman Righîs'l'reatiesUpontleInterprclalionofClonstitutional' 

Texryb)rDomesricColirrs,.5!Brnok.7.1n1kL.J

$ Journal@ . &/leNationalSlarl&'m RigbtsCpr?;ril'rfzvl,14/.% 2010 

Role of H um an ltightsin India 

A lmodern societiesrend to orgaalzeand regulatcthciraffairsin such 

amannerasto ensurethatthcy work forcom mon welfareon one hand 

and dignity of eaclaindividualon theotlaer . Thegrowth and developmcnt 

ofhuman ty com prised in the society dependson (l4esilwerity and 

comm itmcntto :hisapproach.H uman rightsare generaly roolrd in Lhe 

culturaland politicalethosofeach frcemodern Statcin thepresenttimcs . 

Theprimereason isthatthetheory ofnaturalIaw ofexistencemandates 

provision ofland accessto theseinalienablcand innaterightsforoptimum 

growthof-thcindividualasahuman to beusefulto selfand to :hesociety 

and environmentofwhich hc isa part. 

During thestruggleforindependence,otlrfrecdom fightersraised their 

voicesagainsthum an righrsviolaLionsand dcprivation of basic civil,political 

and cconom icrightsatthehandsof-thef'orcign rulcrs . Nvhen free Indiasct 

aboutthetask of-preparing aConstitution forself-governance , onc arca on 

which tlwrewascomplcteunanimityw:tsthesubjectoffundamentalrights. 

W irh history ofstrife emanating from socialevilsofcastcism and 

com munalism ,and alarge chunk ofpopulation engaged in struggle for 

existence amids:ex:rem e povcrnr,deprivarion,hunger , iliteracy, 

unemploymentand aI1conscquenrmiseries,itwasclcarthatrespectfor 

hum an righo,lotm erely in theory;butin practice from thestandpointof 

good governancc could lae the only lmrting solution forguarantceing pcace , 

tranquility and equitabledevelopment. 

Taking cuefrom rheUniversalDeclaration ofH um an Rightsthat 

becam epartofthcfirm amentofinternationallaw in 1948 , asindced fkom 

Constitutionsoforhergreatdemocracicsoftheworld ,Indiaadopred her 

Consritution thacassured one and a1thatitwould bc aDemocratic 

Republicaimingrosecurctoal1itscitizensJustice,Libcrry and Equality 

whileprom oting dignity ofthcindividuaḷ-fheConstimtion assuredlustice 

notmerclyinabstractbutJusticeofbroad spectrum coveringsocial, 

econom ic and politicalrights.TheLiberty guaranteed to the citizensof- 

Indiawaspromised to t)cinclusive ofliberty in the matterofthoughț 

expression,belielfaith and worship.Similarly,if notmoreimportantly, 

(he rightto Equality,graftcd asa basic preceptofthe Statcpolity was 

intended to be notmerely of-statusbutofopportunity .

Tof'acilitatcartainmentoftheseConstitutionalgoals,enjoymentof 

basicciviland poll:icalrightsundcrthetaxonomy ofFuntlam entalRights 

wasguaranteed aspartofitsbasicstructure.Thiswasdonc by notmere 

ornamentalplatitudinotlsdcclaratiolbut1:),makingtheserightsjusticiable 

ald enforceable.The-serighfsarecomplementcd and supplemented by cenain 

univcrsaly recognized economic,socialand cul:uralrightsknown in our 

polityas:heD irective Principlcsof State Policy,treated as'fundamentalin 

thegovernance'of:hecountryand,thercfore,subjectmatterofthe'duty' 

oftheStateto apply.'1-lzeregimeofthese human riglts,recognized by our 

Constitution,isfoundedoncommonobjectivc,lzamely:hewclfareofthc 

individtlalon onehand and ()fthesocicty on the other.ln thisscnse,thcy 

are interdcpendentforfacilitating attainmentofdemocraticaspirationsof 

'Wc thcpeople ofIndia'asawhole. 

Principles-M oving tow ardsD om estic lm plem entation 

oflnternationalH um an Rights 

H ulnan risltsm ovcnAentin thefreeworld rcachcd alandmark when 

UN GeneralAsscmbiy adopted aresoluLion,in Dcccmberl993to endorse 

the 'ParisPrinciples'of l99 l thatmooted the idea ofestablishing 

lnstitutionsdesigned to provide 'guidanceand direcrions'forafording 

'befterprotection ofluman rights'.In rbewakeoftlesedevelopments 

India,comm itted to 'respectforinternational1aw and ('rearyobligations 

in thedealingsoforganized peoplewith oncanother',enacted thcProtcction 

ofH uman RighpsAct,1993,with a view ro bring aboutgrcaLer 

accountability and srrengthen thcdonainion ofhuman righo in Che country. 

Thisenactmenswidened Chcficld ofIlulnan rigltsregime in ourcountnr 

by including within itscompass,notonly fundamentaltightsbutalso t'he 

rightsembodied in two majorinternationalcovenants,namely Lhe 

Covenanton Civiland PoliticalRightsand theCovenantonEconom ic, 

SocialandCulturalRigh:s,botlàadoplcd bytheUNO in1966. 

The lnternationall-lunlan Rigltsregimc hasnlade tremendous 

progresin rhelastfotlrdecadesaftertheadoption of:wointernational 

covenantsmenrioned iIaourSratupe.Thebasic righ:to life sLandsenlargcd, 

courresypro-acLiveapproachofjudicialorgan,soastoincludewit'linits 

swecp the rightto livewith dignity,righ:ofhcalrh,rigltro clean

ioutmaloftbeNkrïomzfHumanRfg/?f,Commïàion,kbf.9,2010 

environmcnt,rightofcquitableacccssto opportunitiesforoptimum growth 

& developmentof sel economicaly,culturaly and Socialy. 

Concernsfortheprotection ofecoiogy and polution freeenvironment 

havebroughtundcrSharp focusthegoalof 'suscainablcdevclopm ent' 

rendering i:asubjec:matcroflasichumanrights.Overtheycars,rhe 

inrernationalcom m unity ha5becom c incrcasingly aware aboutthe 

relationship between environmentdegradation an'd human rightsabuses . 

ltisnow universaly accepted rlzatenvironmentaland human rightsarc 

inextricably linked.Poverty situationsand human righrsabuscsareworscned 

by environmcntaldcgradition.Thisphenomenaoccurs'forseveralreasons 

including thefactstbatthccxlaaustion of-naturalresourcesleadsto 

unem ployment,em igracion tocities,leading to adverseimpacton public 

health and negariveeconom ic;socio-cultural,and politicalconsequences . 

Thesituarionbroughtoutbyenvironl'nentaldcgradation transcenctspolitical 

boundariesand isofcriticalimportanceCo theprescrvation ofworld peace 

and security T hcprotcction oftheenvironm entbeing atthe coreofcxistcncc 

ofhum alAity,):hasassum ed thestatusof mostcru'cialhuman rights ,t%e 

protection ofwhichisamattcrofunivcrsalresponsibility . These concerns, 

in fact,lcd to incltlsion of adutyto protectand im provethe cnvironment 

aspartofourStatepolicy underArticle48-A . 

.ksparticipative dernocracieshavcincreasingly rccognised)theawareness 

ofseriousimpactofadegraded environmenton humkn'heaich and wcll 

being.ThishclpsinadjustmenrofStacepoliciesand culturalpractices 

leadlng to beterprotection ofhum an rightsand human dignit'y and 

artictlation of amoreintegrated approach to dealingwith socio-cconomic 

and environmcntalproblems,encouraging the devclopmentofasustainable 

model,fortheuseandenjoymentof1:0th presentandfuturegcncrations. 

Aspartof The moxrementto triggeracton on thc frontofhuman rights , 

EheUnitcd NationsM ilenniunlSum mit,Leld on 8Scptcmbcr2000 , 

adopted a Declaration to setouttheM ilennium DcvelopmcntGoalsfor 

alpcaceloving peoplesofthefreeworld. 

7-lisdcclararionwasasoiemn resoiveby themcmbcrStalesro end 

human poverry,prom ote dignity and equality and to takestepsin 

furthcranceof the aztack on widespread hungcr,gcnderinequality 

environmentaldeteriqration,lack ofeducation and hcalth careetc.Hon'ble 

Dr.JuspiceA.S.Anand,Chairperson ofNationalHuman Rights

Conamission,inhisAddressinJune2006attheinauguralsessionofUnited 

NationsH um an RightsCouncilin Geneva,said that'universality ofhuman 

rightsdemand eradication ofglobalincqualities'since'human rightsare 

interdependenrand interrelated and havea directrelationship with human 

development'altd because massiveinequalitio and socialevilsflowing from 

Povcrtyrender'thccnjoymentofhumanrightsratherilusoryd'.-fheworld 

isvcering round to tlaisview thatlaoldsthe conceptofhum an rights 

underplnning holistic htlm an dcvclopmcnt. 

lndia,thus,hasbeen attheforefrontof thc growth ofhum an rights 

J'urisprudence.Nvearesheiargestdemocracz of thcpresentday world.N'Ve 

seeforourselvesagreafegrolein ncarftltureformaintenanceof global 

peace,tranquility andsccuritywiththcobjcctivcof-promotingharmony 

and :hespiritofuniversalbrotlerhood am ongs:thecntirehumanity.'Wc 

arc com mitted to work foraworld ordertranscendingreligious,linguistic 

and regionalorsectionaldivcrsitiesso thatcach individualhasaccessto 

opporrunitiesand resourccsto iaspircand striveforexcelrnccand colective 

enrichm entleadingto common welfarc.Thcsc arethevery idealsonwhich 

ourdemocraticwelfarcStatcisfoundcd, 

In vicw of t17cfact'tlatguaranteeofbasichuman rightsliesatthecore 

ofCruedemocracy,itisimpcrativc thatlndialeadsb),example in tle 

enforcementofhuman rights.Itbcing partofthcconstitutionalotnlsgation 

ofourdemocrao,theobjectivcofushering ingoodgovcrnancctbat 

cherished and zealously guardcd human rightsissoughtro beachieved by 

establishmentofH um an RightsapparatusundcrthcProtcction ofH uman 

RightsAct. 

TheN ationalH unAan RightsComm ission hasbecnentrusrcd wirl: 

an al-lndiaroleand rcsponsibility ofprotccring and prom oring human 

rightsofthecitizens.Atthcctlting cdgclcvcl,howcvcr,thelaw envisagccl 

creation ofH ulzzan RightsComm issionsforcach Sratc,-l'he roleassigncd 

(o Nationaland st'ate H ulnan ikightsComlnissiolsisparticipacive, 

supplem entary and colaborative,(he only diferencebeingin theareaof 

jurisdiction,sincetheirrcspectivcfunctionsovcrlap. 

In thcfast-growing cxpecrarionsoflaw-abidingcitizenry,itltasbcconae 

imperativeforatlconctrned to futy graspand appreciateLhe signtrkcance 

of-the1aw governingtheobjectofprotecrion oflumanrighrs,i17our

Journaltl/r/peNatioulHumanAfrâfyCommision,Ui1% 2010 

countly L pecially,astheprogressofsettingup ofCommissionsin certain 

Srateshasbeen tardy,with appreciarion oftheimportance and supportive 

roleofsuch machinely in mattersof effcctiveand good governance being 

ratherslow. 

Thetask of-the Statein the m aterofprotection ofhuman rights 

doesnotend mcrely with the establishmentofthe Com mission.Such 

m achinery isexpected to deliveronrlneprom ises:helaw envisagesaspart 

ofitsduties.ltwould notbcoutofplacc tomention abouttleactivities 

ofthe M adhyaPradesh StateHuman RightsCom mission ovcrthelast 

aboutfourteen years.ThisComm ission can claim theproud distinction of 

being tlepioneerin the ficld,in thatitwassetup even beforcthccnactment 

oflaw by theUnion Legislature.Undoubtedly,thisCom mission hasmade 

greatcontribution ro thesustenanceofrulcoflaw by steadfastly pursuing 

issuesofhuman riglttscom ing up tleforcitin variousforms. 

TheColnm ission hasreceived,by and Iarge,positiveresponse and 

cooperation from thcStatcexecutive.Buttlodieslikethiscannotafford to 

Siton theirlaurels..As' itappearstobeaconsidered policy adopted by 

NH RC,theentireburden of com plaintsof aleged human righcsviolations 

would slowly and gradually shifton to tfteshouldersoftheState 

Comm ission soasto alow theNationalCom mission totakeon thelarger 

and moreclzalenging roleofproviding 'guidance and direc:ions'to the 

hulnan rightslnovemenrin the counr!y asawhole.Thisflndsreflection in 

Chaprer14 ofthcAnnualRcportfor2003-04 ofNH RC.'W lzatIam 

pointing outisthcfac:thatwith inrcreased aw-arencssofrights,shifting of 

focusfrom 'wclfarc'to 'rights'ofpersonswith disability,added emphasis 

on theworth ofhuman dignity,acuteabhorrenceofdiscrim ination of any 

kind,in asystem of'inclusivedemocracy'thatwe haveadopted,wherein, 

alsectionsofthesociet)rdcmand J'ustice & equaliry in status,opporrunity 

and distribution ofresources,theconsequentconflicrsofinterestswould 

generatemorecomplaintsofhuman rightsviolacionsin f'uture.In thcresult 

they may face adeluge in vcly ncarfuture. 

Theareasofinrerestand focuswilundoubtedly continueto include 

thetraditionalsubjectsofcustodialdeaths;cusrodialrapes;encounterdeaths; 

rigltsofarestees;human rightsand prisons;rightsofwomen,childrcn or 

othersuchvulnerablescctionsofsociety,subjec'tsinwhichyouhavchad 

reasonsfordissatisfaction,given theconfronca:ionistorolstructionist

attitudein quartershavingves:ed interests.Butthen , thesearethefire-rests 

forwhich sratutoryauthoritiesofthisstaturemustalwaysi)egeared up . 

Possibility of recourseto 'Refercnce'procedureisa matterofdebateand 

policy.on which oneshallhavcto awaitviewsof thelegislature . 

Given :hedirection in which human rightslawsisheading,theState 

Commission would beexpectcd to also shoulderrhe responsibility in thc 

areasasvaried asrightto hcalth carc,righ:to gainfulem ployment,rightto 

corruption-frce governance,rightto relief in timesof man-m adeornatural 

disasters,rightto food and potablewatcr,rightagainsttram cking in hum an 

beings,righ:againstsexualharassmentorabuse,rightsagainstchild labour 

and child m arriageetc. 

No purposeissen'ed by LlaeCom mission cngaging the otheragencies 

ofthc State in adversariallipigarion to secure enforcem entofits 

recom mendations,In thiscontexr,lwould like to impressupon theState 

execurivecharby augmenting :hehuman rightsprotection m achinel'y in 

the State,pheGovernmen:is,in fact,acquiring ap . artnerin good-governance. 

The law castsan obligation on each StateGovernmentto sustain theHuman 

lkightsapparatusby actingin itsaid rarherthan atcross-purposes . ltis 

hoped and rrusted thattheStateGovernmenrwould do a1itcan to reinforce 

thispartnership f-orthecommon good ofrhepeopleof:he Srateand would 

abideby (heprovisionsofprotection ofH um an RighrsActin letterand 

spirit. 

FunctionariesofHuman lkighrsthrougloutIndiamustbearin their 

heartsandminds,thcproactiveapproach adoptedby (hejudiciary to 

religiously guard thcrightsfundamentalforhuman existcnce.Thedirection 

ofl-lum an RightComm issionsmuspencompasrightto lifeso astoinclude 

within irrhe rightto livcwi:h dignity,lealthy environmcnț humane 

conditionsof-work,righttoeducacion , shclrcrand socialsecurity,rigltto 

know,adequatc nutrition & clothing,polution-freewaterand airand many 

othersuch rights. 

Roleof N on-state Actorsin H um an m ghts 

Human rightslaw,obscurcd by thefalaciesofrealism ,hastradirionaly 

concentrated on action by States.lthasbeen assumcd tharitisthe 

governmentwhfch hasthe primary responsibilityboth forprorccting

. ' Jr 

. ! 

lournalofthr/vkf/rlafHunlan Riglm Commision,Pto % 2010 . 'fï 

human rightsandforensuringthathumanrightsarenotinfringed,eirher 'j 

bystateagentsorbythirdpartis.Howeverthccrcdibilityofthisvertical - ! 

imposition of responsibilitz islosing ground with aplethoraofnon-state 1 

bodiesnow acting on theinternationalsrage. , i 

' 

4 

'hvhenwetalkaboutnon-stateactorș ' w c ten d tofocusprimarilyon 1! 

N GO s,Non-stateactors,however,arenothomogenous,nordo they form j! 

amonolithic wholc.They havevariousanḍ oftcn c'onflicting interests, .' 

difl-erentvalue-s,there are sood and bad non-stateactorsand notnecesariljr Ḷ ' 

any agreementaboutwhich falinto which.categoryb.-fhepolarity emcrges .k 

when thedistinction betwccn two categoriesofnon-stare actorsismade. '.1 

Therearcthoscwho are self-intcrestcd,thcfinancialactors,:heCransnation'al . 

corporations,eventerrèristgroups,forinstancc,and thosewho havethe .1. . 

common intcrcstatthecenteroftheirproject,forinstancethenon-. ' 1:é 

govcrnmcntalorganizations(NGOs),particularlyhumanrightsrN.GOs9. i 

Thisciassification howevermakesitdifflcultto catcgorizcaq internarional c 

organization asanon-statcactorforitdoesnotfalunde)pne specific :' 1 

category.An internationalorganization isan institution thatijcpmposed 1. 

' 

t 

ofstares,buc,nevertheless,ithasan independentexistence-ithaslimîtcd 

. .7 

internationalpersonalitphence;pcrhapsitcould be considered anon-statc ., 

actorl' j 

, N evertheless,wegeneraly do notthink in those rerm sabout ; 

. ! 1 

intcrnationalorganizations,forthesimplcrcasonthatintermsofulimare 

decision-making and implementation,theseintcrnationalorganizaiionsare (') i n rurn dcpcndcnton the wilofzrheStatescomprising thcm. 

1 j 

' 

Th erolc of non-stateactorsin human rightscan bethatofdefenders j. 

J 

orviolators.A.sstated above,thisrole isto bcidcntificd and prioritized by i 

rhecategoryunderwhichtheyfal,Thepro-bonoactivistrole:in ocher 

> . 

' 

j 

j 

. l 

vordstheroleofdefendersofhum an rishts,isplaycd by theN G Os!rhè . ?! 

internationalmedia(roqcertainextent)andintherarestorrkrecaâes, . 

individuals.Transnationalcorporations,terorist/armcdgroupsaremore ! 

oftcn violatorsofl:uman rights. . ' .$ 

l 

1 

8 (-.hrisvine ChitlkinfNon-slateAcEorsandîbtirinfllencein Interltaîiolkal.L w,.92 Am..jbr' . !y h 

lnt/L.'Prv..38 0. 

9 ArychNeir,Nol-stateAclorsaldthcirinfltcnceinIntcrnatiolal 'Law,92/1-.Sock'l'n?1L. ' 

/Rrpf-..38() 1 

10 Virginial.caryk.Non-stareActorsandthcirinflcnceinIntcrnatiol:tll=w,92zl-.Soc?yIntk ; 

. - -' l.Prtv.380 . '

RoleofN on-state ActorsasD efendersof H llm an m ghts 

Non-stateactors(hereinafferrefered toasNSA$),mostlycomprising 

N GOshavebeen playing aconsiderablcrolcaschampionsofhuman righcs. 

Thisrolecanbecategorizcdundcrtwohcads,dejureanddefacto.Thede 

facto röleofnon-statcactorsin thiscategolycan befurtherclassified under 

thrcc hcads,viz.,initiation,formulation and enforcementofhuman rights 

Iaws,'1 

Thefirstdefacto roleofNSASistheinitiarion of discussion on human 

rightsissues.TheseNSASdraw theworld'sattention to varioushum an 

rightsissuesand thusfacilitateinternationalorganizations(and even 

governments)suchas:heUN,inidcntijringandbringingbeforethefora, 

thekeyhuman rightsisues.Spccificmention isto bemade of rherole 

played by tl4e internationalmedia.Themediahighlights:hehuman righrs 

violationsacrossthegloblt,thereby cnabling theprioritisation ofhuman 

rightsissuesin thcagendaofgovernmentsand interna:ionalorganizarions . 

Thisignitcsthcform ulation ofhuman righrslawsarthenarionaland 

intcrnationallevel, 

Thesecond'defacto role relatesto theformulation ofhuman rights 

Iaws.Non-stateAcpors,wirh particularreferenccto N GOsareactivcly 

involved in thedrafting ofhuman rightstreaticsand charrerslz.The recep: 

RomeStatu:eofthe InrernationalCriminalCourtisChefines:exampleof 

:heroleplayed byNGOsindraftinghumanrightsconventions.Inlulyof 

2002 in Rome,the ICC camcabout,butnotsim ply because stateswere 

interesxed in it.Ovcr200 N GOsparticipated in thetlrafting and ultimate 

approvalofLhatstgtute.-f'heICRC hasbeen apioneerin draftingtheGeneva 

Conventionson Humanitarian l-aw rclatingto treacmencofciviliansduring 

(ime-sofwar,prisonersofwarand the treatmcntofthesick and wounded 

belonging to armed and navalforces.TheNGOssubmitlegalstudiesdrafred 

by experts,which coptain theirown interpreration of phe applicable 

internationalr'ulejoflaw and suggcstionsforim provements . This,they 

11 Forfurtherbackgroultd oItther()1eofhumanrighlsNGC)s,seee.g,David W eissbrodṭ The 

Conrribution oflnterlationalNongovernmenxalOrganizationsîo tht'Protection ofH ultal 

Righu,in2HfmanS;Y7rJlntrnationalf-lzfJ.'LqalPoliciesand7kyf/ey(TheodorMerol)ed.I 

19 84 ) 

12 ProfDr.JanWouLers& ltgridRossi,HumanrightsNGOs:Role,SfructureandLegal 

Srarus,W o'rkingPaperNo l4 -November200 1

. 

lourtuzloftbe/oH/z;d;/Human skâtrCommision,W1.9,2010 

employ asapartoftheirlobbying strategyand thereby setstandards(e.g., 

1993 W orld Conferenceon H uman Right.sinvienna,1995FourthW orld 

ConfercnceonWomcninBcijing,2001World Conferenceon Racism). 

The third and the mostim portantde facto rolc rclatesto rhe 

enforcem cntofhum an rights,NSAS,though nothaving any am liation 

with thcStatem achinery,do play apivotalrole in theimplementation of 

hum an rightsstandardsatthc nationaland internationallevel.Hum an 

rightsNGOs,being morcindependentfrom politicalforcesthan Statesor 

intcrnationalorganizations,are ableto recognise and censurehuman rights 

violarions.l'The reporLssubmitted by theseN GOson hurnan rights 

violalions(whlch isoften madeavailable ro the publicthrough the 

internarionatmedia)makeitdimcultforthestate.stoignorethcscviolations. 

Further,theUN human rightsbodicsand otherintcr-governmentalhuman 

rightsbodiessuch astheInter-American Courton Human Rights,Europcan 

CourtofH um an Rightsrequircinform ation on human rightsStandards 

and violationswhich isprovided by theseN GOsthrough theirresearch. 

Thedejlreroleofnon-stateactorsinhumanrightsisquitesubstantial 

indeed,consideringthefac:thatvely few internationalNSAS(particularly 

NGOs)aretxclusivclyinternationalintheirapproach (c.g.,Amnesty 

International).Nevek-tlxlos,intcrnationallawhasprovidcd thescnon-statcactors 

arolcto piay through thcUN Chm erandvariotsotherhuman righcstreaticsl4. 

A riclc7 1oftlAcUN Charterprovide.schatcheEconomic and SocialCouncil 

(ECOSOC)maymakeconsaltativearangemencswithNGOs.ln1948,when 

only forty-eightnon-governmenralorganizatiorshad reœivedc,oftsulr,alivestato 

with theU.N.Economic and SocialCouncil,roclay 1,350 NGOshave such 

status.ln addition,1,550 NGOshaveconsultativestatuswith theU.N .'S 

Departlnentof Labor,up from 200 in 196815.M anyspecialorgansoftheUN 

maintain similarconsultativearrangementswir.h NGosywhich'are regulated 

in rcsolutionsofthe GeneralA scmbly ECOSOC,orin rulesofprocedureof 

thespecialorgansthemselves. 

li5 '...Becausemany naîionaldclegationslack çhcresourccsto do thoroughhuman rightsresearch, 

NGOsoften providedelegateswith ildforlnaliolland even draftdoculnentationIbrusein 

U.N.bodies'.(W eisbrodt'op.cir',p.zîl9). 

11 S tlNigelS.Rodlcy'Human RigltsNGO S;Rightsald ObligatiolksaPreselztStatusand 

Perspctives,iltTbrlr/lfvlt?c.,yoftbtUnitrdNations:Dztz/zrJ.fanEnhancrdLqalS'/J/'I?JofNons'Jrrzlclvrj',SinlSpccialNo.19,(1997),p.44. 

1j 'l'liomasM .M clo ltell,Hulnal)RigltsanclNon-statcActors,llPaceIntïL.Reu 205

W ith respectto human rightstreaties,thereisalwaysareporting 

procedureby theStatePartiesbeforethe treaty bodies(Economicand Social 

Councilunderthe lnternationalCovenanton Educationai , Socialand 

CulturalRights,forinstance).Asregardsthisreporting procedure,the 

ECO SOC lsopen to NGO participation.Ithasbtxn said thattlaemost 

developed system ofN GO inputistheNGO group on the Comm ittcc 

on the Rightsofthe Child,which hasissued a guide forNGOspreparing 

complementary informacion and which invitesN GOsto presentoral 

information to a pre-sessionalworking group ofthe Committeel6 . 

Inothcrtrcatics,howevcr,thcdcjurerolcofNSAS,though informal, 

isnonethelessinfluenrial,theearlierHuman RightsColnmittee(HRC) 

and currentH uman RightsCouncilunder(hellAternationalCovenanton 

Civiland PoticicalRightsand CouncilofEurope'sEuropean SoclalCharter 

forinstance.TheH RC enliststhehelp ofNGOsto scrutinizetlereports 

submirted by thc Statesand to rcvealthoscvitalmatcrstlathavebeen 

concealed in such rcports. 

However,thecorncrstone ofenforcement , viz,theability ofNSA.S 

such asNGOSto initiatean internationalcase orintervene asparry islimired 

becausein (heinrernationalcourtsonly Statesmay bepartiesto proceedings . 

However,NGOsluvcparticipated asamicuscuriaeinintcrnationaljudkcial 

bodiesand areactivcasamicuscuriaein thcrcgionalhuman rightssystems 

ofEuropeand America,i.e.(hcEtlropean Courtofl-luman Rightsand thc 

Inter-American CourtofH tlman Rlghtsb7. 

Role asv iolatorsofH um an m'ghts 

Nvhilethegeneralrule isrhafnon-state actorscannorcqmmirhuman 

rightsviolations,humanrightsIaw doesoblijestatestoregulatetheconduct 

ofnol-governmentalactors,including corporations,to ensure they do not 

commir luman rightsabuses.N on-stafcactorssuch ascorporations , 

fundamentalistgroupsandarmed opposition grotlpsarchaving an increasing 

impactonrheenjoymentofeconomic,socialandculturalrightsinparticular. 

16 M arrin Schcinin,lntcrnarionalM cchanismsand ProccdurcsfbrImplcmcnration , in An 

JNrtWlfc/czltotbeCbleraal/palz/ProtectionofHumanRtibts(RaijaHanskiandMarkkuSuksi' 

eds.,I999,2ncIed.),429,arp.455. 

17 Formoreinformarion onthisçopic ,5ccDinahShclton,'I-lcPanicipation ofNongovernm ental 

OrgaaizatioasinIn toationalJudiciaiProucdings,88Am.7.Int'lLaw 63!642(19943 .

I JournaloftbeN zopzafHumdn A#/J/ Commision,14l9,2010 

Human rights1aw conferscertain dutieson non-statcactolzaswel.Article 

10 oftheDeclaration onthelkightand Rcsponsibilityoflndividuals,Groups 

and Organsof Society to Promoteand ProtectUniversalyRccognizcd 

Hum an m ghtsand FundamentalFreedomsptovidestha:no onc shal 

participate,by actorby failureto actwhererequired,in violating human 

rightsand fundgmcntalfreedom .Thusitbecomescleartlàatby :hcdisregard 

ofsuch dutiesnon-statcactorsplay adirectand indirectrole in awide 

rangeofhuman rightsviolations. 

In Canada,amajorcauseorhomelcssness,particularlyamongpoor 

familieswith children,islandlordsusing 'minimum incomerequiremcnts' 

to disqualify low-incomchouseholdsfrom housing.TheCentreforEquality 

Rightsin Accommodarion ICERAI,alongwith othergroupsand 

organizations,challenged rhese policiesasaform ofdiscrimination under 

domestichumaltrighrsIegislation.Lqndlordsand bankspoured alm osta 

m ilion dolarsinto defending their 'corporateright'todisqualify poor 

Peopleas 'laclcreditriskç.'Thetribunalruled in favorof theclaim ants, 

Thedecision,which rcccived widespread mediaattcntion acrossCanada, 

found thatIandlordsviolate domestichuman rightslegislation when they 

discriminate againsttheI7oor.'8 

In l997 acoalition ofhuman rightslawyerscstablished the rightunder 

US law to sucmultinationalcorporationsf'orthcirparticipation in certain 

typesofhuman rightsviolationsin forcign countries.A US DisrrictCourt 

Judgcrulcdchatvictimsofforcedlabourandothergrosshumanrights 

violationsinBurmacouldbringsuitagainstUnocalCorp.foritsjoinr 

participarion wi:h (hc Burmesemilitaly govcrnmentin apetroleum pipeline 

projcctwhereBurmesecitizenswcreforcedtoworkontheprojectand 

atrocicieswerecolnmirted againstrhem.h9 

In Decem ber1984,acloud oftoxic chem icalsescaped rom theUSowned 

Union Carbidepesticidcfactory in Bhopal,India.-fhreethousand 

pcopledied in aspaceofafcw hours,Afteracriminalinvcstigation,the 

lndian Governmentchargcd Union Carbide,iSUSchairman and anum ber 

oforlercom pany oficialswith hom icide.zo 

18 Srex/ltp://wavwl.ttmn,cdtl/lxuIAAalzrfS/edul)1a:/lH Y P/circle/pan2/M ODUI,E9.1dTM /> 

tlastvisitcd on28.10.2009) 

àî)JollDoeIcta1.v.UnocalCorporaLion,MlraEdmarOi1anc!GasEnterprisecta1.United 

statesDistrictCourt,GcncralDist.ofCalifbrnia'CaseNo.Cv96-695.9-P.A.E 

20 SeeC laranlal5al'tlv.UnionofIndiaA1R 1990 SC 1180.

Them ostdangerousamong thenon-stateactorswho violatehuman 

rightsstandardsare,however,terroristsand atmed groups.Currently,one 

ofthemostdranaaticthreatsto human Sccurity isinternalarmedconflict.zl 

In 1998 alone,violentconflicrstook placein atlcast25 countries.O utof 

these armed conlicts,23werein:ernal,engaging oneorm orcnon-state 

armcd groups.zA key featureofinternalconfliccsisthewidespreadviolation 

ofhumanitarian and humanrightsbyarmeclgroups,from rebelmovements 

to privatel'nilitias, 

Background:Constitution of India and Suprem eCourt 

The Constitution 

TheConst'itution ofIndiaistleworld'slengthiesrconscitution with 

morcthan 570 articlcs,repletcwith multipleschedulesand m ore than 

ninety am cndmcntsz'.ltrccognizcsfundamentalrightsthatarelargely 

similarto rhe individualrighrsenum eratcd in thclnternationalCovenant 

on Civiland PoliticalItighrsin Part11121.Thcy wcrcoriginaly divided into 

seven partsconsisting of:herightto equalirs therightto frccdom ,thc 

rightagainsrexploitation,(herigh:to freedom of religion,the righrsof the 

minorities,therightto propertyand therighttoenforcerhe fundam ental 

rightszs.The ftlndamentalrightto propertz wasdelered in l979 and placed 

in anew Arricle300A and isnow a legalright.The Constitution of lndia 

also containsrighLscorresponding Eo the InternationalCovenantfor 

21 ClaudeBruclerlein,ThcRolcofNon-tirareActorsinBuilcling Human Security 

Th:CaseofArmed Groupsin Inrra-sratcNvkqrs,'ork.org/ 

necwork-e.php/>(laS(visitedon28.10.2005. 

22 SeetheSIPRIYearbook I999,Armaments,Disarmamtnt zl/:/lntêrnationqls-itwr/lz,Oxforcl 

University Press,l999. 

23 Theclassicstudy oftltelndianColtstitution isGranvileAusLin,ThrIndian Constitudon: 

CbrltvzrwpeofA Nation(1$.7:-$:,Delhi;OxlbrdUniversityPres,l966),Thelengthandcomplexinr 

ofthe doculnelttissomewlta:nlitigated bythefactt'hatapproximately two-thirdsofir5 

provislonsaretccltnicalfunctioning moreIikeorganicstatutesthan constiturionalprovisions; 

cfLBurtNeuborle,The SupremeCourtofIndiayJIN TL .ILCONST L.476(2003). 

24 Thesefundam entalrigltssubstantiallycoveral)the raditionalciviland poliricalrighrs 

enumerated in Articles2(o 21of:he Univers:tlDeclaraîion of Human Righrs.SeeSubhasCr. 

Kashyap,TheConstifutionofIndiaand InternarionalLaw,inlndia stndlntrrnationalLaw 13 

lBimalJalaned.MartinusNijhoffPublishers,Boston,2005). 

25 M ahendra !Singh,Consritutionalization and Rcalizaxion ofHuman Righrsin Inclia,in 

HumanalV/zrl,./xm'(z andcotîszitttionalEtnpowermenr30(C.RajKumar& K.Chockalingam 

ed.,Ncw Delhi:Oxford UlhiversiryPress,2007).

journaloftbeNZSZ?rP,JHumau Ak/?r.çComminion,#b/.#,2010 

EconomicSocialand CulturalRights(ICESCR)unlerPart-lv referred to 

asDirectivePrinciplesofStatePolic'yand constitutcsnon-enforceableset 

ofrights(seeAppendix11).Forinstance,minimum livingwagesz6,freeand 

com pulsory education foralch lclrcn up to agefourteenz7,m inim um 

standardsofliving,nutrltlon and public heath , protection and 

improvem entofenvironment,forestsand wild Iifeand fherightto frcc 

legalaid28.ThespiritofDirecçivePrinciplc of State Policiesiscxprcssed in 

Article38whichestablishes:heaspirationalgoalspfeconomicjusriceand 

socialtransformasion. 

Further,(heConstitution underArticle51in Part-lv alsolaysdown 

rhebaseson which lndia'sforeign policy should be constructed and io 

intcrnationalobligationsrespectedzg.Article51(c)obligate.s:heSfateto 

fosterrespectfor-internationaikaw and treaty ob igationsin inter-stafc 

rclations.Foradomcsticlawyer,Article5l(c)raisesissuesconcerningrhc 

subjects,thefunctions,thenatureand sourcesofinternationallaw aswcl 

ascherelationship bctween (hedomcsticlaw and internationallawlẓ 

T heSuprem eC ourtof India 

T'heConstitution .ofIndiaprovisioned foraSuprem eCourtwith a 

Chieflusriccandsevenlower-rankingjudges,leavingittoParliamentEo 

26 Art.ti3:Livingwage,etc.,forworkers:TheStareshalcndeavourto secure , by suitable 

lcgislatioltoreconolnic organisatiol)orin any ovhcrway , to :1workel's.agricultural,industrial 

orulherwise,w'ork,aIivin'g wagc , conditionsof work ensuring adecentstandard of Iife ancl 

fullcnjoynaentofIeisureandsocialaldculturalopportunifiesand,inparticular,theSrate 

sitailcldeavourropromote cotage iltdustriesonan individu: orco-operalivebasisin rural 

areas. 

27 Art.45:Provision forfreeand compulsory ctlucation forchildren . - -rheStatcshalendcavour 

to provide,within a period often yearsfrom rl'kccommencementofthisConsrirution , forfree 

ald comptlsory education foralchildrenunri:they completethe agcoffouncen yearṣ 

28Articlc39A:Equaljusticeandfrcclegalaid.TheSrateshalsecurcthattheoperalionof'the 

legalsysrcm promolesjusticc,onabasisofequalopporunity,anclshal,inparîicular,provitlc 

freelcgalaid.bysuitablelcsislarionorsclemesorin any othcrway ,to ensuredlatopportunities 

f'orsccuringjusticearcnotdcniedtoalycitizenbyrcasonofeconomicorolherdisabiliticṣ 

29 Articlc51:Promotionofintcrltationalpeaccand sccuritz--f'ileStareshalendeavotlr(o- 

(a)prolnoteinternationaipcaccandsecurity; 

(bJmaintainjustandbonorablcrclationsbvtweennations; 

(c)fostcrrcspectforinlcrnationallaw âld treaty obligationsin(hcdealingsoforganiẕetl 

pcoplcswith ole anothrr;and 

(1)encotlragcscttlcmentofilrernationaldispuresby arbitration. 

30 1,ChandràsclcharaRao,7>eIndian(7t?rlslvlf?az/and /zlern/zl/npz/Law 7(Delhi:Taxmann , 

1k)9 5).

increase(hisnumbcr.TlàeSupremeCourtofIndiacomprisesthcChief 

JusflceofIndigandnormorethan25otherjudgesappointed by the 

PresidentofIndia.However,thcPresidentmustappointjudgesin 

consulfation with ?heSuprem eCoul'tand appointmentsaregeneraly madc 

on thebaqisofsenioritlc-l-he Cabinethasrecenrly incrcascd thenumberof 

StlprelncCourtjudgesfrom 25to30 takingintoconsidcration thc 

increasing work load and enornaity of long pending cascs.SupremeCour: 

judgcsretireupon attainingrhcageof65years. 

Asrcgardsthefunctioning of.theSupremcCourt,thcperiod from 

1950 to 1975consritutcd oneofthcformativeyearsof(helndian Supremc 

Courtwhich ended with adoctrine of basic structure',in particular,asa 

' 

reactiontoashecxecurive'sarremprtodilute(hepowcrofjudicialreview 

through statutesorcolstitutionalamendmen:s3t.According to this 

doctrine,the executivepowerofamending theConstitutioncould notbe 

equalfo r%cpowerofm akilg aconstitution,In otherwords,îlepowcrolconstitutionalamendmen?couid 

norbeused forrepealing tle entire 

Constitution.Theidentity of-the originalcolscitusion m us:rcmainin:acr. 

From 1977 onwards,thcCourt'sJ'urisprudenceblossomed with doctrinal 

crcativityandproceduralinnovations,startinga'neraofjudicialpopulism3t. 

Itwasparfly an attemprro rcfurbish the im age ofthccourtand also an

IournaloftleNzrft?-fHumanAfXl a mmision,Wḷ . 9,2010 

attcmpttoscck new,historical.bresoflegitimizingofjudicialpoweṛ 

During thc 1980s , theSupremeCourtrelaxrd iṛsruleofstanding and 

slmplfkdprocedureunderPublicInteresttitkation'(PlL)orSociaiAcrion 

Litigation ISALI3whereevenaposf-card (evennewspaperclippings)sent 

tothe courfhighlighting hum an rightsviolationscould beco nverted into 

apctition asa m cansof asscrting thc Court'srelevanccin thehum an ri ghts 

arena34 . AsProf.Upendra Baxipucsit , fhere wasa transition from a 

traditionaicaptiveagcncy with a low socialvisibility into aIibe ratcd agency 

wkth abigh socio-politicalvisibilitysṣ Thus,theCourrassumed aproactive 

rolein procecting the rightsand interestsofthecitizcnsofI ndia. 

Unlikerhc division ofhum an rightsinto ICCPR and ICESCR 

, in 

1976,theSuprcmeCo'urtofJndiaheld tlàattheFundam cnt alRights 

and DireczivePrinciplesofstarcPoliciesin tkeConstitutiolf sPart-lll 

and Thccour:hcld 

Part-lv wcreindivisible-ncitherpartbeing superiorto :h e other3G. 

Elatinbuildingup ajustSocialorderitissometimes 

imperafivctharshcFundamcntalRiglrsshould DirectivePrinclples. 

bcsubordinated t o :hc 

33 ProlUlhcntlrzBaxitlsc rhcterm socfalacrionlitigationin prefe renccfothe morcvoguish 

lerntpubicintercstlitigafiol)whichslippeclinfolndiarljuridicaldictiortaselTortlesslya sa1l 

Angltl-Amcricalctlnccpluaiborrowingsreadily do. Seeinfranote52 atp.290 . 

34 Dr.Ush:kRalnallathan,Hulnan RightsinIndia:A M apping ,IEL St7 V'brking Paprr 200I-05, 

availableal ltr'p://wsvsv .ielrc.ors/coltent/w'olol . pdf(1as(visitedfkb,l82008).SeeBun' 

Neubornc,TheSuprcnteCourtoflnclia , 1fkVF17.CONST L.476(200.3)(Nvhatmadethe 

1311-casesso estraortiinary wasthcIndian SupremeCourt'srzclicaldep alxurefroln the usual 

rulcsofadversaryjudjcialprocedureandscparationofpowcts) ,Aqhok H.Desai& S.Muralidhar PublicInleresrl-itigation:Porelltialand Problemd. , 

H iaSupremeéxrnotInfalçbk:.F.hkp.çin 

onourzfr/zSt+remrG-fwrzoflndia159(B,N.KirpaletaI.ed.,Ncw Delhi:Oxfbrd University 

I'ress,2000). 

35 UpendraBaxi,làking f Suyering Sriotuly:SorialActionLikigationinthrshprezv ?IJudsrfantlr& JurlicialPplar289(RajfzevDlaavanetaị,l-ondon:Swrectand 

Court/?./'Ja#/yz, 

M axwdl 1985). 

, 

3G StaleofKeralaṿ CoralicM N.V Thomas.(1976)2 SCC 510 at367 .AsperlusticeBhagwatiinFrancis 

ullin v.AdminisrrarorUkliol-lkrritory ofDelhi, 

l98lAIRISC)746:Thisprinciple 

ofinterpretation whichmeans(hataconsrirurional rovi sion m us:beconsrruedlnotin a 

P 

narrow and ccnsrricred sensc butin awidcand Iibcrallnanner59 as(o a nticipateaad takc 

accouncofchanging conditionsand purposcsgo thatthcconxtitlltionalpro vision doesnotgc( 

atrophied ocfossillzed butremains(lexiblc tnotsgb to mtttthtn tsvlyem erging problemsand 

challcnges,applicsw'ithgreaterforccin relalion to a f undamcnfaltigh?enacted b)rrhe 

Consxitution .

InternationalH um an m ghts,Suprem c Court and the 

Indian C onstitution 

' 

Ovcrthe lastfew ycars,many sclAolarshaveazgued forthe enforcement 

ofînternationalhuman rigiltsnormsLy domesticcourts.Thescarc, 

howcvcr,largclynorntativeclaims,and only a fewscholarshavesupported 

theirargumcntswith em piricalclaimsr.ScholarsacrossAfrica,Latin 

America,Europc,Australia,Canadaand the United Statcshave argued for 

cnforcemcntof internationalhum an rightsnormsby the domesticcourts, 

yetchereisno such argtlnlcntadvanced E)y sclaolarswirhin India.On thc 

lnasisofthecontcnfanalysisofthejudicialdecisionsoi-theSupremeCourt 

of India,thefolowëlzg conclusionsmay be madc: 

Nvhen thcSupremc Courtmentionsinternationalhuman risltsnorms 

(in 340/0ofcases),although itdocsn'tuscthem in reaching itsdecision,the 

Courcincorporatcstheln intoirsdomestichumanrightsjurisprudcnce. 

Nvhen thcCourtfblowsinsernationaihum an rightsnormsorusesthem 

asasuppor:in reaching itsdecision,it1)0th incorporatesand enforces(htm 

into domcsrichuman rightsJ'urisprudencc.O fcourse)thereisasiight 

diffcrencein tcrm sofemphasison internarionalhuman righrsnornaswhen 

Courtuscsthem asasupportorfolowsthem .Therc isastrongerreliancc 

on internationalhuman rightsnormswhen they arefolowed ascompared 

to instanceswhere they are used assupport. 

Thercisno d i-flculty upholding theapplicant'srcquesrwhcn the 

domesriclegislation issubsequentlycnacted giving efcctto fhcinternational 

reatyorcovcnanrsuchasenacrmenrofluvcnilclustice(Ca.reand ProtecLion 

ofChildren)Act,2000 inpursuanceofobligationsundcrtheConvention 

on Itightsof Ch ld,1989.Butwhen thereisno subsequentdomestic 

legislation,shougd tlzeStlpremeCourcofIndias:21cnforce rhoseobligations 

undertherelevantinternationalcovenantortreaties?Thereare generaly 

two sccnariosbcfore :heCourt.In the firstscenario,(hcinrernationaltrcary 

orcovcnantrelied upon by thconeofthcparticsto thecaseissigned or 

ratificd'by tle cxccutivc.In tlae second scenario,arelevantinternational 

treaty orcovenanthasnotbeen signed orratifled by rhe executivc.

Journaloff/peNationatHuman#lX t5Cpmmision,Wd.% 2010 

In resolvingthe que-stionsposed by the6rstscenario , the SupremeCourt 

hasrecognized thcobligation of the Stateonceitratilesth cinternational 

treaty to tA e :1ne measuressuc .h ascnactinglegislarion atthe domcstic 

levelin co'nsonancewith treaty obligations . 'W hen thcreisno domestic1aw 

giving effectto theprovisionsoftheinternationaltrcat yoracovenant)the 

SupremeCour:hasindirectly enforced them into thcdomcstîclaw.Tlzisis 

in consonancewiththeobligationsofthejudicianrin engagingthe 

responsibility of thc Stare party to an internationalhtzman rightsi nstrum ent3l. 

ln :hesecond scenario wherethecxecurive hasnotratified arelevant 

internationalhum an riglatsinstrument ,theSupremeCourthasrelied on 

thecustomaṛ/internationalprinciplesin enibrcingt%e internationalhuman 

riglAtsnorms.Thus , tavo sifuationscould arisebefore a domestic couftin 

termsof qucstion of enforcementof internationalhum an right s norm s: 

'Wrhere :he executivehassigned and ratised an internationalh um an 

rightsins:rumcntbutnotenacred adomcstic legislation enfo rcing 

itsobtigationsunderthe relevanttrcaty;or 

b. W herc:hecxecutivchasnotsigncd orratifietlan internatio nal 

human rightslnstrument. 

Courzissimply In thcflrsrsiruation,the rask Lefore the Courrisrelafively easy asthe 

fulfling itsoblig4ionsin enforcing internationalhum an 

rightsnorms,which isdoneeithcrby menrioning , folowing orsupporting 

internationalhuman rightsnorms . M ostly,the Courtlaastzsed inlernational 

human righcsnorlnsasasup 

i 

. por:of itsdecision (in 4304 ofcases) . Nvhether 

fundamcnfalrightsin tisaquestion ofintcrpretatjon of pre-constiturionallegislation orthe 

the Constirution of-lndia, theCourthasreferred to 

in 

inrernationalhuman rightsnormsforthepurposeofclarifying thcambi guicies 

fhelegislation. TheobjectivcoftheCourrininrerpretingdomestic1aw in 

col:sonancewith intcrnatlonaëhuman rigktsnormsisto uncoverthev alues 

inlyeren:within rhcdolnesticlaw and to promote universalv alues.ln chis 

way,the SupremeCourrplaysan importantrole in tlegali 

S 

nternalization'or 

normsconvergence'ofinternarionalhuman righcsnormsasthcy are 

incorporatcdthroughrhejudicialinterprcrationintodomesticlaw3g . 

:8 GelleralConlmenîNo .ṡ1180)NaturcofGeneralObligationslmposcdonStatcPartiestothe 

Covenant,M ay 26 .2004. 

39 Harold 

H 

HongjllKol),R'hel998FrankelLecture:Bringinglntcrnarionall w aw Home,35 

ous.I.Rev.642(1998))SeealroHaroldHongjtKoh How is llt'ernation: Human 

RighrsImw Ellforced?'4IN D.L.J.14l.:.:.$(l999.).

However,judge.smustbecautiousin ref-crringtointcrnationalhuman 

rightsnormswhile using them forstatutoly interprecation.ltshould not 

beseen asacrowded cocktailparty-avoiding alunknown peoplc,people 

you dislikc,annoyingpeopleorboring peoplc,and scoping the sceneto 

manoeuvretowardsyourfriends.Judgeshavcalargecrowdtopick from 

an dalargepcolroignoreerrejectlo . 

' 

N'Vith regardsto thesccond situation,irisargued thatthe realchalcnge 

before the Courtisro cnforceobligationsundcrcertain internationalhuman 

rights'instrumentswhicl:haveno:lnccn ratifled by tlzeExecutive.The 

Courtiscalcd upon to dccidewlwthera particularhuman rightin dispute 

hasbecomeparrofthe customalz internationallaw ornot.So,thechalcnge 

beforetheCourristo definethccustomary internationallaw in this 

situation.If(hc Courtcomcslo ailnding thata particularhuman right 

formspartofthc cus:om ary internationallaw,and theteisno conflicring 

dolnoticlaw,tlàeCour:slLould enforcethoseilternational141.144:1.:7righcsnornls. 

In rhissituation,thcCourtfolowstheinternationalhuman rightsnorms. 

ICisargued tha:whcntheSupretncCourtofIndiadeflnescustomary 

internationalIaw,itpiaysan imporsan:rolc in norn'lcreation asa sourceof 

intcrnationaklaw.Arriclc38oftheSratuteofrhelntcrnationalCourtof 

Justicerefcrstojudicialdccisionsasasotlrceoffntcrnationallaw.Asper 

RosalynH iggins,itisnaturalin adecentralized,horizontallegalordcrrl4at 

the courrsofnationscatcsshould also havearole to playin contriburion to 

the nornasofinternationalIawql.M oreovcr,Lhcreisatransirion in lht!case 

law ofthelntcrnation:zCourt'oflusticejurisprudcncefrom trearingdecisions 

ofdomesriccourt'sasjusrfacts,toevidenceofalnorccolnpiementaly 

rclationshipasan inzeraction betzvecn dolncsticand international o law'iz. 

40 MelisaA,Nvk'ttcrs,Metliatil'rNornlsandIdcnrity:TltcRoltofTralslationalJldicial 'DialtvucIn 

CreatinrCuldEnfbrcingIterlationall-aw,9.5Gro.L.$ .i87(2()05);KarenKnop,HereandThcrc: 

lnrematiolal1JnviI1I'lomesticColrts,.52 N .Y.U .J.Inr'li.,& Pol,5()1(20()0) 

41 RosalrnH igg ls,Probkms,p?# Procrn:JNrrrzlzljprljz/J.Jlt?anrll/ f?ifzR%,IJ.çrlt208lflxford, 

ClarendolPruss,l991). 

42 AndrcNolkavmper,'l-1)t'RtltofDtulestic('kmrtsinIher-.'asel-aw ()ftlkcInlerlationalC-ourtof 

Jus:icc,5C1ineseJ.1nt11-.301(2006)(distalssts(wowaysinwhicldtrcisionsofdolnesliccotirçs 

can E:scrdcvantforthcIC I:(lycirrelcvanceforthedcvelopllc l('filtcrlkuiolal' law antlibrrhe 

Scrrlclkcl'tofIlarlictllardisptlcs.It:tlsocircsUccileltalEI'C v. lcuadorinvvh ich thel-uldon 

CotlrtofArltitratiol)I)()lcklr IAâttI'iedotltaticanclillcrtlaçiolalprocedu res?Inay intcracî 

rcciprocalLy).t.)1thtliltlerat.'!ionisttlcoryof'internatiol:llaw,t'lctgclcralyJ.Brtlnnee& .SJ. 

Toope,Inîcrtational1alv aldCbnstrthctivisn):i'JlelncntsofaI)Ilterltatiol't:tl'leoryofIn:enlational 

Lw,39C01.7.Ibans'n'rJL.19(2000);E.Hcy,Sustailablei7eveloplncnt.NormativtlDcveloplnenî 

ant!tlcIwrgirirnacy ofDecision-makilp 31NetltrlanflsStel(200zi).

' kournaloftheAklora//fvrpla RightsCommkion,F#/,9,2010 

ln enforcem entofinternationalhum'an rights norlns lny thc 

SupremcCourtofIndia,lawycrsand judgeshavetoplayavitalrolein 

(hcpromotion ofthcserightsby forging new m ethods , fashioning ncw 

rools,and creating innovative ncw stratcgiesforsecuring the promotion 

anclenfbrcementofhuman rightsnormsin domesricjtrlsdictions . 

Ultimatelyitdcpendsuponthelegalcultureofeachjurisdiction-in 

somejurisdicrionsintcrnationallaw wilbetrcated asafkmiliartopic, 

onethat1:0ththejudgcandthecounsclbeforchim wilexpectrodeal 

wirh on aroutinebasis,and in orhers , whereapracticing lawyerwho 

hasnotstudied internaçionallaw , becomesajudge,andw l:bc 

confronted with theunfam iliarterritonzof asscssing international1aw43 . 

According to RosalynH iggins,inrcrnarionallaw thusbecomesan exotic 

branch ofthe lam to beavoided ifataIpossible , and to l)clookccl 

upon asifitisunreal,ofno praqticalapplication in therealworld4 . 

'l-hecriricsmayarguethartheSuprcme Courtoflndia hasalimitcd 

l'ole,even ifi:enforccsintcrnationalhulna'n righrsnorm s . Ifcould 

cnforce,bu(l,otensurecom pliance with internationalhum an rîghts 

n'o rms.H owever,onemustnotethe diflkrentnatureofthc orderspassed 

by :heSuprcmeCourtoflndla.-f'he SupremeCourtof India haspassed 

botl:dcclaratory and mandatory ordersdepending upon the issueat 

hand. 

Further,cveliftheCourtonly issuesadircctory ordcr , lwould 

argueçharipwilllead ro com pliance . The poinrhcreisto show thatthe 

kudiclarycould trlghjcraprocessofdesirablechangesinthetaw.This 

processofcolnpliancc by :he governmentseem sto be sim ilarto what 

GoodmanandJinksdefineasacculturation.Judicialdccisionsresultin 

colnm unitycxpeetationsbuildingasocio-cognitivepressurcon the 

governnaen:such astheimgosstion ofsocial-'psychologicalcoststhrougl: 

thcshaming orshunnlng (wl4ich gencralyisdoneby non-govcrnmentat 

organizations)ofthegovcrnlncnt.On otherhand,itcould also result 

i1lconferraloftl4esocial-psychologicalbenefits'on fhc governm ent 

4.3 Ibid.atj),206. 

.1zi Supranotezị'J,

through'back-pâtting'andotherdisplaysofpublicapproval(which 

perhapscould t)can increascin votebank forthegovernmentlds. 

TheSuprc/ueCourt'sjurisprudcnceduringtheyears1997-2009shows 

r-har(heCourtisgoing through atransitionalperiod,atleastwhen i:come.s 

to theenforcementofi'ntcrnationalhuman rightsnorms.TheCourthas 

largcly uscd intcrnazional . hulnan rightsnormsasan interprctativerool, 

whercinternationalhtlman rightsnorm swereraken asa given underthe 

internationalItunlan rigltsinsfruments.Thercareonly a few instances 

wherethcCourthasdefined whatconstituteintcrnationaihuman rights 

norms$rreadingrhem ilrocustomaryinternationallaw.Thcquestionis 

notwhechertheSupremcCotlrtoflndiashould referto intcrnationathuman 

rightsnorms,asthecourthasbeen rcferring to internationalhum an rights 

normsoverdecades. 

C onclusion 

Avhatislnissing now is,of coursc,an answertothequcstion alout 

(herolenon-stat'cactorsoughrto play in internatiolalaffairs.Itisnot 

surprising thatwcdo nothavetheanswerbecause wercaly do nothave 

oneeinternarionallaw,AEleastwc do nothave a unified system of 

internationallaw.O n thcbrighterside,thcspaceopcned by globalisatiolt 

doesfosterthcrolct)fnon-starcactorsin law-naaking,law-inrcrpreting, 

and law-implelncnting.Itis(ruetharlnany chalsengesrcnpain,hutthe 

doorofcitizcnparticipation in (heinternationallaw-making processhas 

now been open,and perhapswillneverbeclosed again dueto tl4ecfortsof 

:hehuman rightsmovelncntin Chelastfifty years. 

Non-governlncntalo rganizationsorvoluntaryorganizatiolpsplay a 

vitairolcin the shaping and implelancntation ofnarion building.Thcy 

have bcen contributing im menscly towards variousdcvelopmen t 

programlnes.NGOs/VOsprovideilnovati'veand alternativecos:effective

I IournaloftbeNa6culHuman Rf , j'/ztsComminion,W ḷ9,2010 

modelsfordevrlopmenr .-rhormobilizepcoplcforconstructlvecommunlty 

work and oftcn rcach thc mosrm arginalizcd and vulncr able sectionsof 

societyand contributeto fhe socio-econom ic developm cntoftilc countfy 

with amuch wideroutreach .-fhe voluntac sectorhasa signiflcanlpresence 

in almostal1regionsofthe countly and iCsrolcasan impo rfantpartncrof 

theGovernmentin developmentisbcingincreasin gly recognised . 

In theintcrnationalcrusadeagainsthuman rightsviolation s,the role 

of N GOscan hardly be over-emphasized , Asa matterof fact,the 

developmentofinternationalnorms , institutionsand proceduresfor:hc 

promotion and protcction ofhuman rightshasgonehand in hand with 

working kn thefield ofhuman rightṣ NG Osplayez an imporrantroie 

during the drafting offheUnired NationsCharterms(he y lobbied forthe 

inclusion ofhuman rightsprovisionsin the Charterand for asystem Chat 

would beforefhcUN 

give NG OS aformalinstitutionalaffliatio n with and sfanding 

organs. Article 71of:hcUN Charterwasimplcm cnted in 

duc courseby rheEconomicand SocialCounciland itcst ablished aform al 

system thatenablesquali'l.ed N GOsto obtain consultativcstatuswith tl ECOSO C 

. 

ze 

Sinccthen the human righ?ṡN GOshavcplayed avel'y 

importantrole in theevolurion of internationalsystem f'orth cprom orion 

and protecrion of human righfsand in trying :hc make itw ork .ltisthe 

non-govcrnrnenca)organizations'(NGOs)roleto helpstatestoprosect 

and respecthuman rights . Theexisrence and prescncc ofN GOsin srates41 

overthc helpcd globehave formed a presenceon theînternationalstagc and have 

to draw atention to :hcexcesshuman rightsviolationsthatare 

takilpg internationalstate 

placc.An cxam pleofan NG O form ing a pres ence on the 

and making asrand can be seen in thcestablishmentof 

thelncrnacionalCriminalCourt(ICC)attheRomeConfcrencein1998 

whereAmnesty International(M )wasoneofthemain NGOSrh a: 

supporrcd ICC'Scrcation . N.GOshavc becn viewed asthedrlving force 

behind human rightsviolafion preventionand have played alargcrolci1) 

ensuring rhe lulnan rigltsviolationsin countriesworld - wideremainsal1 

ilnporralptpoli:icalissue . NGO s laveinflucnccd and created furrher 

opposirion to human rightsviokation through campaigns .N GOsthrough 

rheirwork havclead to 'the promotion and 'univers alization'ofhuman 

rg ihtsnornns.'

Corporate Social Responsibility and 

H um an Rights 

Justice G.l?M athur* 

Transnationalcorporationsand businessentîtiesare powerLlforccs 

notonly in theirown countriesbutalovertheworld . Thethree 

hundrcd largestcorporationsaccountform orc than one-quarterof 

theworld'sproductiveassets.They hold 90% oftechnolop and 

productpatentsworld wideandareinvolved in 70% ofthe world 

tradc.They createemployment,bringcapitaland technologywhich 

generatcswealth thereby im proving tlw worldng condltionsand living 

standardsof the people anclthushave capacity in fostering 

developmentand achieving prospcrity.Butatthesame timc' , they 

often indulgein egregioushuman rightsvioëationslike use offorced 

and child Iabour,highly detrimentalworkins conditionsforthe 

em ployces,suppression of rightoffreedom of association and 

colectivebargaining,human trafficking anclalso cause degradation of 

environmentby releasing toxicm aterialand otherformsofpolutano 

which arc lAea1th hazard. 

2. CorporateSoclalResponslbiliv (CSR)isaconceptwlwrebycompanics 

integratcsocialand cnvironmentalconcernsin thcirbktsinessopemtions 

and in theirinteraction with theirstakcholdcrson avoluntary basis . 

CSR hascvolved in a tim e oçincrcased cconom icand socia: 

lobalisation. 

3. Busincs orcorporate socialresponsibilitr isneithcrcorporate 

philantluopy norsimplecompliancewith law . Corpomtephilanthropy 

*M ember,NHRC 

lournaloftbeM rforz/Human /40 CommAion,Fti1.9,2010

louvnaloftbeNZrJtVPZJNJ/a/Z/RigbtsCommision,IW.9,2010 

involvesan activity extraneousto a firm 'sactualoperarions:while 

generalyappredated bysocialrecipiencs,itdo% noCrepresentan cssential 

oreven necessarily expected businessfunction.Thcphilanthropic 

tmdition isrooted in the pcrsonalorfamilyoriginsofb tsinessenterprises, 

which in m any countrieshasIed to b0th personaland corporare giftgiving 

forworthy causes,aswelas:o thedirecrinvolvementof ilrmsin 

the provision ofhotsing,schools,hospitals,sociallhcilitie.sand other 

amenitiesforemployecsand localcommunitics. 

4. Corporatecom pliancewith Iaw isno more than the mandated 

minimum necesa:y to permittlecontinued existenceofany legallychartered 

corporateentity.Corporateentitiesarelegalpersonsgranted 

therighttoexistandoperatewithin asociets subjecttothelawsof 

thatSociev.Violationsof1aw suljectflrmstocivilorcriminalpenalries 

and can rcsultin revocation ofthecorporation'slicenscto operate. 

Som einternationalinstrum entsincludereferencesto ageneralduty 

ofTransNationalCorporationsI'1'NCS)toobservethelawsofthe 

hostcountry(UNCTAD,1996).However,theseprovisionssimply 

rccognize theessentialroleofnationallaw in seting amandatonr 

minimum floorforcorporatcconduct. 

Thcsocialresponsibiliv conceptrcstscentraly on a firm'soperational 

behaviourand itsimpacton thc surounding society.They havecomc 

to beassociated witlstandardsofperformance thatareapplied to 

b0th internaland externalcorpomte activities,addressing societalnorms 

and thusoperateon a planehigherchan m erecompliance with Iaw or 

corporarephilanthropy. 

Htunan righo standarclshave becn cstablished byinternationalagrecmcnt. 

Anumberofth- human righcsstandarclscan bcapplicd invacingd 

totheprivatcsector.They can becmtegorized mçfolows 

(i) principlesthatdirectlyaffectabusiness'employees; 

(i) principlesthatinvolvcacompany'sbusinesspartners,andthcir 

employees,b0th in thepublic and privatesector; 

(i)principlesthatafectrhecommunityandgencralhumanrights 

environmentin which acompany operates; 

(iv) hybrid issuesrhatmay implicateacompany and public 

institutionsto variousdegrees,ormay involve concern for

individualhuman rights,the cnvironm ent,and comm unity 

concerns. 

ThisSuggcststhatacompany may beexpectcd to addressabroad 

rangeofhuman rightsissues.Somemay be straightforward and direct, 

such m$:heprotecrion ofhunaan and lahorrightsofworkersemployed 

by acom panyoritssupply chain partners.Otherissuesmay relatc 

only in parttoabusincssbu:arestilrelevantto the environmcntin 

which thcy operase,sucl'iascalson business(o seek to influence 

governm entsto im prove(hegeneralhuman rightsclim ate in placcs 

wherethey operate. 

TheUniversalDeclarationofi'lumanItights(UDHR),lnternational 

Covcnanton CivilandPoliticalRights(ICCPR),theInternarional 

Convention on rhcElimination ofaIFormsof RacialDiscrimination 

ICERDIandtheConvcntionontheElimination ofalFormsof 

DiscriminationagainstW omen(CEDA'WIprovideindirecthuman 

rightsresponsibilitiesofbusinesses,ThcO rganisation forEconom ic 

Coopcrationand Dcvelopment(OECD) establishcditsguideines 

in theyear1976 which were updated in tlae year2000 form ulsinationalcnterprisc 

to promoteresponsiblebtzsinessconductconsistent 

withapplicableIaws.ThelnternationallmbourOrganisation(lLO) 

in theycar1977 devcloped itsTriparticeDeclaration of Principles 

which was updatcd in theyear2000 concerning M ultinational 

Enterpriseawhich calsforbusinesscsto folow thcrelcvantlabour 

convcntionsand recommendations. 

8. Nationallawsaretlw mostimportantinstrumentsin protecting human 

rights,asthcy are lcgaly-binding,and apply toa1actorsin agiven 

country,including ailbusincssregardlcssof sizeorhome country. 

Therefore,govcrnm cnt'sperformancein promoting ald protccting 

human rightsshould beasscssed notonly on thebasisofwhatiaws 

thc'y have enacted butmore importantiy on (hebasisofhow cfectively 

theselawsareenforccd,Thisgap between legalstandardsand their 

implementation in practiceîsthe mostpressing human rightsissuc 

today.Priority should thereforcbegiven to improving (hecapacity of 

nationalgovernmentsto e/ectivcly protectand promote human rights 

in narional1aw and by respecting rbcirinlernarionalobligationsl, 

I Manq'KumarSûnha:Corportm .ît/cl'/?/Ftv/z/zil4lklk qnéHumanAcjlry

JournalJ/k/?eNationalHumanAk/?a commision,1i/,9,2010 

17. Both conceptsareusefulin protecting human rights.Theformcr 

providesan opportunie to imposebroadcrsocietalexpectationson 

the operationsofa corporatkon thatgo beyond thatwhich ạ 

governm entm ay impose. The latterprovidesan avenueforcivilor 

criminalliability forconductthatin someway contributesto the 

com mission ofan offence. 

18. Indeed theconceptisfundamentalto the accountability of 'l-N cs 

sincem ostalegationsofhum an rightsviolationsagainstcompanies 

predom inantly focuson complicitconductratherdirectparticipation. 

In addition,liability forcomplicitconductm ay also encompass 

offcnces(hatacompany(orlegalperson)isincapableofcommiting 

in itsown right,forexample,a corporation cannotgeneraly commi: 

asexualoffence,butmay bccomplicitin such an oFence. 

l9.M orereccntlytheInternationalCommision ofluristshasreleased a 

rcporton CorporateCompicil and laegalAccountabilitp in which 

itproposesan approach to determknîng corporatc complickty based 

on three key elemcnts: 

* Causau'on: Thatthe conductcitherenables,exacerbatcd or 

facilitated thecom mission ofviolations. 

* Knowleke:-j-hy thecompanyactualy intendedfortheviolarions 

to occur,knew orshould havcknown thatthcviolationswould 

occur,orwerc willfuly blind to theIikclihood thatviolations 

would occur;and 

* Proximity:Proxim ity assistsin detcrm ining causation and 

knowledge refersparticularsto thesituation wherea closc 

relationship,established asa resultof geographiclocation,or 

through theduration,frequcncy,intensity orthenaturcofthat 

relarionship,existsbetween theperpetratorand thecompany 

A variety ofbarrierslimitthecapacity of victimsto obtain efective 

rcdresforviolationsof human righo committed by-lN c-s.Am ongst 

other(hings,suchbarriersmayrclatcrothe'l'Nc itself(forexample, 

itscorporatestructure),thelimitationsimposed bydomesticlaws 

relatingtothcincorporation ofLusineasenterprises,(fbrexamplc, 

separatelegalpersonality and Iimitedliability),and thefailtlreofthe 

iegaljurisdictioninthchomeorhostStatetoprovidcameansfor 

seeking redressforcerrain violations,

21. W ith theincreased internationalatzention on corporatchum an rights 

abuscsin l990s,theintcrnationalcomm unity,headed by United 

Nacionsaddressed slaeissucagain in theform ofGlobalCompact. 

Outlined by UN Secretary GenetalKoflAnnan attlaeW orld Fconomic 

Forum on31s(January1999,theCompact'providcsabasisfor 

structured dialogue between thcUN,busine-s,labourand civilsocicty 

on improving corporatepracticesin thesocialarena.'W ith rootsin 

UniversalDcclaration ofHuman Rights(1948)thefundamcntal 

principlcsand rightsof (helnternationalLabourOrganisation and 

checnvironm entalbacking ofrhcEarrhsSummltsAgenda,theGlobal 

Compacthasaprcstigiousbasisofliteraturesupporting it. 

22. TlaeGlobalCom pacrisa nerwork,AtîtscorearethcGlob: Compact 

O filce and six UN agencies:O ficcoftheHigh Com missionerfor 

Human Rights(O HCHR);United Nations Environment 

ProgrammctuNEp);InternationalLabourOrganisationtl-o);United 

NationsDevelopmcntProgrammetuN Dp);United Nations 

lndustrialDevelopmenrOrganisationtuNlDo);and Unitcd Narions 

Omceon Drugsand Crime(UNODC).TheGlobalCompactinvolves 

alItherelevantsocialactors:govcrnments,who deilned the principie.s 

on which theinitiativcisbased;companies,whose actionsitseeksto 

influence;iabour,in whosehandsthe concrete processofglobal 

production takesplace;civifsociety organizations,representfng the 

widercomm uniryofstakeholdcrs;and thc United Nations,asan 

aurherirative convencrandfacilirafor. 

23. The UN GlolaalCom pact,providesin its10 principlesarefcrence 

framcwork.Ten Principlesare broadly adctofcot'cvaluesin theareas 

of hum an rights,Iabourstandards,the environm ent;and anticorruption'. 

H um an ltighu 

@ 

Principlel:Businesshould supportand respecttheprotection 

ofinternationaly proclaimed human rights;and 

. Principle 2 :M ake surethatthcy arenotcom plicitin human 

rightsabuses, 

2 ManijKumarSinha1CorporatcSocialkcsponsibiliryantlHumanlkighrs

* lournalK/râeNatiotalHuntan A#/?fyCommtbsint,Wl.% 2010 

labo tr 

Principle 3 :Businesshould uphold thcfreedom ofassociarion and 

the cffectivcrccognition ofthcrightto colcctivc bargaining; 

Principle4 :Theeliminaxîon ofaî1Formsofforced and compulsory 

labour; 

Principle5 :Theeffectiveabolition of child lalour;and 

* Principle 6 :The elim ination of discrim ination in rcspec:of 

cmploylnentand occupation . 

Environm ent 

* Principle 7 :Busincsshould supportaprccaurionaly approach to 

environmentalchalenges; 

* Principle8 :Undertakeinitiativesto promotegreaterenvironment al 

rcsponsibiliry;and 

. Principle 9 :Encourage fhe developm entand dlffusion of 

environmcntaly fricndly rechnologieṣ 

Anti-corruption 

* Principlc10:Businesshould work againstcoruption in a1itsforms 

including extortion and bribely 

s 

24. The Compactsetsoutitsguidelinesforcorporate practicesin itste n 

principles.Thefirsttwo principles(lealwith human rightsin ageneral 

sense,asking corporationsto suppol.ttheprotection ofuniversalhuman 

rightsand ensure thatrhey are notcomplicitin human rightsabuscs . 

Corporarionsthatcommitthemselvẹsto thc human rightscatzscwouid 

cnsureand aclhere to human righu practicesnotoniy in dwworkplace 

, 

btltwould also condcmn human 

riglatsviolationsin thc wider 

comm unity.TheCompac:advocaresworkplaccsthathavesafe and 

healthy working conditions , rightsto baslclwalth,education and 

housing and an end to forced and child labouṛ ThcCompactasscrrs 

thatin thewidercom m unity corporationsshould prcventforced 

m lgration,protectthe localeconomy and mostimportantty , contribute 

to thepublicdebate-M NCShavc1:0th therighrand the rasponsibility

Co expresstheirview on m atersthatefecttheiroperationsin the 

country. 

25. Principlesthrcetosixdealexclusively with labourissueswhich scek 

to supportworkers'Frccdom of association and rightto unionize,to 

eliminateforcedlabour(suchasmandatoryovertime),toabolishchild 

Iabour,and to elim inatediscrim ination in (heworkplace. 

Principlesscven to nineofthe Compaccaddrcsenvironmencalissues 

which emphasize thatM NCSshould prom oteenvironm ental 

responsitnility,cncouragethedcvelopmentofenvironmenraly frieldly 

technologies,and supporra'precautionary approach'toenvironmcntal 

chalenges.A precaurionaly approachto environmentalprofection 

suggeststhatcom paniestakcearly actions(o ensurethatireparable 

environmentaldamage doesnotoccurbecauseoftheirpractices. 

Principle ten completely prohibirscorporationsto indulgein bribery 

orcoruption in Ehcirbusinessdealings. 

27.TlacGlobaiCom pactrelieson public accountability,transparcncs 

and theenlightencd selfinteres:ofcom panies,labour,and civilSociety 

to initiatcand share substantiveaction in pursuing itsprinciples.The 

ideawmsand stilisthatinternationalcompaniesinparticularshould 

com mitthem selvesnoConly to observe tcrmsofem ployment 

conditions,environtncntalprorection,and thelghtagainstco ruption, 

buCalso to comply in fheirsphere ofinfluenccwith tavo important 

prlnciples,namely, 

To supportand respcct:heprotection ofintcrnationalhuman 

rightsand 

(2) To cnsure thatthc)rdonotbecome complicitin the human rights 

abusesofoshers, 

28. Threeobstaclesstand in the way of-tle Compact'scfectiveness:'Lhe 

lack of Iegaly enforceable standards,thelack ofamoniroring and 

cnforcementm ecbanism,and alack ofclarity aboutthcmeaning of 

thestandardsthem seives.' 

29. The United NationsH um an RightsSub-commission ) in Augus: 

200,5,approved 'Normson the Rcsponsibilitiesof 'D ans-national 

Corporationsand otherbusinessen:erpriseswith Regard toH um an 

Rights'prepared by thcW orking Group . ThescNormsintcgrate

Iourmd tḷ/'f/p:NaticnalHuman Ag'/?trCommiuion,Pi/,9,2010 

existing standardsconcerning labourrighrs,hum an rights ) consum er 

protection and environmentalprotection in the samedocumcnt .The 

UN Comm ission adopted a rcsolution in 2005 and caled for 

appointmentofaSpeciz Repre-sentativeby theSecretary Generalon 

theisue of human rightsand transnationalcorporation and other 

busincssenterprise-s.ProfessorJohnRuggie,whowasappoiated a.s 

SpecialReprœcntarivehasidentifed,clarificd and elaborated standards 

forthere-sponsibility and accountalility oftransnationalcorporations 

and otherbusinessenterprtscswlth regard to Human rights . At(ts 

June2008session,theHumanm ghtsCouncilwmsunanimousin 

wclcom ing the 'protect,respectand remedy'policy framework 

prqposed by îhe SpecialRepresentativeoftheSecretarp Generalon 

the issueofhum an rightsand transnationalcorporarionsand other 

businessentcrprises,Thism arked thcfirsttim e:heCouncilorits 

predecessorhad taken asubstantivepolicy position on businessand 

human riglats.By itsroolution 8/7,theCouncilalso extended the 

S PecialRepre-sentative'smandate foranoth'er:hrecyears , tasking him 

with 'operationalizing'the framework-providing 'practical 

rccom mendations'and 'concrefc guiclance'to States,businesesand 

othcrsocialactorson itsimplementation . Theframework restson 

thrcepilars:theStateduty to protectagainsthuman rightsabusesby 

third partics,including Lusiness,through appropriatepolicies , 

regulation,and adjudication;tl4ecorporareresponsibilitytorcspect 

human rights,which in essenccmeansto actwith duediligencc to 

avoid infringing on thcrightsof others;and grcateraccessby victim s 

toefcctivercmedysjudicialand non-judicial.Thethreepilarsare 

complementary in thafeach supportstheothers . 

50. The UN isthe Iogicalplace to house an intcrnationalunbiased 

corporatemonitoring system forhuman rightsabusesand itisthe 

appropriatearenaforthe analysisof'FNC issuesin the contextof 

lobaleconomic relations.

Corporate Sectorand H um an m ghts 

A nu Aga * 

Even asIndiaregistersim prcssivegrowth flgure,sof over9% G DP 

and theworld take.snote ofthestridcswchave madein thc new technoloc 

arems,itisnow lkirly clearthatthere aredisturbing facetsofourlife that 

somctim esmany of usprctend notro see.Thelargescaledisplacementof 

pcopleinrhenameofurhan bcautificationsanddevelopmentprojeccs,the 

suicide deathsoffarmers,inqreasing homelesnesofthotlsands-thesc are 

som c aspectsof thissupprcssed reality. W hile globalization 1ed t)y 

corporationshasunlcashed tremendousenergy,cteating weaith,itisalso 

crcatingasiruasion wherethebasicrightsof-m ilsonsarebeing ignored or 

neglectcd.W c necd to pause and rcflectwhy thisprosperity in abooming 

India isbypassing the lifeofan averagc Indian,and morefundam entaly 

whetherthcdevelopmentprocessitsclfisviolating the righo ofthc 

vulnerablef'orthe benefltofsomescctionsofthesocicty. 

W ehavewitnessed thatin aschizophrenicdcvelopmcntsittmtion where 

India isshiningand Bharatislagging bchind,thcrearedaily mediareports 

ofsocialunrcstand vioientmovementslikethatof theN axalitesancl 

thoseseeldngjusticeoutsidc:helaw.W ccan nolongeraffbrd toneglect 

largenumbersofpcople who havenothing Co look forward to butto starv 

atablankwall.How longwilpcoplclivcin poverty?And how long can 

ourown cisizcnshedcprkvcd ofrhcirhuman Hghe?1(isrlmcthe corporate 

sectoracted decisively and with asense ofurgcncy forthc bettermentof 

ourbacltyard communities.W eneed to rcalise thatin thelong run,business 

cannotsuccccd in a sociery thatfails.Itisunfortunatethatmostcountries 

stilmcasuretheirprogressonly on tlzebasisofGDP growth,Bhutan may 

bea possiblcexception wherethey haveintroduced auniqucGrossNational 

Happincss(GNH)hasbecndevelopedtomeasureChequalityoflifeor 

* ChairpersonsThetmaxGrotlpoflndustries 

IournaloftbeN/StI/J/Z///VIZIJ/JRiglàtCtlrarplkzftm,Fil% 2010

lournaloftbeN zftlalfHumanAk/?l Commisiom 14)19,2010 

socialprogressin amorcwhoiesome m anner . Isn'tittimcweaddcd Facrors 

such asprotection ofhuman rightswhen wecvaluatca country'sgroqvth? 

The impactofcorporate activiry onhum an rightshasalwaysb een 

recognizcd atabasiclevcl.Forexam ple , when com panicsarerequired to 

pay fairwagesto labour,itisthc economicrightsof citizensthatare being' 

underlinect,Sim ilarly therightCo non discrimination whilebeing recruited 

forjobsorwhileinsenricebringstofocusthesocialaspectsofhuman 

rights.Therighfofcolnm uniticsto clearairand drinking watcrand the 

inherentresponsitnilityofcorporatesnotto polutetlaecnvironmcnt arc 

dircctly linked to therighrto life . Corporateactivim depending on (he 

levelsofsensitivityand practicescan citherprom oteorviolateanyora1of 

rhc-scrights. 

As:he economicmight,reach and politicalinfluenceofcorporations 

havegrown:especialy Ln aglobalisedworld , theirimpacton people'shuman 

righrsbecomeseven more significant . Today,many corporationsarealso 

delivering scrvicestizarearlicrused to bcprovided by governmcnts - 

beit 

utilities,communicationsorhealthcare . 

M any corporasionsrealizethatgood citizcnship involvesrespecting 

thehuman rigl-jtsofthoscwho come in contacrwith thccorporatio n . 

Consumersand investorsexpectcompaniẹsto behavcin socialy responsihle 

ways.Corporatcsareincreasingly caled upon to play an importantrolein 

maintaining,protecting and enhancing human rights ,even though the 

cnforccmentof human righ sisseen asgovernmcnts'responsibility 

Since corporatu haveto draw on thecom muniry in which chey opcrate 

Graltresources,they alsohave obligationsto theirmultipîestakeholders 

. 

Veryoften,corporateleadershaveargued thatsincethcycreatejob 

opporrunitiesand pay theircaxes,they havedone Cheirbitand that'the 

businessofbusinessisbusinessl' . Thisapproach isno longcrenough and 

weneed to moveto fhcrealization Lhatthc 'businessof businessishuman 

wetltleingt'.Thereisa striking paragmph Ircad somcwùerestating thatthe 

busincssof busincssisto gcnerategrowth and profitsorelsc i:wildie however,ifrhatisthesole ptlrpose ofabusiness, ; 

then a35o itshould die,for 

i:no longerhasareason Foritsexistcnce . Thisisevcn moreapplicable roa 

country likeIndiawhcre wearesurrounded by poverty and the gap betwecn 

:herich and :hcpooriswidcning . Itisimperativetha:the corporacesector 

with itsm anagcrialresourcesand financialmtlscle rcachesoutto the necdy .

ThissenseoFawidersocialrcsponsibiliry istoday popularly expresed as 

:he triple bottom lilc principle which takesinto consideration the 

economic,socialand elwironmentalaspectsof corporate activity. 

T hotlgh companiesmay norspeak the languagcof human rights, 

corporatcsocialresponsibility (CSR)programmcsacknowlcdgethat 

companicsareaccountablenotjusttotleirshareholdcrs,butalsotoawider 

univcrseof stakcholdersthatincludccm ployees,customers,supplicrs, 

environm ent)and the comm unity.ln some ofthc comm itted CSR 

initiatîve.sofsomecom panics,olecan see:heconcern forawiderunivcrse, 

an esentialcondition forfhenurturing ofahum an rightsconsciousness. 

Forscveralcnlightened com laniesCSR could betheframework and the 

instrumentforfutureengagcnzcntswith issuesrelarecl(o human rights, 

Thewidcrramiilcarionsofstakeholderresponsibility have becomc 

clearerovefaperiod oftim e.-l-raditionaly companiesdid nottake:hc 

responsibility to cnsureatieastm inim um and humancstandardsthata 

supplierwould offertoi(swork forcc.They argucd thatthey did notown 

thcirsupplicrsand hcncc had no rightorresponsibility to interferein rheir 

workspace. ButthcinfamousN ikcca-se haschanged thatattitudero a 

largecxtent. 

N ike shoesand clothing ismanufactured in morethan 700 factories 

in 50 countries.Someyearsago,Nike wasaccused ol-alowing child labour 

tobeused in itsvendors'factoriesin developingcotlntries,undersubstanpard 

conditions.N%rl-tcn newsof 'sweatshops'wasa1lovertheUS,a 

graduatc studcntfrom M I7'respondcd to N ike'soferto personalise 

customer'strainersby asking forthcword 'sweatshop'ro beprinted on 

the side ofhisshoes.Nvhen Nikerefused,rhestudcntemailed thecompany 

saying 'thankyou fortletimeand energy you havcspcnton my rcquest.I 

havedecidcd to ordcr:heshocswich adiffercntlD,butIwould liketo 

makconesmalrequest.Could you pleasesend meacoloursnapsho:of 

theten yearold Viernam escgirlwho makesmy shocs?'H isemailexchange 

with N ikewasflashed around sheworld,which crcatcd avery negative 

Publicimageforthccompalzy. 

M onisoring whactakcsplaccin each ofyouroutsourced factoriesmay 

notbean ea@ (ask.Butsuch attcntion to detailsisnecessary,asNikelearnt 

from thisincidcnr.Itwasawakeup calforN ikc which subsequcntly 

introduced proactivestepsalzd hastakenresponsibilityforitssupply chain.

journail./'H% NationalHuntan sf,ç'/ltFCommLssion,Pi/.9,2010 

Today ithasover90 peopleemployed in CSR positionsand itinvests 

heavily in independcntthird-party auditsofitssuppliers 

Recentyearshavescen thelinksbetween corporate activity and its 

impacton peoplcbcingexamined and ciarifled.Companies,industlybodies 

and N GOs,intergovernmentaltloclie.sand m ulti-stakcholdergroupshave 

taken severaliniriatives.Such efortshave rcsulted in the f'ormularion of 

internadonalstandardsand initiativc -the ILO Tripartite Declaration on 

Fundam enralPrinciplesand RightsatW ork;U N N orm son the 

Re-sponsibilitic,sof-rransnationalCorpora:ionsi-f'heUnited NationsGlobal 

Com pact;andThe BusinessLeaderslnitiativeon Hum an Rightsarcsomc 

ofthese. 

Asaresulr,world overmany companieshavepublicly comm itted to 

uphotd specifk lm man riglztsstandards-protectthe interutsofshareholders, 

employees,custom ersand the com munitiesin which they operatc. 

Enlightened companiesarepurposefuly using CSR to build bridgesof 

understandingwith localcommunities.In many societiesthey arealso 

form ing parrnershipswith governmentsand civilsociety to addressthe 

m any chalengesthatcomm unitiesface.ln theproccs,companiesarc going 

beyond conventionalnotionsofcharity and philanthropy to considcrCSR 

an escntialplank ortheircomm ercialactivity.They arefactoring in the 

im pactoftheirbusinessoperationson thelivesofcomm unitiesin which 

thcy aresituated.Businessf'orSocialResponsibility,a globalorganisation 

thathelpsmembercompaniesto makr CSR an integralpartoftheirbusiness 

operations,dcflne.sitas'achicving cbmmercialsuccessin waysthathonour 

ethicalvalues and respectpeople,com m unitiesand the natural 

environment.'Such adeflnition bringscompangescloserto thedomain of 

human riglus,astheelcmentofrespectisthebedrock on whkch the edifice 

ofhuman righrsisbuilt. 

However,thcreisagap bctween professed intentionsand ground reality. 

Asglobalization gathersmomentum and chedevelopm entprocessleaves 

milionsby thewayside,human right.soften rcceive1ip selvice and platitude.s 

ratherthan concretcsupport.Instead ofprom oting and nurturing rights, 

thc agenciesresponsible fordcvelopment,including companiesoften 

disregard the rightsofcommunitiesand sometimeseven flagrantlyviolate 

them.Though sevcralcom panieshavedrafted policiesregarding safev, 

codesof conductand corporategovernancepmctices-necessaly prerequisite.s

forahumaneeco-system ofrights-practicesoften ru'n againstSuch finciy 

formulated guidelines.-rhus,wehave industrialaccidentsofthemagnitude 

ofaunion Carbide,orcorporatefraudsoftheEnron kind.Such tragicand 

avoidableinstance.shappcn because theconcerned companie.shave failed to 

intcrnaliscvaluesessentialforupholding therightsofthestakeholdcrs. 

Today,in thcnalneofdevelopmcnt,in ourown countrp thereare 

companiesaim ing toexpand thciroperationsatthccostofhum an rights 

ofgroupsofpeople,whooften arethe vulnerablesectionsof ourpublic. 

W ehavclawsto protectthctribals.The 1aw clearly statesthatno forest 

land can be acquired forany developm entactivitywithouftheconsentof 

(Hetribals.Butgreed setsasideaI1otherconsiderationsand wescethe 

rightsofforestdwelersignored and Che1aw ofthe land violatcd.This 

cannotcontinueand itismandatoc forevenrcorporatetorespec:laws. 

Governmentregulation should betough and timely to puliupand punish 

com paniesthacviolatetherightsofcom munitiesand individuals. 

W hatcan bedoneto m akcsurethatcorporateactivity and hum an 

righcsgo together?Regulatory frameworksand governmcntalvigilcertainly 

help to rein in errantcompanies.Tough lawsand impartialenforcement 

backed by punitivemeasures,toan extcn:,can avoid such breakdownsof 

systemsand processes. However,legalenforcem enccan only singlcout 

and maybeavoid seriousactsofcommission,whcre wrongdoingand ilegal 

actsarcdiscouraged and punished.Thatstilwould nottakecareofthc 

myriad actsofproactivcmeasureszhatcompaniescan initiarcto make the 

livcsof communitiesbcttcrand to protecttheintercstsoftheirmultiple 

stakeholders,Thereisamplescopefordoing thingsthasthelaw m ightnot 

ask you to do -likegoing beyond polution atlctmcntand installing clean 

technologiesthatelim inateswasteatthesource,inviting comm unity 

partnership through skildevelopments,investing insusLainablepractices 

of agriculturc,watermanagemcnt,energy efilciency -rhercarcmany more 

such desirablebutof-ten neglected arcasthatcan lae added to thelist. 

Progresivccompalzieshavc been expanding thefronticrsoftheir 

corporategovernancepracticesand rcporting paterns.W lailcgovernment 

regulations,asithappelcd in UK,héveccrtainly triggcred thcproccss, 

voluntaly reporting on nmverareashavebroughtnew facetsofinformation 

sharing thathad notbcen in the pullicdomain.Think ofCSR and 

sustainability reportstharhavc becolneroutinematersofreportingtoday

i 

JoutwalJ/râeNationalHutnans# tFCommision,W/.Ta2010 

and wecan be hopefulthatcom paniesventure into thefairly new territoe ; 

ofhuman rightsin thenearfuturc. . '' 

! 

Company cultureshold thekey to human rightsgettipg integrated to 

theCSR practices.An awarenesoftheresponsibilitiesrpwardsmultiple 

stakeholdershasto percolate to ever)rlevclwithin theorganlsation . . 

Employeesand suppliersshould bemadeto understand iheirconjiderable . 

enlarged areaofresponsibiliriesin aglotlaleconomy .ltisddsirablet'oconvey 

' . 

within acompany basicinform ation aboutwhatlaumarfrightsare -thc 

. 

rightsarising from merely being human.-fhescrightsarericognized in thc 

UniversalDeclaration ofHuman Itightsand theleadifig inte'rnatibnal 

j 

instruments.ln today'scontextitisextremcly importantfoi-eveljoneinside 

thecom pany to realizewhy they arcrclevantforthe orgéhisation and its 

busines. 

Democraticcultureswithin organisationsencouragecmployeesand 

managerstodiscussandask questions.Que-stionsthatcanhelptoreveal , 

the hidden etlticalissuesin abusinessdccision can provideclarity to 

.j 

em ployeeswhy itisimporrantto folow certain progressive waysof 

beh aviour.Itwould help them to understand how thecompény'scan afcct g @j 

variousstakeholdersand why such actionsneed to be consisteiktwith relevant 

t! 

lawsand ethicalprinciples. An cnvironmentofopcnnessand trustwil 

.1. 

also encourage employeesto rcportbad newṣ Internaltrahsparency and ) 

system icstudy offailurescan go a long way in integrating a rcspectfor 

, 1 

i 

hum an rightsto thctomorrow-bound and progressiveagendaofan , 

L 

organisation. 

' 

Lc:mecndwith aquotefrom thcAmcricanAfrican writerJames # 

Baldwin,'W ordslikefreedom,justice,democracyareno:common . 

conceprs;on thecontrary,they are rarc.People arenotborn knowingwhat jl 

thesearc.ltrakesenormousand,aboveal,individualefbrttc?arivearthe ) 

respectfororherpeoplcthatthesewordsimply 'Corporatesèctor , in vicw 1 

ofthepoweritwields,(hcrcsourcesitcom mands , and becauseofrhe far ' 

reaching conscquencesof i:sactions,hasaspecialresponsibility ro rcspccr 

theothers,which m cansrcspec:therighrsof-communiticsand individuals. ' 

i 

k 

li 

l 

ï 

Li 

i

Corporate SocialResponsibility and 

H um an lkights 

Prof.S.Parasuraman* 

Approachesto CorporateSocialResponsibility 

Itisshedominantvicw slza?thcmain concern ofrlaecorporaresecsor 

iswealth creation.Thisconcern isrooted in ccrtain cultlralvaluesrcgarding 

free marker,privare property and the factt'haswealth crcafion isgooclfor 

society (Friedman,l970;Friedman and Friedman,1962).ltisheld:hata 

businesopcrating in afreemarketisthebestway (o Ctlocatcscarccresources 

becauserhrough such aprocesssocietycan achievea1zoptim um benefit. 

T hismeansthatthesatisfactionofalIpeoplc involved in thesituarion is 

Chegrtatestpossibleor,atleast,thesituation satisilesmostofthem witltou: 

beingdetrimentaiforothers(GarrigaandM clé,2004).Hereshareholder 

valuemaximizarion istlzesupremereferenceforcorporatedecision-making. 

Along theway companiescngagein philanthropicactivitiesshatenhalce 

thcirvalue.M osroftcn,corporatcsocialrcsponsibilitw (CSR)means 

providing somebasicservicesCocom munitieslocated closerpo produc:ion 

sites.M ines,Powcr,Frceland orhcrmanufacruring indusrriesfocus(an 

com munitieslocated around them by investing some hum an and/or 

flnancialrcsourccs. 

CS1k isa setofad-hocpolicicsdesigned to addressparticularissuesor 

cnhancethereputation of-:hefirm.Thisform ofCSR isperpetuated by 

the position thafdcm aldscompaniesto priorisise the knCersrsofrhe 

sharelxoldersabovealotlters.Corpora:esusc CSR asonemeansofptlrsuing 

profirmaximisation or,considering the presurefrom secondac stakeholders, 

detcrring(he Iossofprofls.-l'hclndian Governmenthasstipulatcd thatal 

publicsectorcompatpiesinvestupto 20/0oftlaeirnctprofiton CSR activities. 

''t 

L3 irec lo r,'l'ata1!.1s(Eitll( co fSocialScicI'kcc; 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ' ' ' ' ' ' ' 

Azfm z/oftbeNational.&hp?z?rlf?#>s Commision,W/.9,2010

* lournalo/z/zeNationalSzTzrzrzRiglntsCprz7pzhWt-,I4V.9,2010 

TheGuidcline.son CorporatcSocialResponsibilicy forcensralPublic Sector 

Entcrpriscssaysthat 

Corporate SocialResponsibility isa Company'scom mitmcnt':o 

operatein an economicaly,socialy and environmentaly sustainablc manner , 

while recognizingthe intercstsof itss:akeholdcrs . Thiscomm itmentis 

beyond statutory rcquirements.Corporate SocialResponsibility is , 

rhercfore,closcly linkcd witlz(hepractice ofSustainableDevelopmenṛ 

CorporateSocialResponsibiliry extcndsbeyond philanthropicactivities 

and reachesoutto tlw intcgration ofsocialand buslnvssgoals .Theseactivities 

need to besecn asthose which wouid,in thelongterm , help securea 

sustainatllecompetitiveadvantagc.(DepartmentofPublicEnterprises, 

2010). 

Thistnroadcrdeflnition providc . sopporrunity fortheindividtlalentities 

develop activiriesbettersuited to theircontext . ltwoultlscem,thercfore, 

thatwhile industriescannotaford to ignoreCSR , they can continueto 

dcflne itin wlpatevermanncrbestsuitstheirinrerests . In thecxaseofprivatc 

scctorilèdustrics,thisdirectivcisvoluntary. 

O neoftherecentinnovationsin CSR isworzng with 'bottom of 

t'heeconom icpyram id'strazcgy.Tradicionaly,mostbtlsinessstrategiesare 

focused ontargetingprodtlctsatupperand middle-classpeople , butm ost 

ofthcworld'spopulation ispoororlowermiddieclass.lndia'spoorand 

vulncrablcaloneaccounted roover800milion (Sengupta,2008).Prahalad 

and Hammond (2002),whilcanalyzing thefndiacxperience,havcsuggestcd 

sonyc mind-setchangesforconverting thcpoorinto activeconsumcrs . The 

kdcaistoscethepoorasan opportunity to innovatcratherthan asaproblem 

and certain strategiescal)servethepoorand simultaneously makeproflts . 

Disruptiveinnovatiolps(Christensen and Overdorfl2000;Christcnsen e: 

al.,200 1)arcproducrst)rserviccsthatdo nothavc thesamccapabilities 

and conditions:4sthosebeing usedby customersin Che mainstrcam markets . 

Asa resulttlàcy can 0171),bein:roduccd fornew orIessdemanding 

applicationsam ong non-traditiolalcustomers,with alow-costproduction 

and adapted to (hc necessitiesofthe population.Forexam ple , a 

telecom municationscompany invcntsacelulartelcphone system with Iower 

costs,Lutalso wirh lesssenicc adapted to the baseofthceconomicpyram id . 

Dlsruptiveinnovationscan improvethesocialand econom icconditionsat

:hc 'dbaseoç the pyramid'and atthc samc time crcatea competitive 

advantageforthe flrmsin telecolnmunications,consumerelectronicsand 

cnergy production and many othcrindustries,especialy in developing 

countries(HartandChristcnsen,2002;PrahaladantlHammond,2002). 

Anotherview of(hcCSR isto look atthe businessand industly in 

term softheirobligation to the socicty.Businessisvery closely linked to 

thesociety,with the busineswielding enormouspoweroversociety and 

fhestatc.H ow :hebusinessusessuch powerisacriticalquestion.The 

locusofthispowerisunstable and constantly shiftsfrom theeconom icto 

:hesocialforum and from thcreto the.politicalforum and viceversa. 

Oneofthemajorchangesintherecentdecadeshasbeentheincreasing 

externalisation ofsocialand environmenta.lcosts.Externaliciesarethe social 

and environmentalefectsofbusincssactionsthatburden orbenefitothers. 

Inxcase ofcxternalitie-s,anothersystem ofsociety,thepoliticalsptem,slould 

act(Davis,1973).ThepoliticalFstem musthavethccapacirysomakethc 

businesconfrontthcsee-xternalitiesthrough taxes,regulationald adhcrelcc 

to m inim um packageof-rights.So,businessisassumed to contributeto 

thewelfareofsocicty through themarkctmechanism and in compliancc 

with thelaw.Thesocialobjectivesanddemandscomeunderbusiness 

considcra'Cion through rhclaw applicd by thepoliricalsysteln. 

A.n appropriatcguidclineforlcgitimatecorporate sectorbchaviouris 

found within theframework ofrelevan:publicpolicy Publicpolit'y includes 

notonly the literaltcxtoflaw and regularion,butalso thebroad patern of 

socialdirection reflected in publicopinion,elncrging issucs,formallcgal 

requirements,andenforcemeltorimplelzcntarionpractices(Presronand 

Post,198 l,p.57).Thisisthc esscnceof the principle of public 

responsibility.Jn Chijtview.ifbusinessadherctlto thestalèdardsof 

performancein )aw and thcexisring publicpolicy proccss,then itwould be 

iudgcd acceptably responsivcinrcrmsofsocialexpcctations.'rhe corporate 

sectorworksLo influenceregtlationsthat.enhancesrheiratlilit'y to make 

profltthzough politicalcoltributions,Iobbying,coalicionlnuilding,and 

othe'rmeans.Globaland lyationalproccsseshavecreared policy and legal 

framcworksto make doingbusilcssin any partof(heworld predictablc. 

Legalframeworkscreatedby theW orld TradcOrganisation (%VTO)and 

it5adherenccatthenationallcvelhave had ëmplicationsfortlncpeopleand 

theircnvironments.

lournzd tl/r/z:NationalHumanArk/?rlCommision,P:1#,2010 

G lobaland N ationalIwqwsand RegalationsthatExternalise 

Socialand Environm entalCosts 

Therulesand regulatlonsofthe r rO to facilitateglobattrade oi-ten 

compromisesthesocialanctenvironlnentalrightsof thepcople (Oxfam 

2002).The'WTO israpidlyassuming:herolcofaglobalgovernment 

represenril:g rherules-based regimeofthepoliûy ofeconomicglobalisation . 

ltseeksCorelnovc any obstaclesgn thepath ofoperationsand expansion of 

globalbusinessintercsts.In practice,thesc 'obstacles'are usualy policiesor 

democraticprocessesthatacton behalfofworldng people , labourriglts, 

cnvironmcntakprocction,humanrights,consumcrrights,socialjustice, 

localcultureand nationalsovereignty . Thelegitimacy oftheN* 1-0 has 

been quesfioned Ly severalstates,especialy from the developing region 

andbypcoplc'sorganisations(Koshy,2001). 

Thcinstrulncncsofeconomicpoiicy haveoften had clementsthat 

undermined the State'sability ro protccrspeciflc aspectsofhuman rights . 

Forinstance,theGovernmenthasdeviscd scveralformsofeconomic 

activitiesto facilitatcgrowth.Oneof them isthespecialeconom ic zone 

(SEZ),whichrefersto atoraly commercialarea,especialy cstablished for 

ëhcpromotion offoreign trade.An SEZ isageographicalrcgion thathas 

econolnicëawsmoreliberalthan a country'stypicalcconomicIawswlth 

rhegoalofcxpansion in foreign investment . TheSEZSarespcciilcaly 

delineated enclavcs,treated asforeign teritory,forthepurpose ofindustrial , 

sclviccalzi tradcoperations,with relaxation in cusromsdutiesand a morc 

liberalrcgimein respectofothcrleviesj'.foreign investmenrsand other 

transactions.ThcseSEZShavetheirown adjudicating,enforcingand 

administering agencies.Therefore,itimpliesabsolutenon-interfcrcnceby 

theStace.TheSEZSare cntitted to t000A tax cxemptlortand relaxation 

from folowing strictlabourIaws.TheSlateand CentralGovernmencs 

have putin place mechanismsand processesto facilitace land acqtlisition , 

tax excmption and relau tion wirh regard to cnvironmental,socialand labotlr 

laws.A revicw ofSEZSby civilsociety organisationsconcluded thatSEZS 

acrossthecountry ilaveentailcd seriousviolationsoftheConstitution , 

laws,and proccdurcslaid down by the governmentitself ,and ofpeoples' 

rights.-f-heseinclude the folowiag: 

* SeveralSEZShavetakcn ovcririgated lands,despiteapolicy s:atcment 

10:alowing this.

M osthavc entailed forciblc acquisition ofland,using the Land 

Acquisition Actwherc the State hasintcrvencd on behalf ofthe 

deveioper,orused forcewherethcdeveloperhascarried outacquisition 

directly. 

M any havc violated environm entallaws,such as thc Forcst 

Conservation Act,the ForestltightsAct,and theCoastalRegulation 

Zone and Environm entallm pactAssessm cntnotifcation of the 

Environm entProcectionAct. 

* M any haveobtained approvalby providing falseorm isleading 

information,forc.g.misrepresentationofthe purposeforwhich phe 

SEZ isproposed,thclegalstatusofkandsinvolved,theextentof-local 

com munity rightsand tlteirdejlcndenceon thcarea, 

* M osthavcinvolved violations,inleptcrand/orspirit,ofconstitutional 

guaranteesfor(ribalpcopleorotherdisadvantaged sccrions.This 

incltldesalicnation ofsupposedly non-alienable lands,taking back oilandsgiven 

to laldlcss,and many others. 

. The affccted and displaced peoplehad no role in dccision making, 

even in arcasunderFifth and SixtlSchedulc ofthcConstitution Public 

HearingonSEZ,20l0). 

N on-o bservanceofEnvironm entaland Socialltightsof 

tlaePeople 

Oneof:hemajorproblemsinvolvingprojeccsthatrequirelands,forests 

and othernaturalresourcesisthelivclihoodsand cultureofthepeople. 

Often,projectsarcclearcdwithoutaddressingsocial,cconomicand 

environmentalconccrnsof t'hepcople,Forinstance,theNiyamgiribatuxite 

miningprojectofVcdanrawasgiveninitialenvironmentalclearancecven 

whileitwasclearthattheprojec:hac!violatedtheEnvironmentalProtection 

Act,foressrighrsof tlaepeople,and did notfolow dem ocratic decision 

maldngprocese.sasmandated by the73rdAmendmentto (hc Constitution 

(ReportqfthcFourM cmberCommitee,2010).Eventhoughthcsefacts 

wert known in 2008,theSupremcCourtoflndia,in irsAugust2008 

order(EquivalcntCitation:(2008)9SCC7l1)mandatedtheformation 

ofSpecialPurposeVehicleforSclzeduledAreaDevelopmentofLanjigarh 

Projectin ordertoensureimplemcnration ofproperschenaesforthe

Journaltl/rézNationtd Jfvrz/m RkhtsCtmrzlhyl/;,#;2 #,2010 

developm entofthetribalarea.In theOrdcrthe SupremeCourtsuggested 

aRchabilitation Package underwhich apartfrom vcdantaisalso required 

todeposit5% ofaanualproiltsbeforetax and interestfrom Lanjigarh 

ProjectorRs.10croreperannum,whicheverwashighertoprovîdebeneflt 

tothedisplacedpeopleandtheprojectaffectcd area.Thcnotionthatbasic 

rightsofthe peopleto habitat'and livelihood and adhercnce co lawsof the 

Iand can be compromiscd to facilitate economic growth t)y promising 

wclfareprogramsforthe peopleand the rcgion through contribution from 

thecom pany isacceptablehmsa fundamentalproblem . The industry and 

businesmustadhercto socialand environm entallawsofthe nation , and 

CSR cannotcompensatcfortheirreparablelosse -stha:people and the 

environmentsufl-cr. 

Fram ework forCorporate Accountability to H um an 

Rights 

Thclatestreportfrom tlae UN SpecialRepruentativeof the Secretaly 

Generalon Businessand H uman Ikightsdemonsrratesapracticaland 

baianccdapproach(UnitedNations,2010).TheSpecialReprcsentativehas 

identifled flvepriority areaswhereStatesshpuld srriveto achirvcgreater 

Policycoherencc and efectivcness. 

Statesrvtustsafeguard thelrability vo promotcand protecthuman 

rights.In thisrcspect,the SpecialRepresentativehasbeen particularly 

criticalofbilateralinvestmentfreaties(BITs)and hos:govcrnment 

agrcemcnrs(HGAs)which,hesuggcsts,may constrain5:a:eS'ability 

to pursue legktkmatepoliorreforms. 

2, Statesmustensurc thatwhen conducting businessLhey also promote 

rcspectforhuman rights.In particular,State-owned enterpriscsshould 

rcspecthuman rights. 

3. Statesshould take stepsto promotecorporareculturesand business 

pracficcs,which respecthuman rights.TheSpecialReprcsentative also 

highlighteclCSR policics,reporting requirements , dircctor'sdutics 

and criminallaw. 

The SpccialRepresentativenoted thatthcworstbusiness-related 

human rightsabusesoccurred in conflictafected areas.The Special

Representativehasconvened aspecialworking group to discuss 

approachesforprcvcnting and mirigaring business-relatcd hum an rights 

abusesi1)conflic:zones. 

Nosing thatStascsbave typicall),been rcluctantto exercisc 

exraterritorialJ'urisdiction il:thisarca,thcSpecialRepresentativehas 

indicated thathe would continueconsultationstowardsidentifying 

optionsfottighter'home'State regulation ofbusinesswith respcctto 

l'iuman rights. 

ThcspecialRepresentarive clcfined corporate responsibility as 

respecthum an rights.Itsfoundationsare described in hlsrecentreport 

asfo lows: 

* the responsibilitz to respcctmeansavoidingthe infringementof(he 

rightsof othersand addressing adverse impactswhen they occur; 

@ 

tlacscopeof(lae responsibility dependson 2hc acsualand potcntial 

im pactsgencrated by acompany'sbusincssactivities; 

. theresponsibility appliesinrelation to a1linternationally recogniscd 

human rightsin som eindustriesand contexts;certain rightswilbe 

morerelevant(han others,such asin conflictzonesorwhereLusiness 

activity may afectvulnerable groups(such asindigcnouspeoples, 

women orchildrelp); 

@ :he corporate'responsibilitz to respcct'existsindependently ofthe 

dutiesorcapacitiesofStacesin relarion to human rights;'itapplicsto 

alcom paniesin alsituations', 

D ischarging the 'rcsponsibility ro rcspect'rcquiresdue diligencp. 

Adopting alegalcomplianceapproaclzmay asistcom paniesto design 

reliablesystemsGrassessing and addresinghuman riglrsrisk.Com pany 

levelgrievanccmechanismsarcsaid to bean im porranrcomplementto 

Srate-based m echanisms. 

TheSpecialReptcscntativealsoendorsed Srate-sponsorcdnon-judicial 

grievance mechanisms.In parricular,1AenotcsthatNationalH uman Riglpts 

Insrirurion.sareapromisingvehiclc.Thenationalcontac:poinr,s(NCPy), 

which bearscom plaintsunderrhc O ECD GuidelincsforM tltinational 

Encerprisesarealso mentioned ashaving potcnrial. 

/

loutmalo/râeNationalHumanAz:j'sl Commûwicn,#b19,2010 

Econom ic Grow th'and W idening Disparities 

The roleofthe industry ané lusinessin the lndian contextisvery 

diferentfrom otherpartsof theworld . In asocial,politicaland economic 

contextthatprovideshighly iniquitousaccessto basic nredsofthepeople , 

businessand industly processesshould notfurthcraccentuaretheinequitieṣ 

The posteconom ic Iiberalisation contextpointsto entrcnchmcntof 

deprivacion fora signiflcantproportion ofIndia'spopulation . ThcIndian 

economy isnow the12th largestin theworld by m arketexchange rates 

andthefourth largestonthebasisofpurchasing powerparity(PPP) . India 

achieved 9.6% realGDP growth in 2006 , 9.0% in 2007,and dcspite 

financialcrisis)an im pressive6 . 7% growṯh ratein 2008-2009.Indiaranks 

Secondworldwidein farm outjut.-fhough the agricultureand alied sectors 

cm ployed 52 % of thctotalworkforce,itaccounted foronly 16 .6% of 

the GDP in 2007 . 

Inspiteofthis,thesectorwilconrinuetoplay amajor 

rolein theoveralSocioeconom ic developmcntof Indla . 

TheGovernmcntoflndiahasestablished theNarionalCommission 

forEnterprisesinthcUnorganised Sectorafterexam ining thenatureand 

extcntofpoverty.In iCsflnalreportto the Prim eM inister , theCommission 

concludcd: 

Anoverwhelmingmajority ofrhelndianpopulation,aroundthree 

quartcrs,ispooranclvulnerableand accounred for836 m ilion peoplein 

2004-05.Thisincludcs70 milion or6 . 4 percentofthepopulation who 

m ay be characteriscd asextrem elypoorwirh apercapitaconsumption of 

lessthan orthree-quartcrsoftheoflcialpoverty Jine . Another167 milion 

arepoorwith consum ption lessthan theom cialpoverry line . lf weinclude 

rhosewith apercapitaconsum'ption ofup to 25 pcrcentabove tlaepoverty 

Iine,caled marginaly poor , adding to another207 milion .Thesefhree 

groupsaccountfor444 milion or40.8 percenrofthepopulation . if 

those with apcrcapi:a consum ption betwcen l . 25 and two times:he 

poverty line arcadded,fhenumberofpoorand vuinerable in the countly 

comesto 836 m ilion orwelover75pcrcentof thcpopulacion . Social 

identity ofindividualsisvery closely associatcd wirla poverty and 

vulnerability.The tavo socialgroupsthatare mostvulnerablc arethcSCs 

and STs,and theM uslims.TlAisdoesnotmean thattheothcrgroupsare 

farbetteroff,Thenextgroup istheO BCSbutberterthan the two bottom 

layers.

Acrossthecountry about130 m ilion wom'en and men,boysand 

girls,sleephungly (M ehtaandShepherd 2006),Theexpericnceofchronic 

hungerin distantvilages,aslnuch ason ciry streets,isoncofintense 

avoidablesuffering;ofself-denial;oflearning to livewith farlessthan the 

body needsAboutonethird ofthcworld'smalnourished children Iivein 

lndiaand thischild malnutrition ratcishigherthan thatforany count!y in 

Sub-saharanAfrica.And itisnotonlychildren,butalsoadults(around 

one-thirdof:11Indianmenandwomenhavebodymassindexbelow 18.5), 

and especialyadolescentgirls.Thesefigureshavcremaincd through the 

lasttwo decadesofIndia'simpressiveeconom icgrowth. 

Such high levelsof hungerand m alnutrition areaparadox,becausc 

they stubbornly sunrivcsurging cconom ic growrh anclagricultural 

production,which outpaces:hegrowth of population (although ithas 

worryinglystagnatedinrecentyears).Thepersistenccofwidesprcadhunger 

istlzecumulative ou:com eof publicpoliciesthatproduce and rcproducc 

impoverishment;offailuresro investin agriculture;ofunacknowlcdgcd 

and unaddrcssed destiturion;ofem bedded gender,caste,tribe,disability 

and scigmawhicbconstructtalSocialbarriersto accessing food;bu:in che 

lasranalysisitistheresultofaprofound governancefailure. 

C onclusion 

CSR isaninsrrumentused b),tlzebusinessand industry Co sharepart 

ofitswealth generated with thc people.Though theeconomicand political 

powerofthemem bersof thccorporatcscctoriscnormous,sharingsuch 

powerwith the peopleislimitcd.M ostoften,the motivcforsharingisto 

maxim isetheprofltand sustainability ofthebusinessin :heshortand long 

run,Businesswith bottom of:hepyram id isalso located in thisframework. 

ln orderro securefavourable environmentthatm aximised opportuniv to 

makeproflt,businessand industry wereable ro securepolicieslegal 

instrumentsatthenationaland internarionalIevelChatex:ernalised social 

and envifénmentalcosrsto the people.The nationalpolicz and legal 

frameworksarebeing Laiored tobeil:tunewith *W7-1-0 rulesand regulations. 

These normsoften over-ruleinternationaland nationalnormsto secure 

socialand environmentalrights.Policiesand lawsto secureenvironmental 

and socialrights-EnvironnzensalProtection Act , ForestRightsAct, 

PanchayatExtension to ScheduledAreas,LabourLaws-arebeingviolared

lournalof t/zeNationalHuman #k/atrComminion,Wf.9,2:10 

in ordertoenhanceability ofthe industry and businessto opcratc . T he 

State m ustretain itsability to sccureand protectrightsofthe pcoplethrough 

implementation ofi:soversightauthority and thebusinessand industry 

m ustfolowslawsoftheland.Thatwould bethebestCSR modelforthe 

corporatesector. 

References 

Cbristensen,C,Craig,T and Hart,S.(2000:r$eGreatDisruption,Foreign 

A fairsa8012$ 80-963 

Christensen.CM ,znt;/OvrrtloffM (20007 Merting r& ChalkngeofDisruptive 

Change,Harvard BusincsReview,7862.),6-dL,75, 

Davis,K (1973).r/7:CaseFordzrszfAgainstBusinrsAsumptionof Social 

Responsibilities,AcademyofManagemenlJournal,16j312-322. 

FourMemberCommiteeon Izht/al.z(2010).Reportof 1/JeFourMembrr 

CommiteeforInvrstkationintor& Proposalwîv/pi/rlrdfby r& OrisaMining 

CompanyforBauxiteMining inNfyamgiri,Affpflrr.yofEnvironmentkzzl.#brell, 

.4 ugust16. 

Friedman,M.(1.970):TheSocialRrsponsibilityof BusinrssistoAcrrzcfeits 

Proju,New YorkTimesMagazine,September./JI/J,J2-J3,122,12& 

.Friedman,M .Izzié A.Friedman(1962.1.Capitalism and Freedom.Chicago: 

Univrrsityof ChicagoPres. 

Gariga,E .and AJ'r/#,D.(2004.1.Corporate'socitd Responsibility 7'>rt?r9J. 

M apping theW'rrjl/ṛ;/,JournalofBusinesEthiu,5.5 (112,),51-71. 

Departmentof PublicEnserprists,M inistr.yof Sfw!()lIndustriesand Public 

E nserprises,Governmentof India,2010. 'G*:4/WM'?;'JonCorporateSocial 

ResponsibiliṭyXrCentralPublicSrctorEnterprisn '.Nvww dep.nic.in/newgl/ 

glchl223.pd17 

Kosḥ yN (2001.).PoliticalDimensionsofGlobalisatiort,EconomicandPolitical 

W eckly,M ay 5. 

M ehta,A.K J?;J A epberd,A.(200@:ChronicPovertyand Development 

Polic)rin India,Unitrd A'i'rzg#ozi.ChronicJblzer/ .yResearchCfwrm Universityof 

M anchestes 

Oxfam International,2002.RiggedRulesand DoubleStandards:Trade, 

Globalisation And The FighLAgainstPoverty, 

Prakalai C K zrzt:fHammoné a4.(2002).Servingr& lr/ir/z/kPoosT'rf/rlzlzjs 

Harvard BusinessRevirw,80(9),48-58.

Preston,L.E./zrkz/Post, . JE.(1981):PrivateManagrmentdzaz/Publicfb/lky 

CaliforniaM anagementReview,233-),56-63. 

PublicHearing on .5-#.212010.Sum mary Reporton N ationalConsultation 

onSEZ,April2010,NeltpDelhi.7:1/lmtitutrofsocialSciencrs,Mumbai. 

r/pf'SupremeCpfrroj'/né/W,2008.I.A.No.2134 0f2007 in1r47*1Prtition 

(Civil)No.202, of 1995,Deci'zç/On'.08.08.2008,Apprllants:TN. 

GozavaramanThirumulpad W.Respondent:Unionoflndia(UOI)an2 Ors. 

AND Appelants:In Rr:SterliteIndustriesrfrlzblL td.(S1IL) W Respondrnt: 

EquivalontCitation:(2008)j6CC711 

UN XrcrtprtzṛyGenrralbSpecialRepresentativetzn Businessan2 Human Rigbts. 

2010.ReporttothrHumanék/lyCouncil.

C orporate Sectorand H um an Rights 

D run D/zJ* 

Theevolution ofthelndian Corporate Scctorhasbeen astoly going 

back to thc19th cenfulywith (herolemodeland standard setferbeingthe 

Houseof-fataswiththeSteelplantinJamshedpur.Tatashavccontinued 

to bcthe benchmark fortaking carc ofcmployecsand thcirfamilicsin an 

enlighterked mannerartd thisexam plc isnow folowed by thousandsof 

companiesacrostlc countly Atthesametimeitnccdsto bcacknowlcdged 

rhatfheimplementasion of properrightsforthe human workforcehasye: 

to reach thelevclwhereitslaould be,especialy in themicro , smaland 

midsizeunitswhich areresource-scarce . 

H istol'y showsthatthcilrstissue whëch needed to be addresscd was 

thequestion ofM inimum W agcs.Eventtmlly , legislation had zo beaclopted 

to ensure afairm inim um wagebut,in reality , the large companicsand 

many m idsizccorporatcspay theirworkersantlem ployccsfarin excesof 

the minim um wage.Therewasatime , 170th in thedeveloped economics, 

and in India,whcn thiswasnotso.Thc employerfocused on paying the 

Iowestpossiblewage , in fact,f'arbelow whatwasreasonableand faiṛ 

Fortunately,thisissuc hasbeen rcsolvcd butconcern rem ainsaboutthe 

very sm alflrmssincetheircapacity to pc isconstrained . Theisue goes 

beyond :hcwageleveḷOtherstatutoly due.sarealso esentialsuch asPF, 

Gratuity,Pension,Supcrannuation etc . -fhe corporatesectorisadhering to 

theserequirements. 

In (hisday and age,thc corporatesectorcannotonly folow thelaw 

which sctsminimum standards . Ithasto go bc ond,recognizing thc 

aspirationsofthe employeesto have areasonable standard ofliving for 

themselvesand,especialy,good qualityeducation forthe children . 

* ChiefM entor,ConfederationofIndia , Indusrry& Prcsidcnt,AspenlnstituteIndia 

IournvtloftbeNzzoz/z/HumanA/k/ztrCommision.141.9,Jplp

Tlae exciting developmentisthatm any companie.sarc now running 

schoolsforthe children ofemployeesand,also,fort%ecommuniv nearby . 

Thisisagrowing pracrice and,even m orethan this , majorcompanieshave 

setup Foundationsspcciflcaly designcd to spread quality primary education . 

7-1)eAzim PremjiFoundationisoneexample. 

Theothercriticalissue relatesto provision ofhealthcareforthe 

cmployeesand thcirfamilies.And,in today'sworld of new virusesand 

pandemics)thisisavery importan:responsibility forcorporatcsto fulflḷ 

TheGovernmelr'sPrimalr Health centresarc , by and large,venr 

inadequatein termsofinfrasruc:ure,medicalprofessionalsand drugs . 

H cnce,rclianceon theseisnotadvised. 

Fortunately,onceagain,corporareshavesetup hospirals , enaployed 

doctors,nurses.paramedicsand lroken new ground in providing quality 

hcalthcare notonly to cmployecsand theirfamiliesbuçalso t()neighbotlring 

communicies.The'l-a:aMainHospit'alinJamshedpurisapioncering 

exalnpleof quality lealthcarebu(theBajajAuto faciliryil)Pune,thc 

G odrej& BoyceHospitalinViklyroliareacoupleofofherexcelen:modcls. 

ln facrlcorporatesin lndiahavcdoncsomethingunpreccdcnted in 

thcworld.A-sH IV/AIDS impactwassprcading , selcctIndian corporatcs 

such astheAvanphaClroup,Bajaj,Godrej,ACC,Reliancelndustries,ctc. 

setup ART Centresw lich areforCareand-li'eatnzentin partlership with 

theM inistry of H ealtl:and Fanyily Nvelfare,GovernmentofIltdiaald :he 

GlobalFund for-f'B,M alariaand H IV/AIDS.Thisisapioneering activiry 

organized lny rheConftderation ol-lndian lndustṛr(C1I)whichundcrtook 

thisresponsibility af'cw yearsago. 

lssuesofEducation and HealLltmay noLbeseel,astradil'ional'Hulnan 

Rights'matLersbur,in India,with hundredsofnlilionsofpeopleliving 

in deep poverty,the corporatesectorneedsço step Gnvard and suppkemtnt 

theGovernmenc'sprogram mcs.H appily,itiscloilg so alclHIV/AIDS 

Clinicsand Corporare Hospitalsarc two such exalnples . 

Health conncctsdircctly with thcEnvironment .Air,waterand noise 

polution which,al,inlpacron health if propcrstanclardsarel'lo:lnainrained 

in oficesand factorics.

IournalofthrNz/tprld/Human Afr/?fxCommision,W19,2010 

ltwasa sad tradition in the old m incs,metals,textilçsand othcr 

factoriesin thedevcloped countriesinrhe 19th and 20th cenruriesthatc1 

kindsof polution and poorcnvironmcntstandardsim pacted seriously 

and adversely on the health ofworkers,leading espccialy to Tuberculosis 

aswelasotherdiseases,This,too,prevailed in lndiaand,perhaps,stil 

doesin someplaces. 

Bur,l)y and large,there iscorporate consciotlsnessaboutthe 

cnvironmcntand 'SustainabicD evelopm ent'isa new M ision in the 

corporatesectorin India.No organization isdoing asm uch in thisareaas 

theCII-ITC CenrreforSustainableDcvelopment,New Dclhi,working 

with theCll-GodrejGreenBusinessCentre,Hyderabadforcleaner,greener 

environmentforworkers. 

In thcH um an Rightsareathereisoneim portantissue and this 

concernschildren.Child labourisaso1d astheworld itsel often afamily 

tradition ofearly 1raining oran essentialneed of-thc poon-fhisisespeçialy 

so wherethe work isdonc.outof tle home. 

Gradualy,almostinvisibly,aproccsshasbcen on forthclastf'ew 

decadest'o do away with child labourand fo ensureChatchildren gotto 

schoolandgetbasiceducation.-f'heRighttoEducarionActisamajorstep 

inrhisdircction.H owever,corporatesneed to seethisisue,also,asan 

extendcd rcsponsibiliry even though child labourisno:prevalentin 

corporatiolts.Justascorporateshavetakcn lcadership in (hefleld of 

Education,tlzeyareplaced welto supportthcm ovem entto do awaywith 

child labour. 

There are somc ncw issueswhich have emerged in recenttim es, 

rcquiring corporateattcntion and action on ascalehitherto unknown and 

ulforeseen. 

Fi1's:,istheisuc ofequalopportunity forwomen.Nottoo long ago 

thcrewcrcmajorlndiancompaniesunwilingtoemploywomen.Today 

such colnpaniesarefewerbutitisanissucwhetherwomen have equal 

opportunity to eluploymcnr,prom otion orleadership or,whether,itis 

stilvery Inuch a 'man 'sworld'. 

'Womcn in lldianormally have to undergo strictdisciplinea?home, 

including helping themotherwith work.Thesonsaregeneralyfrccrof

esponsibility The wom an normaly hasan arrangcd marriageand takeson 

considerabicresponsibility.In rhisprocess,theevolution oflndian wom an 

isquite unique 60th in term sofvaluesaswellas application and 

com m itm ent. 

M any organisationshavctherefore,found thatwomen arecxcelent 

workers,managers,leaders.But,the ratiosaresrilskcwed.And,itis 

thereforc,im portantto focuson theneed forwomen to be given cqual 

opportunit'y forjobsanclgrowth.Thisjustcannotbeassumedtobe 

happening.Itneedsconstantpushing,forexample,theReservalion for 

W omen issuein Parliamcntor,thestrong symbolic valueofChePresident 

ofIndiaand 'fhc Speakerof theLok Sabhatleing womcn. 

A corollary to thisistheissueofscxualharzsmentattheworkplace 

oranysvhere(e.g.,buses,Crains,planes,streets,etc).Thisisagrowing 

phenomenonas:he numberofwomen in corporateand publiclife ison 

therise. 

1:isnotcnouglaforcorporatesLo dcny tlatthisproblem exists.Denial 

iswrong.Itisalso essentialGrcach corporateto have apolicy f'ramework 

rclating (o scxuallparassmcntand alaid down proccsst.o dealwithit.A: 

thispoin:of tim c,few colnpaniesarcfuly organizcd t()deaiwith (his 

sensitivcisstle. 

ltisextremcly imporrantto dealwith thischalcnget'ransparcntly, 

efficicntly and efcctively so tha:itsimportanceisdilninishcd and flAem ater 

docsnotgrow bcyond a1lproportions.Nvonten mustbcsafe,and m ust 

feelsafe,in any environment.Corporaresm tlstensut'erhis. 

Justasthewomen'sissuencedscolzstantattention,s()alsothcissueof 

nlinorities. 

Indiais,and wilalwaysl)e,astronglysecularcountry.Atthcsame 

timetherearcminority comm tlnipiesin varyingnulnbers-largcto smalwho 

need attcntion,careand stlplort.Thcy musthavea 'Jltacei.l4thest1l'. 

lndiahassetup structurcs,policiesand systemsto cnsuretlis.Forcxamjle, 

thcM inoriticsCommission.l$tlt,l4luchofthefoctlshasbeen oI1thepublic 

Scctorand govcrnmeltscrvicc.Probably,thccorporatesectorhasnotbeen 

deeply involved in thisissue which irneedsto be.Only then cal'llndiahave 

atruly sccularsocicry Corporatcinvolvemcntisesential.

JournalJ/téeNationalffsmzsRklm Commision,l'U.9,2010 

W hatappliesto wom en and m inorities,also,cqualy applie.sto thc 

SC/ST population who havehad disadvantaged positionsin society.The 

' 

AfflrmativcAction program meofthcConfcdcration ofIndian lndustry 

(CII)isframedtoaddrcssthisissueon avoluntarybasis.But,muchmorc 

ncedsto bedoneacrossinduste so thatthissection ofthe peopleof India 

fcclenabled,empowercd and engaged.Becauseofthelargenumbers,this 

isnotthecaseatpresentand,thcrefore,representsamajorchallengeforthe 

corporate sectorin India. 

O ncaspectofthisprocessisSkillsDcvelopmentso that,overthe 

' 

next tcn to tw elveyears,500 milion yotmg peoplecan betrained in difcrcnt 

skilsforsuirableemploymentorself-cmploymens.M any ofthese milions 

arc from sectionsofsociety which havcbeen disadvantaged through lack 

ofproperopportunity foreducation and training.A highlysuccessfullndian 

corporatesectorcan do m uch to addressthischalenge of thecountg.Itis 

doing so btltmuch moreisncedcd. 

Nvhilcindividuaicorporatcsand group companiesare the 'docrs'ald 

'laycrs'theinscirupionsofthecorporatesectorhaveamajorroletoplay. 

P 

First,to createawarenessofhuman righrsisues;sccond,ro zakeon 

demonsrationprogrammesand,third,to 'persuadc'corporatesto do more 

in thiswholechalcngingarea. 

lndusCryinstitutionshave raditionaly been 'lobbies'forbusinessto 

gctconcessions,incentivesand policieswhich fosterindustry and 

entreprencurship.Gradually. . 

theirrolehaschanged and cvolved inso 

developmentalinstitutionsconnected to,and concerned with,thc realissues 

oftheday concerning human developmcntand rights.A clasicexamplcis 

theConfcderatiol:oflndian Industry (C l)which laastaken multiple 

inisiarivesand hassustaincd theireforts. 

Thenccd ismoreinstitutionsto do likewise.To bring difcrcntaspects 

ofH uman Rightsto theconferencetatle so thar,across:hecountn, 

Lhousandsand thousandsofcompaniesem ulateand adoptbestpractices. 

Il1LhewordsofC K Prahalad 'nextpracticcs'.In fact,Prof.Prahalad isthe 

person-the thoughtIeader-who hasinflucnced generationsofcorporate 

ieadersto think and focuson societr's 'Bottom offhe Pyram id'.To 

considerthcirposition,to understand theirneedsand rcsourccs,to develop 

productsand servicesforthem,tosecthcm asanassetandaresource(not 

aliability).I1thisway,he connected corporatcsto anotherworld-the

world ofthe poorand disadvantaged,theworld of thepeoplewith vcry 

limited resourcesand opporrunitiesand to sccthem kn a com pletely 

diferenrlight. 

TheC K Prahalad philosophy,which isthephilosophy ofthisarticle, 

isthatthepeopleatthe bottom ofthepyramid m ustbctreated with 

respect.They havcdigniry:T ley havccapability.They havepotential.$o, 

itgoesbeyond H uman RightsinEhetraditionalsense.ltisHunèan Dignity 

and Respect.lrgoesheyond lawsand rules.ltconccrnsbchavioralpd conduct, 

notbased on codes-though thescarcusefulreferencesand chccking points. 

TheIndia oftomorrow hasLo bcan lntlsaofequality of opportunity, 

ofminimum incquality,prejudiceandbias.A trulysecularsocietyflcd 

with harmoly and pcacc. 

In aIlofthis,thelndiancorporatesectorhasahtlgcroleto play. 

Thissectorislcd by cducated,enlighLened peoplc.And,whilsrproflt 

isan importantself-sustaining driver,itcalznot,mustnot,t3e:heonly 

motivation.Corporatcsarccreating wealth foral.-fhc nccd isforimproved 

distribution and sharing,notthroughgovernlnen:lawsand rules,but, 

through enlighrened practicesof corporateleadership. 

In acountry of600 m ilion pluspeopleliving in poverty,corporafes 

can setexam ples in tcrmsoftheirownemolulnents,thcirlifcstyles,their 

policiesand practicesrclating to eqtlality and theirleadcrslip vis-a-vis 

women,minoripies,disadvantagcd com muniries,afirmativcactionand 

many otherissues, 

Corporares have transformed the econom y ofIndia to face 

globalizapion chalelgeswizlnconapetitivencsand colpfidencc.Thcsame 

corporatecan help transform Che lndian society.

M obilizing for H um an R ights: 

InternationalLaw in D om esticPolitic.s 

By Beth ,4.Sim mons 

AezyerzzḅyProfesorB.B.Jpaat/e' 

Depending upon thedcvelopmentaland culturalcontexț the H um an 

Rightsdiscourse theworld overha,sheen carried outatthreedistinctlevelș 

namcly,thcconceptual,thenorm ativeand theimplementation . Though 

in mos:of thecountriestheLuman rightsthinking and writing isstil 

stuck-up atthc conceptualand norm ativc Ievcls , butthcredo c'xistcountries 

where,eitherdueto abetterrecord of socialand politicalacceptanc . e of 

human rightsideology orthesheerintelectualinitiativeofthescholarș 

there hmsbeen positivemovementin pushing to theforethehuman rights 

Im plementation levelactivitles.The book underreview by Beth A . 

Sim monsisonesuch venture thathasdistinctly attempted to assessthe 

im pactof-theInternationalH uman RightsLaw on 'DomesticPolitics' . 

acrostheworlcl.ltispnradoxicaltharmobilizing,which hasbcen conceived 

by an American scholarand publishcd in New York in 2009 , adistincrly 

post9/11period,should havedevoted oncfulchaprer(Ch.7)to the 

them e'Hum ane-rrearment:-fhe Prevalenccand Prevention of-rorture' . 

M obilizing isauthored by a seasoned politicalscientistcurrently 

working msaProfessorofInternationalAffairsattheH alvard Universits 

whose research and writingson lnternationalLaw and Statcbehaviorare 

already welknown and rewarded .True to heracadem icand hard researchorientation.M 

obilizirkg hasattempted to give athrough academictreatment 

tothesubjectonhand.Thebookisdividedintotwodistinctparts,the 

first,dcvored to thefourtheorcticalinquiriesand second , devoted to four 

impactareasofcurrentinterest.Chapterland 2 incorporarediscusion 

#FormcrProfessorofLaw,DelhiUniversity 

Journaltp/râeNationdHumdnAlj'/zl Commision,W/,9,2010

elating to roleand signiflcance ofInternationalLaw,which appearsto be 

supcrfluity in abook on im plementation ofhuman rights.Butchapters,3 

and 4 thatcentreround theoricsofratilcation and theoriesofcom pliance 

haveculcd-outsomevcly usefulmaterialofgrcatinterestto non-political 

sciencehuman rightsacadcmic-s.Thevalue ofthebook isfurtherenhanced 

by theauthorsattemptro assesstheperformanceofdiverse nation states 

on the basisofratifcation andcom pliancewith selecthum an rightstreaties, 

W eshaladvertto chapter3 and 4 in the laterpartofourdiscussion.The 

second partofthebook compriscsofflvechapters.Themain focusison 

chapters5,6,7 and 8thatarcdevoted to somemostvitalhuman right. 

thelnessuch as'CivilRights'(Ch.5),including'religiousfrcedoms','Fair 

Trials','Crueland lnhumanTrearmcnt-Death Penalty','Equality for 

W omen:Education,W orkandReproductiveRights'(Cl4.6),'Humane 

Trcatment:ThePrcvalence and Prevention of-fbrturc'(Ch.7)and 'The 

ProtectionoflnnocenLs:-l-hcJtiglt'softhcChild'(Ch.8).Thoughone 

can hardly flnd any faul:in thcauthors'choiceofthcabovefourim pact 

areas.Butattimes,one feelslikcdisagreeing with theauthorforhaving 

slpown undueinterestin civiland politicalaspectsof htman rightsoverthe 

cconomic,socialand culturalaspectsofhum an rights.Thevalueofthe 

book forthcrcaderIiesnotonly in thcaforesaid six chapters,butalso the 

rwoappendicesandalonglistofsevenhundred and fifk referencesabout 

which somecom mentswould bcmadelatcr. 

A nalysing the lm plication of Ratification of H um an 

ItightsCovenantsby the States 

Chapter3tirled as'l'heoriesofcommitment'providesan elaborate 

ofdiscusion on mozivariol.sand thc ptocesscsin tlae rarification ofthcsix 

leading human rightscovenants,namely,theinternationalcovenanton. 

Civiland PoliticalRights(ICCl7R),InternationalCovenanton Economic, 

Socialand CulturalRights(ICESCR),ConventiononEliminationoflacial 

DiscriminationICElkDI,Conventionon,theEliminationofAlFormsof 

DiscriminationAgainstWomen (CEDA'W),Convention on theRightsof 

(hcChild(CRCI)convenriol:AgainsîForpuneandotherCruel,lnhuman 

orDegrading-rrearmentorPunishmen:(CA1-).Theauthorhasmadesome 

interestingcrosscountqz/regional/ctln:ilelatalcomparisonsin tlzepaterns 

and prefcrenccsin she rasificarion oç(hecovcnantsby the governnacnrs 

Lhrough illustrative tables,charts and graphs.Atthe end ofthc

JournaloftbeNzrï/ra/Human Azk/ztrCommision,Fif.9,2010 

' 

com mitm cnt'chapterthebook presents'asa few knterestlng conclusions 

such as:'Thatgovernmentsratif)rbccausethey intcnd to com ply'zor 

'N ondcm ocratic governm ents-polities , thatnevcrexperienced m uch 

dem ocraticparticipation oraccountalility atany pointin theirhistorieshavebeen 

systematicaly reluctantto com mitthelnsclvcsLo rhecontents 

of legalarrangcmentsthatdcclare the importance of civiland polisical 

rightsfortheindividual.Silnilarly,governments-politiesthathold social 

valuesthatfltquîteuncasily with thevalucsrehected in thesetreaticsare 

alsosystematicalyunlikely to com m it,asisespccialy clearin :he case of 

predom inantly M uslim socieries'reluctancefuly to cmbraceCEDAVI'S 

'Nvharisclear,however,isthattlẓenatureoflegalsystem hasa signiilcant 

and highly consistentefccton governm ents'comm itmentpatterns . 

Govcrnmenrsin comm on law settingsarc systematicaly more reluctant 

to ratifvmostofthesctreatics.Thenatureoflegalsystem itselfcan create 

resisranccagainsttheready acceptance ofthcinternationalhuman rights 

rcgime.'AYe:anorhervery intercsting conclusion ofthischapterisrhe 

influcnce of-rcgionalratification patterns , in thcwordsof theauthor: 

'Governmentsappearto tkm ethekrratificatlon-even coordinatetheir 

rescnrations-largely to keep in step with regionalpcers . . .. Rights-oricnted 

countriespulfhcirIesscnamored neighborsalong in theirwake's . 

Howevcr,dleothcrwiseexcelently conceived and articulated chapterdocs 

norshcd m uch ligh:on why certain human rightsconventionsaremore 

ratiflcd and otherslessratified ?Sim ilarly,thepositive and negativerole 

playcd bythe H uman Rightsinstitution in the ratificationshasalso 

remained unexpïored. 

Analysing the lm plications of Com pliance w ith the 

Ratifled Conventions 

Chapter4 isan exceklentfolowsup of thepreviouschaptcrthatdeals 

with multiple issuesinvolved in postratification treaty compliancc . 

Beginnilg with aiucid discussion ofdiverse theoriesoftreaty obligations 

undcrtheintcrnationallaw,rbcchapterdiscussẹsthemechanismsby which 

tl7ehumanriglatsreatiesinflucncetlerightsoutcomeasa(oolto support

politicalmobilization.Particularly rdcvantforruleof-law societiesisthc 

roleofjudicialy inrelyinguponratifled treaticsincreatingintcrnational 

legalotlligation forthcnation states.Theauthorconsidersthat'Litigation 

in nationalcourtsisone ofthe beststratcgiesavailable forcrcating 

homegrownpro-rightsjurisprudencc.G'Thcauthoralsounderscoresthe 

vitalrole played by activistlawyersin rhe crcation ofsuch pro-right 

jurisprudenccinrhesewords:'Litigasionhasgrowninimpcrranceinmany 

countriesbecauscofagrowing network of'causelawyers'with theinterest 

and expcrtise to push human rightscascsthrough thecourts.Cause 

lauzyering-orlegalwork thatis'directed ataltering somc aspectsof the 

social,economic,and politicalstatus-quo'-istraditionaly associated with 

tlaelitigation campaignsoftleNAACP in thccase ofcivilrightsmovements 

ofthcUnited States'/. 

Furrhermore,tl'leauthoropinestha:ratification ofhulnan righ:s 

treatiescan alsoscrveasatoolofpoliricall'nobilization.Thcy can iknpact 

theindividuals'valuepreferencefortleconccrned human rightsand also 

o alons way rowardstlzeirimpleruentation atthc ground Ievel.'ro stlpport 

hispointtheauthorhasprovidedadiscussion concerning :I4erhcoriesof 

socialmobilizationatpp.l36 t'o149.Advocacing strongly hisvicwpoint 

that reaticscan enapowerpoliticallnobilization,theauthorobscrvers: 

'Trcatiescan changevaltlesand bclief'sand can changetheprobability of 

succcssfulpoliticalaction (o achievcthcriglztsthey pronnulgate '.Theabiliry 

oftreatiesro gencraten'lobi)lzacion forhuman rightsin stablcautocracics, 

stabk dcmocracies,and partialdenaocraticortransitionalrcgimcsisdisjalaycd 

in acomparativc framecharti1àFigure4.l(a!7p.151).Accordingto thc 

author:'Thevalucofsecuring reatycolnpliance ismuch highcrin a 

repressivcordiscriminatory scting than in aliberaldelnocracy.which has 

awidevariety ofdomestic guaranLeesalready in place,...Atthcsame 

tim e,theprobability of-successfulydcmanding acivilorpoliticalrightis 

likcly to bc1ow in ahighly rcpressiveenvironlncnt.Such demandsare 

likcly to bem erwich repression instableautocracicsorregilncsrooted in 

discrimination.Dem ocraciesCcnd to behighly rcsponsivc to citizens' 

demands.'g Similarly,inflgurc4,2 (p.1j3)fheautlortricstoprojtlc: 

through agraph thc valuesofhtlman rightsmobilizatiol)i1Aautocracics, 

6 M obilizing,atp.1(51. 

7 Ibicl. 

8 Mobilizins a:p.l50. 

!) Mobilizing atp.151.

Furnalof theNflfov lHuman Ak/?tsCommiskon,Wf.#,2010 

democraciesand partialy dcmocratic/transitionalregimes,and arrivesata 

concltsion thatcompared to 170th stableautocraciesand stabledemocracieș 

:hetrcatz efl-ectism uch more in partialy democraticortransitionalregimes . 

Trying to find an answerto the question:underwhatconditionsdo 

governm entcomply with theirinternationalhum an rightstreaty 

comm itment?thcauthors'advocacy ofcitizens'forsecuringbetcrsta:e 

complianceisovcrsim plifying thcrealitics,apartfrom revcrsing theclock 

of strengthening :heinternationalhuman rightsordcr , particularlyaftcr 

theUnircd Nationsinstitutionsassulning a key role in building a 

internarionallegalorder. 

Relating ICCPR Ratifim tion to lm provem enu in the Civil 

RightsRecord 

Chap:er5hasfolowed avcry vitallineofenquiry pcrtaining to tle 

ilnpactofICCIAR ratificationson thecivilrightsrealitie.sin diferentsocietics . 

Civilrightshcrehave been understood inrermsofitsthreeaspecrs,namcly , 

'Fair-rrial','ReligionsFreedom','Dcath Pcnaltr Abolition and Retention' . 

Theclaaptcrprcsentsthedaraand findingsin respectofaIlthethrcccivil 

rightsscparately,through chartsand rables.-l-able5 . 2(pp.175-176)presents 

rhercscarch findingsin atabularform in which 'religiousfreedom 'istakcn 

asadependcntvariable and thcstatisticalrealitir.spertaining to itarccolected 

in respectro tleflvcstatemodels.However,such an claboratercsearch has 

onlyledtoamoreorless,routinefinding:'Themajorresultistheweakbur 

noticeablc influenceof rhcICCPR within fiveyearsof ratifica:ion fora1l 

regimetypcs,with aclear/concentration ofthe trcaty'sliberalizing efccts 

wiLhin countricsthathavehad ofdemocraticgovcrnance'IDsimilarly,the 

cffectofICCPR ratiflcation on'FairTrial'hasbeen analysed in pp . l78to 

l87.Here asweltheauthorali'eragraph of ICCPR obligation and fairtrial 

practicesand astatisticalralle,arrivcsatafinding,that:'the influcnce of 

ICCPR ratifscation onfairtrialsishighly conditîoned by thenaturcof:he 

regimc.Tlwreisamild positivebutstaristicaly insignilcantasociation across 

alcountrics,butthcanalysisof subgroupsindicatẹsthattheposjtive efects 

are concentrated largcly in ncitherthe stabledemocracie.snorthestablc 

autocracies,bu:rarhcrkn tlosepoiiticsthathave bad someexpcricncewith 

democraticgovernmcnt,howeverSecting' . 

l! 

10 M obilizing atr).177. 

1l ldobilizingatp.l87.

Justice forthe Poor 

Perspectiveson Accelerating Access 

f dited by:Ayesba KadwaniD z%Jand 

Gita H onwana WWc: 

Review # .yProf.(Dr.)AzAlfrSingk* 

AmartyaSenknhisrecentbook'AnIdeaofJustice'commcndstlàe 

comparativemethod ofdiscoursilgonkc questionsofsocialjusticc.Even 

asonefindsSen'ssuggestion unexceptionablc , ltspracticatapplication is 

dim cultbecauseof the paucity of comparativem ateriaḷ To beprecise,the 

Anglo-Amerlcan outlook on key socialquestionsoccupiṟsso much ofthe 

knowlcdgespace thatitvirfualy bloclcscve:y othcrpcrspective .Thisbook 

breaksthisembargoasitdeliberatesontheaccesslbilityofjusticctotlw 

poorthrough essayswhich specialy dwelon thc UND l'-supported 

experim ents. 

In theors asound legalsystcm isesentialforthemalntenance ofa 

civilised society.Howcver,in practicc doesrhelegalsystem rcaly promo:e 

orpemetuatejustice?Isjustlcefora17.lnwhatwap doessocialdassînfluence 

criminalcascoutcomes?JusLiccforthepoorattemptstoanswerthe-scvexing 

questlonsand raiscstbeissuesofobvaining fairnessforthe poorand less 

weleducatcd defendantsin tlecrim inalcour:procesṣ Theprimeaimsof 

thebooksareto exam inc'both theplaceofiaw and piaceofsociaiclassin 

the lawyers'everybody ncgotiation of criminalcases' , and to asses'whcther 

socialclassunderminesjusticeidcals'and 'whethcrthesocio legai 

environmentitself somehow obfuscatcsand reinforcesclasoppression' . 

Study ofjusricefor:hepoorisrimelyandthoughtprovokinginexamining 

law from a socio legalperspectivethatcmphasiẓ c.sthe importanccofstudying 

'iaw in action'. 

*Vicc-chancellor,N ationalLaw Unjvcrsior , Delhi.Ithankfullyackuowledgcthe 

researchinputsofmy SrudentM ṛ KeranMukhijaforthcBookReview. 

Jouvnalof t/?eNationalfflfrntznRiglntsCommision,Wl.9,2010

1 louruloftbeNZ/rZw!JHumanAfg/ztrCommisinn,W/2#,2010 

The distinguished contributorscontend thattheformulation oflegal 

strategiesisindispcnsableforprotccting people,including thepoorestof 

thepoor,from human rightsviolation,and forsecuring rights-civil , political, 

socio-economic,and culturai.Thcy clarify conccptualissuesand address 

cl-ucialque-stions.'W hatarethe mostappropriate,practical , efectivcStrategies 

forsccuringaccestojusticcforthepoor?'hvhatarethemeansofevaluating 

justiceprogrammingfrom aresultsbased perspectivewhatlevclofinterplay 

cxistskctwecn poverty,good governance,and accountability in therealisation 

ofthemilennium dcvelopmentgoalsand in cnsuring participation and 

non-discrim ination? 

The18essaysin thiscoîkction have becn organised around ûvcthemes: 

accesstojusrice,first,inrheintcrnationalcontextandtheninplurallegal 

systems;thelinkbetweenpublicinterestlirigationand acccstojusticc;the 

relationshipbetweea democracs sovernanceand justiceprogramminp and 

thedevelopmentsand obstaclesencountered in the im plementation of 

variousregionalinitiatives./knd theeditorshaveprovicled an introducrion 

to each ofthescsegments,apartfrom the one fo'rthcentire group . This 

m ethodology has,apartfrom cnsuring thatno contribution sufcred 

eëitorialneglect(becauscasuccinctsummal ofeach csayisgiven bythe 

editors),rcndcred thework reader-friendly in thesense thatonecan easily 

zero in on thethemcofone'sintcrest.Howcver,in opting forrhe de - scriptive, 

theeditorshavelostan opportunity to interlink thcvariouscontributions 

and m eld them into acompositeentity ,Asa consequence,thebook remains 

' 

sustacoltection ofdlscrete essays. 

Thebookistrulyamineofinformationonthestatcofjusticein 

variouscountriesin Africa,Asia,Latin America,theM iddle East,and the 

Centraland Eastern Europe.In some cases,theserich descripfionsare 

accom panied by adeep analysis.Forcxample,the piece by GeofBudlender 

isa fascinating analysisofhow,in South Africa,publkc intcrestlawyering 

combined with work attheleveloç thepublic inrerestmovementand 

subverted an unjustsystcm.JilCotereilandYash Ghaipointro thc 

diflcultiesofusingtheConstirution msan instrumcntofempowerm elztin 

Kenya)whereIargescctionsof the peoplearcpoorand marginaliscd .And 

UpendraBaxiprovidcsthcoverarching conceptualframework to these 

counrrpwisedcscriptionsby bringing outthemultiple connotationsof 

globalisation and :heresultalz:lnterplay between neo-liberalism and access 

tojustice.

Since authenticinformation m ustcome ahead ofanalysis,thematerial 

provided in the book can form the bmsisforacomparativc study and 

assessmentofdevclopmcntsvis-à-visaccestojusticcinlndia.Thus,for 

example,theliberalisation oflocusstandi,aprecursorto rheconceptof 

' 

publicintcrestlitigation'(P!L),hascometoberegarded as'routinc.'Both 

thelegalprofesion and the1ay peoplehaveceascd to appreciatetheradical 

importofthisdevelopment.In orderto continuereflecting on legitimate 

libcralisation,itmay beappropriaLeto keep cxamining theptlrposeofthe 

standing ruleand to study caselawwhcrethercfusalto liberalise ismanifcstly 

unjust.Thecssayon'PIL inNigeria'providcsumptecnsuchcxamples. 

Relevance 

Equalit'y before thelaw in adcmocracy isamatterofright.ltisnota 

subjectofcharityormagnanimity,burancntitlementstrictlyafordedCo 

oneand al.Properacccsstojusticeisolly possiblewith tlteat(ainmcn:of 

thcendeavorslikc tngaging :he poorin adialogue forempowerment; 

coordinacingthcparticipation ofa1rolcplayersin (hc1aw reform process; 

f-ostcring linkagcsto regionaland inrerlationalnctworksforthepurposes 

ofadvocacy,trainingand capacirpbuilding within cxisring institurionsand, 

whercneccssary,thecreation ol-lcw ones;advocating forlay parricipatiol' 

in thcjusticesystem sothatrhcCourtsarcbetrcrinformed;advocatingfor 

theestablishmentofsuchoficesasthatofthcOm budsperson in orderro 

promotcanaccountableandtransparentlegalandjudicialenvironmen:; 

encouragilg lawmakersand tlte legalprofession to uselocallanguagc and 

simplifylanguageinthejusticesystem andinform poorcomlnunirieshow 

the formalsystcm works;and initiating pilotstudiestracking cascsin rhc 

civil,crim inaland administrativeCourtsthereby also m oniporing and 

asscsingthcquality ofjudgmentsand:hedelaysintheircxecution. 

'Only thus,?zv can maker/7/.fworl.d a btter,.7rltr/more 

' 

peacefu.p 

/lacet'ortvlWtpin.' 

Thebook cxamincs:hcself-validating tendenciesofbestpracticesthat 

leavelittlescopeforacumulaLive and increm entalapproach ro reforms. 

Administlutivcinnovationsand initiativeseven ifunsuccessful,Ieavebehind 

arepository ofinform ation,which ifrclcgated to thecagcofbeszpracticcs 

m ay belostforever.Thebook bringsf'ortlàthisconcern anḍ laysaccenton 

tlaeresearchthatmustmovebcyond 'bestpractices'.Tralsccnding lnest

Journalf/r/zeNationalHuman Afg'/?s Commnsion,Pi/.#,2010 

practicesviewpoin:advocatesrhatthereisascopeforincreascd policy 

activism in apractice which isstriving to flnd solutionsto theprobicm . 

In India,(hecolonialIineagcofthelcgalsystem provokesqucstions 

abouti:srelcwanceto thepoorand rhcdispossesed who neitherundcrstand 

the languagenorthepracticeofchecourts.Thissituation oftcn causes 

pcopleroharkbackCoinstitutionsofcommunityjustice.Suchnosralgiais 

fkrfroln uniform on accountofthe Sexistand casteistdecisionsrhatare 

pronounced bymany an institution ofthenon-statelegalsystem.The 

needtoadoptanuancedapproachisablybroughthomebylulioFaundez, 

whoinlyisanalysisofthecommunityjusticeinstitutionsinruralPeru 

exposestl4clim itationsofthatsystem and also explainshow itoften helps 

in restoring people'sfaith in apoliticalsystem,Thatthereisno right 

wirlaoutaremedy isaclichéd proposition ofrightsJ'urisprudcnce.Thc 

l3th FinanceComlnission hasearmarked m .5,000 croreduring thcfiveyearperiod,2010-15,forimprovingthejusticedeliverysystem.lfthis 

atlocarion isto yield theintendeclresult,itisimpcrative thatthoseinvolved 

in drawing up action plansstop recycling worn-outideasand come up 

wirh something fresh and innovativc.Thisbook could E)eofgreatasistance 

insuch arcform process. 

This.book isofim mensevalucand a com mendableeffbrtofAye-slaa 

KadwaniDiasand GitaHonwanaW elch scholarswhich haslaid atrestthc 

Statc cenrric understanding ofefficiency,capaciry building and 

implementation.Thusthebook providesaleaseofrefrcsling rclevanceco 

judicialadministrationresearcheffortsforthewellleingofpoor.Itisa 

m usrread foralpolicy makersand rcsearchersofgovcrnance.

C ontributors 

SlzriN.C.Saxena 

Distinguished Felow,Skoch DcvclopmcntFoundation 

Dr.M .S.Swaminathan 

Chairman,M S Swamilathan Research l'oundation 

ShriHarsh M ander 

Direccor,Centrc forEquality Study 

Dr.Prem a Ram achandran 

Director,Nutri:ionofFoundation of lndia 

D r.A m rita Rangasam i 

CSR,ShaharVikasSansrhan 

ShriIK.Jayakrishnan 

Advocare,SuprenlcCourtofIldia 

Shr;Alok M ukhopadlv ay 

ChiefExecurive,Voluntary Health Association oflndia 

Prof.J.S.Rajput 

FormerDircctor,NCER'I' 

M rs.Brinda Ifarat 

M emberofParlialnent(RajyaSabha) 

D r.R.K.Pachauri 

DirectorGencral,TheEnerja andResourccInsfitute(-1'ERl)

IournaloftheN,Z/'ZrJ/J/.I';IPw?ZRigbtsfltariz/àHczl,Wl9,2010 

Dr.RanjanaKumari 

Direccor,CentreforSocialResearch 

Prof.Satish C.Shmstri 

Dean,FacultyofluridicalScicnces 

M ody Institutc ofTechnology and Scienccs 

ShriChaman 1.a1 

Form erSpccialRapportem',N HRC 

... 1 

, e 

( 

Ii 

N 

Prof.Yogesb Atal 

FormerlyPrincipalDircctor,SocialSciences(UNESCO) 

Prof.RanbirSingh 

Vice-chancelor,NationalLaw University,Delhi 

JusticeShriG.I!M athur, 

M cmber,NH RC 

M s.Anu Aga 

Clàairperson,-fhermax Group oflndusrrics 

Prof.,S.Parasuram an 

Director,TataInsritureofSocialScicnccs 

ShriTarun Dms 

ChiefM entor,Confedcration oflndian lndustrio & Presidcnt, 

Aspen lnstirutelndia 

Prôf.B.B.Pandc 

FormerProfksorofl-aw,DclhiUniversitz

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