ESTABLISHMENT OF THE COMMISSION‌

The National Human Rights Commission is a statutory (and not a constitutional) body. It was established in 1993 under a legislation enacted by the Parliament, namely, the Protection of Human Rights Act, 19931 .

The commission is the watchdog of human rights in the country, that is, the rights relating to life, liberty, equality and dignity of the individual guaranteed by the Constitution or embodied in the international covenants2 and enforceable by courts in India.

The specific objectives of the establishment of the commission are3 :

(a) To strengthen the institutional arrangements through which human rights issues could be addressed in their entirety in a more focussed manner;

(b) To look into allegations of excesses, independently of the government, in a manner that would underline the government’s commitment to protect human rights; and

(c) To complement and strengthen the efforts that have already been made in this direction.