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The NHRC has issued a notice to the Union Health Ministry and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) over a complaint raising concerns on alleged "widespread reuse of cooking oil" in the country. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) directed a probe into the allegations and the furnishing of a state-wise report according to the proceedings of the case. It asked to submit an action taken report within two weeks. The allegations made in the complaint prima facie seem to be "violations" of the human rights of the victims, reads the proceedings, dated October 22. The complainant, founder of Sarthak Samudayik Vikas Evam Jan Kalyan Sanstha, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, has raised "serious concerns about the widespread reuse of cooking oil in India". He pointed out that despite FSSAI's 'RUCO -- Repurpose Used Cooking Oil' campaign and policies promoting bio-diesel at the ground level, small hotels, roadside eateries and food vendors allegedly "repeatedly reuse or resell us
The NHRC has urged various states and UTs to take "pre-emptive steps" and implement relief measures to protect the vulnerable segments of the society, especially the newborns, poor, elderly and the homeless who are at risk from the ensuing cold wave, due to "lack of shelter and resources". In a statement issued on Thursday, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) also said it acknowledges that changing weather patterns due to climate change "affect human rights" as it affirmed its commitment to protect vulnerable sections of the population impacted by extreme weather events to ensure their dignity is respected and upheld. The NHRC, keeping in view the cold wave in the country, "has urged 19 state governments and four UT (Union Territory) administrations to take preemptive steps and implement relief measures to protect the vulnerable segments, especially the newborns, children, infants, poor, elderly, homeless, destitute and people involved in beggary, who are at risk due to lack
The NHRC has issued notice to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Mumbai police commissioner in the wake of a complaint alleging that web series 'Ba***ds of Bollywood' on an OTT platform, showed a popular actor using banned e-cigarette on screen, "without any warning or disclaimer", according to proceedings of the case. The complainant has further alleged that this particular scene was "streamed openly", which misled or negatively influenced young viewers by allegedly promoting use of such banned substances, it says. There was no immediate reaction from the ministry or over-the-top platform Netflix. The National Human Rights Commission has said that authorities be directed to get the allegations levelled in the complaint, be inquired into, and an "action taken report" be submitted within two weeks for perusal of the Commission. "The complainant, Vinay Joshi, Legal Rights Observatory, alleged that a popular Netflix web series, titled 'Ba***ds of Bollywood' (season 1, ..
The NHRC on Thursday said it has issued notices to the Railway Board, the Tamil Nadu government and the state's police chief over the death of three school students after their van collided with a passenger train in Cuddalore district. In a statement, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said it has taken "suo motu cognisance of media reports that the passenger train collided with a school van at a level crossing in Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu, killing three children and injuring several others on 8th July". The Commission has observed that the content of the media report, if true, raise serious issues of violation of human rights. The Commission has issued notices to the Chairman, Railway Board, Ministry of Railways, as well as the chief secretary and the director general of police of Tamil Nadu, seeking a detailed report in two weeks, including the present health status of the persons who sustained injuries in the incident, the statement said. While the Southern Rail
A team of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Friday arrived in West Bengal's Malda district to meet people who have taken shelter in refugee camps after fleeing violence-hit areas of Murshidabad district. The NHRC took suo motu cognisance of the recent violence in Murshidabad that broke out during protests over the Waqf (Amendment) Act. The Commission on Tuesday said it has decided to send a team to conduct an on-the-spot inquiry into the incidents, considering the seriousness of the situation. The NHRC action comes following the receipt of a formal complaint about the violence and the alleged human rights violations in the affected areas. According to officials, three people were killed during the violent clashes that erupted in the Muslim-majority areas of Shamsherganj, Suti, Dhulian, and Jangipur in Murshidabad district. Many residents, fearing for their lives, fled their homes and took shelter in camps set up in neighbouring Malda district. The violence occurred am
Taking cognisance of the violence in West Bengal's Murshidabad during protests over the Waqf (Amendment) Act, the NHRC on Tuesday said it will send a team from its investigation division to conduct an on-spot inquiry, given the "seriousness" of the matter. The National Human Rights Commission said the action comes after submission of a complaint to it. The inquiry report should be submitted within a period of three weeks, it said. The complaint pertains to various "social media news articles" highlighting the alleged murder of two named persons -- father and son, amid the ongoing protest against the legislation. "Given the seriousness of the matter, the Director General (Investigation), NHRC, is directed to assign a team of officers/officials from the Investigation Division of the Commission to conduct an on-spot inquiry at Murshidabad, West Bengal," according to the proceedings. The inquiry report should be submitted to the Commission within a period of three weeks, it said. Thr
Taking suo motu cognisance of difficulties being faced by prisoners including women inmates in various jails across the country, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to chief secretaries of all the states and Union Territories, seeking reports within four weeks. These problems include overcrowding, lack of basic amenities and healthcare facilities in jails, the NHRC said in a statement. "The issues have been brought to its notice by its Special Monitors and Rapporteurs, through their reports after visiting various jails across the country, as well as the complaints," it said. The Commission said it has issued notices to the chief secretaries of all the states and Union Territories (UTs) seeking a report from them in four weeks, which should include various details. These include the number of women prisoners lodged in jails in a state, the number of women prisoners whose babies are lodged in jails on account of the mothers being incarcerated, the number of
Finding gross negligence on the part of the authorities over the suicide of a 20-year-old B.Tech student from Nepal at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) here, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought an action taken report from the Odisha government, UGC and NAAC within four weeks. The NHRC, which had sent a team to undertake an on-the-spot probe into the death of Nepalese student Prakriti Lamsal, on March 27 uploaded the case status on its website and stated that the rights panel has sought a report from Odisha's chief secretary, collector and district magistrate of Khurda district, commissioner of police, and chairpersons of the University Grants Commission (UGC) and National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC). The Nepalese woman's body was recovered from her hostel room on the KIIT campus on February 16 following which tension mounted and students from the Himalayan nation were assaulted and forcibly evicted after they staged protests. The .
An NHRC team, which is probing into the death of a 20-year-old Nepalese girl student at the KIIT University here, has met senior police officers of the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack commissionerate, officials said. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) team began its inquiry into the incident on Thursday, and would continue the exercise on Friday, they said. During the day, they could meet senior KIIT officials and its founder Achyuta Samanta, the officials said. We have met the NHRC team at the state guest house and gave all pertinent information to them. A liaison officer has been specifically assigned to support and facilitate the ongoing investigation by the rights panel, Police Commissioner S Dev Datta Singh told reporters here. He along with Bhubaneswar DCP Jagmohan Meena met the rights panel representatives on Thursday night. They have offered all cooperation to the NHRC team members and apprised them of the situation, under which the girl allegedly died by suicide, another ...
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has ordered an on-spot inquiry into the death of a Nepalese girl student at KIIT University in Odisha and asked its officials to submit a report by March 10. The NHRC issued the order while acting on a complaint that 20-year-old Prakriti Lamsal died allegedly by suicide in her hostel room on February 16. The commission said that the investigation should be held in accordance with the provisions of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993. Considering the seriousness of the matter, the commission directs the Registrar (Law) to proceed for an inquiry in KIIT University, Bhubaneswar to conduct an on-spot inquiry along with a team consisting of two officers from the investigation division, one not below the rank of SSP and one officer/official from Law Division, and submit its inquiry report to the Commission by 10th March, 2025, the NHRC order said. Complainant Ashutosh B, in his petition, alleged that Lamsal, a Nepalese student at Kalinga .
The NHRC has admitted a petition filed by a Jammu-based RTI activist over the mysterious deaths of 17 people from three Scheduled Tribe families in a remote village in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district during the past one-and-a-half months. In his petition to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Raman Sharma sought the statutory body's intervention to ensure "justice, relief and proactive measures to safeguard the rights and dignity of citizens in vulnerable areas". Seventeen people, including 13 children, died under mysterious circumstances in Badhaal village between December 7 and January 19. The patients complained of fever, pain, intense sweating, nausea and loss of consciousness before dying within days of their admission to hospitals. Investigations and samples collected empirically indicated the incidents were not due to a communicable disease of bacterial or viral origin and that there was no public health angle, prompting police to set up a Special Investigation
Former Supreme Court judge V Ramasubramanian has been appointed the new chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission, the rights panel said on Monday. The post of NHRC chairperson had been lying vacant since Justice (retd) Arun Kumar Mishra completed his tenure on June 1. Mishra served as the eighth chairperson of the rights panel and was appointed to its top post in June 2021. On December 18, a high-powered committee led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting to select the next chairperson of the NHRC, sources earlier said. A former chief justice of India or a retired judge of the top court are appointed as NHRC chairperson by the president on the recommendation of the selection committee. Justice (retd) Ramasubramanian, a former judge of the apex court, has been appointed the chairperson of the NHRC, a senior official said, adding "the NHRC received the communication about the appointment today". Former CJIs H L Dattu and K G Balakrishnan are among those who have
A high-powered committee led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi met here on Wednesday to select the next chairperson of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), sources said. They also said Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi attended the meeting as leaders of the opposition (LoPs) in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha respectively. The sources said the two LoPs are likely to submit a dissent note on the selection process, as the names were not shared with them in advance. The post of NHRC chairperson has been lying vacant since Justice (retd) Arun Kumar Mishra completed his tenure on June 1. A former judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Mishra served as the eighth chairperson of the rights panel and was appointed to its top post in June 2021. According to the law governing NHRC, while the committee which selects the NHRC chief is headed by the prime minister, it has the Lok Sabha Speaker, home minister, leader of opposition in Lok Sabha, leader of opposition in
The NHRC on Saturday said it has issued a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government and the state's police chief in connection with a fire at the children's ward of a medical college in Jhansi that claimed the lives of 10 newborns. Describing reports of the incident as "disturbing", the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought a detailed report within a week. The commission observed that the contents of the reports are "indeed disturbing and indicate negligence" resulting in a "grave violation" of the human rights of the victims as they were in the care of a government institution. In a statement, the NHRC said it has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report that at least 10 newborns died in the fire that broke out in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the Maharani Laxmibai Medical College on Friday night. Sixteen babies suffered injuries in the incident, while 37 were rescued safely. Reportedly, police authorities have confirmed that the fire was caused by an ...
The NHRC on Thursday said it has issued notices to the Delhi government, the city police chief, the DDA and the MCD over reports that a five-year-old boy died allegedly after falling into an open drain in Alipur area. This is the fifth such incident in the national capital in the recent past, the National Human Rights Commission said in a statement. The human rights panel has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report that a five-year-old boy died after falling into an open drain in the Alipur area of northwest Delhi on October 7, it said. The contractor, who worked there, had reportedly left the drain open at various places without placing any warning signs, the statement said. The NHRC has observed the contents of the news report about this case and similar incidents in the recent past, if true, raise a serious issue of violation of the human rights of the victims due to apparent negligence of the civic authorities. It is indeed very concerning that such incidents indicating ..