First for Modi govt, UNHRC to review India's human rights record

Issues likely under scanner: Discrimination of Dalits, cow vigilantism, attacks on minorities

The UN Human Rights Council, or UNHRC, will examine India's human rights record on Thursday. This is part of the UN body's Universal Periodic Review started in 2008. This will be India's third review, but significantly its first during the tenure of the Narendra Modi government.

Each of the 193 UN member states are reviewed for their human rights record once in four years by their peers, that is other member states. India's earlier two Universal Periodic Reviews, or UPRs, took place in April 2008 and May 2012. These had proved to be contentious, with the then Congress-led UPA governments criticised