International Law & World Affairs

When the guardian falters: What the NHRC downgrade means for the Indian masses

The downgrading of NHRC captured perfectly the many qualms civil society has had with how the institution has been run for several years. It is also a reflection that concerted, organised efforts by civil society actors on the international stage can be productive in holding our institutions accountable, especially the ones meant to rein in state excesses.

THE NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION (‘NHRC’) HAS FINALLY BEEN DOWNGRADED by the UN-linked body, the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (‘GANHRI’). After the All India Network of NGOs and Individuals Working with National and State Human Rights Institutions (‘AiNNI’) sent its civil society reports to the GANHRI regarding NHRC’s non-compliance with the Paris principles, the NHRC ‘A status’ was deferred thrice, in 2016, 2023, and 2024, all because they failed to implement the recommendations of the Sub-Committee on Accreditation (‘SCA’). 

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