Consider: Recently, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has informed the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) that the centre was considering implementing the concept of Universal Basic Income in India.
Background

• As a part of the third round of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process, which is done every four-and-a-half-years, the NHRC submitted its mid-term report to the UN agency recently.
• The report reviewed the implementation of 152 recommendations of the UPR Working Group that the Indian government had accepted in September 2017.

About Universal basic income

• One of the major recommendations of the UPR Working Group was to study the possibility of a universal basic income as a way to further reduce poverty levels with a view to possibly phasing out the existing social protection system, in full consultation with all stakeholders.
• In its report, the NHRC has stated that the recommended implementation of a universal basic income was “under examination and active consideration” of the Centre.

Budgetary allocation for health

• The report stated that there had been a consensus on the need for increasing budgetary allocation for health and nutrition by the Centre and state governments.

Child rights

• The NHRC noted that it had found “gaps in policies as compared to obligations” under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and had made recommendations to address the same.
• The report notes the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights working on a proposal for a pilot project to eliminate child labour in five “aspirational districts with high incidence of child labour”.
• To make education more accessible to children with disabilities, the NHRC said it had recommended to the Human Resource Development Ministry to ensure “holistic inclusion” of children with disabilities in the Draft National Education Policy.

Reproductive rights

• On the issue of reproductive rights, the NHRC noted that the Centre had requested the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Department of Financial Services, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India and the National Health Authority to consider the issue of sterilization, birth control treatment and procedures’ expenses not being covered under health insurance policies currently.

Women’s rights

• The Report notes that the NHRC was in the process of setting up a committee to monitor the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

SC/ST related laws

• The NHRC has expressed concerns over the inefficiencies in implementation of the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities Act) 1989 and the Rules of 1995 and warned States of coercive action against failure to submit reports on violation of human rights of SCs, STs and minorities.

Other issues

• NHRC claims that several issues need to be looked into including the “ratification of international human rights instruments, issues in legislations of trafficking and protection against child sexual abuse” and “gaps in the implementation of schemes for food security and timely disbursement of wages under schemes for employment”.

About NHRC

• The NHRC is a Statutory public body constituted on 12 October 1993 under the Protection of Human Rights Ordinance of 28 September 1993.
• It was given a statutory basis by the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 (TPHRA).
• It is responsible for the protection and promotion of human rights, defined by the Act as “Rights Relating To Life, liberty, equality and dignity of the individual guaranteed by the Constitution or embodied in the International Covenants”.

Powers of NHRC

• NHRC investigates grievances regarding the violation of human rights either suo moto or after receiving a petition.
• It has the power to interfere in any judicial proceedings involving any allegation of violation of human rights.
• It can visit any jail or any other institution under the control of the State Government to see the living conditions of the inmates and to make recommendations thereon.
• It can review the safeguards provided under the constitution or any law for the protection of human rights and can recommend appropriate remedial measures.

Its Limitations

• NHRC does not have any independent mechanism of investigation. In majority cases, it asks the concerned Central and State Governments to investigate the cases of the violation of Human Rights
• NHRC can only make recommendations, without the power to enforce decisions.
• Its powers related to violations of human rights by the armed forces have been largely restricted.