Madhya Pradesh Human Rights Commission :

With a view to provide easy and close access to the needy victims of human rights violations, the State Human Rights Commission was constituted in the state of Madhya Pradesh in September 1995. Madhya Pradesh was amongst the first few States to constitute this Commission. The Madhya Pradesh Human Rights Commission is an expression of the concern for the protection and promotion of human rights.

The Commission derives its autonomous status inter-alia, from the method of appointing its members, their fixity of tenure and statutory guarantees thereto, the status they have been accorded and the manner in which the staff responsibility to the commission including its investigative agency will be appointed and conduct themselves. The financial autonomy of the commission is spelt out in section 33 of the Act.

The Chairperson and members of the commission are appointed by the Governor on the basis or recommendations of a committee comprising the chief minister as the chairperson, the speaker of the legislative assembly, the minister- in- charge of the home department and the leader of opposition in the legislative assembly as members.

The Commission shall perform all or any of the following functions, namely:

(a) Inquire, suo motu or on a petition presented to it by a victim or any person on his behalf, into complaint of
(i) Violation of human rights or abetment thereof or
(ii) Negligence in the prevention of such violation, by a public servant;

(b) Intervene in any proceeding involving any allegation of violation of human rights pending before a court with the approval of such court;

(c) Visit, under intimation to the State Government, any jail or any other institution under the control of the State Government, where persons are detained or lodged for purposes of treatment, reformation or protection to study the living conditions of the inmates and make recommendations thereon;

(d) Review the safeguards provided by or under the Constitution or any law for the time being in force for the protection of human rights and recommend measures for their effective implementation;

(e) Review the factors, including acts of terrorism that inhibit the enjoyment of human rights and recommend appropriate remedial measures;

(f) Undertake and promote research in the field of human rights;

(g) Spread human rights literacy among various sections of society and promote awareness of the safeguards available for the protection of these rights through publications, the media, seminars and other available means;

(h) Encourage the efforts of non-governmental organizations and institutions working in the field of human rights;

(i) Such other functions as it may consider necessary for the protection of human rights.

Commission Activities :

The jurisdiction of Human Rights Commission covers human rights, including civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. Commission is to give special attention to deaths in custody, rape, harassment, structural reforms in the police and prisons, remand homes, mental hospitals and is to give special attention to improve the condition of affairs. The most vulnerable groups of society with a view to protect the rights of people, children up to the age of 14, essential and free education, to lead a life with dignity, primary facilities for the welfare of mothers and children according to the Commission's recommendations. Violating equality and justice, citizens are against the atrocities, the problems of displaced persons, and starvation, mountain people, child prostitution, women's rights etc. have been in the focus of commission

Apart from investigating on complaints, the commission has also under taken following issues:-

• Directions against abuse of power to arrest by Police.
• The establishment of ''human rights'' cells at district level.
• Deaths in custody, rape and humanitarian measures to prevent harassment.
• Reform (1) the police (2) Jail (3) internment center.
• Anaemia in Mothers and Prevention of congenital mental disability in children.
• HIV / human rights of people living with AIDS.
• Improving the quality of mental hospitals.
• Effort to end the practice of manual scavenging.
• Make recommendations to protect the rights of nomadic tribes and non-notified tribes.
• To put effective check on adulteration of food, medicines, times bar drugs and ensure public health and pollution control.
• Boycott by Jati Panchayats.
• Spread education and awareness of human rights.
• Human Rights Protection Act Section 2 (d) is defined, under which human rights enshrined in the Constitution or international covenant means protection of Life, liberty, equality and dignity of the court -related rights are applicable.

The expression "human rights" is thus quite broad, under which all the issues that come to life, liberty, equality and dignity are within its perimeter.

This type of violation of human rights, torture, custody (custodial) death, death from encounter, the police or other officials / civil servants are not limited to harass individuals. Under the other civil, political, academic and cultural rights, the plight of remand homes or prisons, the condition of the working class, or demand for dowry, dowry deaths, rape and murder, sexual harassment, oppression and degradation of women, child labour and bonded labour, child marriage, denial of proper educational facilities, poverty alleviation and social security related programs, proper sanitary conditions, shall be entitled to a healthy environment etc., if they are eligible to be bound by the Courts authority.