Why in the News? 

The 31^st Foundation Day of the NHRC was celebrated on 18th October 2024, at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, with Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar as Chief Guest. The event included a national conference on "Rights of Older Persons", focusing on gendered aging, healthcare challenges, and welfare policies, aiming to provide actionable insights to policymakers for ensuring dignity and well-being of the elderly. 

National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) 

• It was established on 12th October 1993, under the Protection of Human Rights Act (PHRA), 1993. 
• Its mandate is to safeguard and promote human rights, focusing on civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights guaranteed by the Constitution of India or international treaties. 
• Role and Function 
  • Possesses powers of a civil court with judicial proceedings. 
  • Empowered to utilize the services of central or state government officers or investigation agencies for investigating human rights violations. 
  • Can investigate matters within one year of their occurrence. 
  • Functions are primarily recommendatory in nature. 
• Composition 
  • The Commission consists of a chairperson, five full-time Members and seven deemed Members. 
  • Chairman is a former Chief Justice of India or a Supreme Court judge. 
  • Chairman and members appointed by the President on the recommendations of a six-member committee. 
• Vijaya Bharathi Sayani is the acting chairperson of the commission. 
• Cases Resolved: Over 2.3 million cases have been handled since inception. 
• Monetary Relief: Recommended ₹254 crores in compensation for victims. 
• Human Rights Campaigns: Conducts awareness drives on issues like custodial deaths, elder care, prison reforms, and child rights. 
• Work on International Treaties: It contributes to India’s commitments under UN treaties, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).