

33

Initiatives of the National Human
Rights Commission of India
on Human Rights Education
National Human Rights Commission of India

H

uman rights, the modern and secular version of natural rights,1 are usuallybased on the three basic documents that are known collectively as International Bill of Human Rights (the Universal Declaration of Human Rights(UDHR), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights [ICCPR] with
its Optional Protocol, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social andCultural Rights [ICESCR]), and also on the Constitution (regarding Fundamental
Rights) and domestic laws. In substance they relate to life, liberty, equality anddignity of the individual. Human rights are those that do not relate to citizenshipbut what is taken to be the entitlement of any human being. Inherent dignity andequal and inalienable rights of all members of human family are the foundation of
freedom, justice and peace in the world. Disregard and contempt of human rights
have resulted in barbarous acts, which have outraged the conscience of humankind.
It is essential, if people are not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort,
to rebellion against tyranny and oppression that human rights should be protectedby Rule of Law (Preamble, UDHR).
In the last few decades there has been agrowing worldwide awareness and explosion ofinterest in human rights education, which means“all learning that develops the knowledge, skills
and values of human rights.” The United Nations proclaims that human rights education is“training, dissemination and information efforts
aimed at the building of a universal culture ofhuman rights through imparting knowledge
and skills and the molding of attitudes.” These
efforts are designed to strengthen respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, facilitate
the full development of human personality, senseof dignity, promote understanding, respect, gender equality and friendship to enable all persons
to participate effectively in a free society, andfurther activities for maintenance of peace.
Human rights education, training and public
information are, therefore, necessary and essential for the promotion and achievement of stable
and harmonious relations among the communities and for fostering mutual understanding,tolerance and peace. Through the learning of
human rights as a way of life, fundamental
change can be brought about to eliminate or
eradicate poverty, ignorance, prejudices, and33

34  HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION IN ASIAN SCHOOLS

discrimination based on sex, caste, religion, anddisability and any other forms among the people
at large. All are required to discover the human
remedies for human maladies, to eradicate theseshortfalls in human rights.
The major international human rights instruments include human rights education as
integral part of the right to education and havegained of late larger recognition as human rightin itself. Human rights education cannot be reduced to a single introduction of human rights
content. It brings about a profound reform ofeducation, which touches upon curriculums forin-service and pre-service training, textbooks,
methodology, classroom management and theorganization of the education system at all levels. Human rights education implies the learning and practice of human rights. Therefore,
human rights education should not be theoretical but must be relevant to people’s lives, inthe sense that such education must also provide
opportunities for young people to develop andpractice the skills to respect the human rights
and citizenship through school/college life.
Everyone, whose decisions or policies affectthe lives of other human beings, needs humanrights education. Human rights education
serves as means of understanding and embracing principles of human equality, dignity andcommitment to respect and protect the rights
of all. Once the people grasp the human rights
concept, they begin to look for their realizationin their own lives, examining their communities,
families and personal experiences through thehuman rights lens.
Dissemination of knowledge of humanrights and duties must therefore aim at bringing
about attitudinal change in human behavior. It
is commonly acknowledged that students are
the dynamic and progressive component of
citizenry. When properly trained and guided
they can become instruments for ensuring social
justice and development. Similarly, teachers havea crucial role in developing awareness among
the students to translate human rights into socialand political realities.

Human rights education has to grapple withthree important concerns: one, clarification ofcontemporary civilizational dilemmas; two,intergenerational transmission of experience;
three, acceleration of the process of transformation. The contemporary civilization faces
several dilemmas arising from different contradictions. The contradictions at an individuallevel are located in selflessness vs. selfishness,at institutional level at individual vs. collective,
state power vs. democratic culture. The development models have come to increasingly pre-suppose that self-interest alone can be the propellerof faster development of the productive forces.
The crisis of the socialist world added strength
to this general belief. Despite the crisis, the potentialities and possibilities of nobility inherent
in human nature will have to be rediscovered
and realized. This can be made possible by not
only recounting and resurrecting the historicalmemory about the positive achievements andadvancements but also transmitting them tocoming generations. The indifference to pastachievements in such domains not only negates
the past but cripples societal capacity to moveto higher realms of social life. A critical reflection of the past heightens the consciousness,
which in turn can create the necessary climate
for not only democratic governance but also a
democratic way of life. This effort has to becontinuously made at the individual, group,
national and international levels. Human rights
education can be a catalyst in this process.
The experience of the last five decades in
the area of human rights has become a matter of deep concern. Article 26 of the UDHR
states that “Everyone has the right to education…. Education shall be directed to the fulldevelopment of human personality and to thestrengthening of respect for human rights andfundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among
all nations, racial or religious groups, and shallfurther the activities of the United Nations forthe maintenance of peace.” This is supportedby the recognition of human rights education

HRE Initiatives of the National Human Rights Commission of India  35

in other international human rights instruments
as a human right in itself. Thus, the knowledgeof rights and freedoms of an individual or ofothers, is considered a fundamental tool toguarantee the respect of all rights in each andevery person.
The adoption of the UDHR, transfer of
power from colonial masters to colonized people, and the adoption of various international
human rights instruments have not qualitatively
changed the ground realities. There have beenmassive violations of human rights. Humanity
landed itself at the end of the 20th century ina more violent, brutalized and dehumanizedworld. Nevertheless the assertions of the suffering people continue to hold the hope all over
the world. This experience suggests that humanbeings have to make far more conscious effort toalter the world reality. Human rights education
should aim at this goal.
In this context, education is seen as a way
to empower people, improve the quality of life,
and increase their capacity to participate in thedecisionmaking processes leading to social,
cultural and economic policies. Thus, it mayalign with the rights-based approach from development-based agenda. In any case, humanrights education cannot be reduced to simple
introduction of human rights into already overburdened curriculums. In fact, it brings about aprofound reform of education, which certainly
touches upon in-service and pre-service training
curriculums, textbooks, pedagogy, classroom
management, and the organization of the education system at all levels.
To be precise, human rights education implies the learning and practice of human rights.
Needless to say, a holistic approach to humanrights education means that human rights are
implemented at all levels of the education systemand that they are taught through both contents
transmission and experiences.
Therefore, human rights education should
not only be theoretical but should also provide
opportunities for young people to develop andpractice the skills to respect human rights andcitizenship through ‘school life,’ i.e., all aspectsof school as a living social environment with
its collective rules, interpersonal conflicts, timeand opportunities for cooperation, and throughopportunities for spontaneous initiatives by thestudents outside the actual teaching activities.
The establishment of an autonomous National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) by
the Indian Parliament reflects its commitment
for effective implementation of human rights
provisions under national and international
instruments. The Commission is the first of
its kind among the South Asian countries2 andone of the few National Human Rights Institutions that were established in early 1990s. The
Commission came into existence on 12 October
1993, by virtue of the Protection of Human
Rights Act 1993.3 Over the past fourteen years,
the Commission has endeavored to give a positive meaning and content to the objectives set
out in the Protection of Human Rights Act,
1993. It has moved vigorously and effectively
to use the opportunities provided to it by the
Act to promote human rights in the country.
Seventeen States4 in India have also set up theirown human rights commissions to deal withviolations of human rights within their states.
The Act contains broad provisions related to its
function and powers, composition and otherrelated aspects.
Wide powers and functions have been given
to the Commission under section 12 of theAct. The para (a) of section 12 provides, that
the Commission can enquire, suo motu or ona petition presented to it by a victim or any
person on his behalf or on a direction of orderof any court, into complaint of (i) violation ofhuman rights or abetment thereof; or (ii) negligence in the prevention of such violation, by apublic servant. Section 12 (b) provides that theCommission can intervene in any proceeding
involving any allegation of a violation of humanrights pending before a Court with the approvalof such Court.5 Section 12 (c) empowers theCommission to visit, notwithstanding anything36  HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION IN ASIAN SCHOOLS

contained in any other law for the time being
in force, any jail or other institution under
the control of the State Government, where
persons are detained or lodged for purposes oftreatment, reformation or protection, for the
study of the living conditions of the inmates
thereof and make recommendations thereon to
the Government. The Commission has alreadyinitiated action to improve prison conditions inIndia, and started studying all prevailing reports
related with prisons.6 Section 12 (d) empowers the Commission to review the safeguards
provided under the Constitution or any law
for the time being in force for the protection ofhuman rights and also to recommend measures
for their effective implementation. Under Section 12 (e) there is a provision to review thefactors, including acts of terrorism that inhibit
the enjoyment of human rights and recommend
appropriate remedial measures. Section 12 (f)provides for the study of all treaties relatedwith International Human Rights Instruments
and the making of recommendations for theireffective implementation. Section 12 (g) provides for promotion of research in the field of
human rights. Section 12 (h) empowers theCommission to spread human rights literacy
among various sections of society and promoteawareness of the safeguards available for theprotection of these rights through publication,
the media, seminars and other available means.
Section 12 (i) empowers the Commission to
encourage the efforts of non- governmentalorganizations (NGOs) working in the field of
human rights. Lastly, Section 12 (j) provides,
such other functions, as it may consider necessary for the promotion of human rights.
The Commission since its inception in 1993
has been concerned with the issue of humanrights education. Section 12 (h) of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 has clearly
mandated the Commission to spread humanrights literacy among the various sections ofsociety.
The Commission has had a view that humanrights education needs to percolate down toevery citizen in the country. In this process, theCommission thought that one of the ways bywhich this objective could be achieved was toclub it with education, which would bring theunderstanding of human rights in more effective
as well as sustainable manner.
The Commission had suggested to the University Grants Commission (UGC) to set up acurriculum development committee for humanrights education in various universities. In lightof this suggestion, the UGC constituted theCurriculum Development Committee on Human Rights and Duties Education, headed by
Honorable Justice V.S. Malimath, that issued theModel Curricula for Human Rights and Duties in2001 and was subsequently introduced in theuniversities and colleges across the country.
From the perspective of the changing global
scenario, however, there was a need to review
the Model Curricula for Human Rights and Duties. In this direction, the Commission collected
the human rights education syllabuses being
used at different universities and colleges acrossthe country. It found that a very limited numberof universities and colleges have introduced
courses related to human right education. Of
course, it is disheartening to note that in spiteof more than fifty years after the adoption of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights by theUnited Nations (UN) and after observance of
the UN Decade for Human Rights Education(1995 – 2004), the prevailing situation of human rights education at the educational systemof the country is not satisfactory. Therefore, theCommission took further initiative to look into
the human rights education model curriculum
developed by the UGC from the point of viewof changes taking place from the national andinternational perspective so as to ensure thatthe recent advancements made and its perspective are adequately reflected in the curriculum.
Human rights education is a lucrative area ofstudy with high level of opening and credibility
in the job market for the taker of the humanHRE Initiatives of the National Human Rights Commission of India  37

rights education program at the level of universities and colleges. Justice Shri Y. Bhaskar Rao,
Member of the Commission had convened acouple of in-house meetings and deliberated on
the issue of human rights education in schools
as well as University system. A meeting of potential partners of human rights education wasconvened on 7 June 2006.
The Commission took an initiative to constitute a Task Force consisting of eminent academicians and legal experts drawn from various partsof the country to develop a module on humanrights education for school education and alsoa Task Force to develop curriculum on humanrights education for University education. The
Commission on 8 September 2006 convened
the first meeting of the task force. The Task
Force was in constant touch with the National
Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT), University Grants Commission
and various universities and colleges across thecountry concerning the issue of human rights
in the formal education system.
In order to evolve the curriculum and toobtain inputs from the various regions of thecountry, five regional conferences were organized during 2006-2007. These conferenceswere organized at Goa, Cochin, Gandhinagar,
Hyderabad and Jaipur. Besides the academics
and university personnel, the experts from thefield of human rights education including therepresentatives of civil society were also invited
to deliberate upon the model syllabus.
The main objectives of the conferences were
to come up with a curriculum on human rights
for the listed levels of education that will be
adopted by the University Grants Commission
and implemented in the Universities.
In the conferences, the experts deliberated
and evolved a Foundation Course across various disciplines of study that have elements ofhuman rights education, stressing research inhuman rights which is an important element of
human rights education. The experts stressed
the development of a core syllabus on humanrights that considers the realities of humanrights and uses a practical point of view to makeit a popular course owing to its market utility
and job prospects.
The Foundation Course covers the basic
aspects of law relating to every day life. It
covers evaluation, assessment, complaint
mechanism and media advocacy and considers
psychological, sociological, legal and economic
perspectives.
A curriculum leading towards Foundation
Courses on Human Rights Education at undergraduate and postgraduate levels and cutting
across all the disciplines was evolved. The curriculum for Certificate, Diploma, Under-Graduate, Post-Graduate and Research Degree (PhD)
Course was also formulated.
Taking into consideration the recommendations made in these conferences, the UGC Model
Curricula on Human Rights and Duties andthe changes taking place in the area of humanrights education at national and international
levels, a final set of recommendations on model
curriculum on human rights for various levelsof programs at universities and colleges wasformulated.
Subsequently, the Commission organized on
3-4 May 2007 a meeting of the members of the
Task Force for university education to finalize
the recommendations made in the regional conferences and prepare the final curriculum for thecourses. Similarly, the Commission organizedon 9 May 2007 a meeting of the members of
the Task Force for school education. In thismeeting a module for in-service teachers as well
as for Bachelor in Education (B.Ed.) courses
was finalized.
Finally, a National Consultation on “Incorporating Human Rights Education in
School and University Education System” washeld on 6 July 2007 at Vigyan Bhawan, New
Delhi. Shri Arjun Singh, Honorable Minister
for Human Resource Development, Government of India and Shri S.K. Thorat, Chairman,
University Grants Commission as the Guest of
Honor, inaugurated the consultation. In thisprogram, the Honorable Minister for Human38  HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION IN ASIAN SCHOOLS

Resource Development Shri Arjun Singh released two books namely “Recommendation of
National Human Rights Commission - Human
Rights Education at the University and College
Levels” and “Recommendation of National Human Rights Commission - Module on Human
Rights Education for Teaching Professionals
Imparting Education in Primary, Secondary,Higher Secondary Levels.”
In this consultation the members of both
Task Forces on Human Rights Education, Secretaries in-charge of the Department of School
Education, Department of Higher Education,
Union Secretaries of various other Ministries,
officials of University Grants Commission,
eminent Vice Chancellors of universities, Heads
of Departments of universities/colleges where
human rights have been taught at Graduate andPost-Graduate levels, Directors of NCERT, National Council on Teacher Education (NCTE),
All India Council for Technical Education(AICTE) and Central Board of Secondary
Education (CBSE) were invited.
The modules on Human Rights Education
for Teaching Professionals and Human Right
Education at the University and College levels
containing the recommendations of the Commission have been sent to all the stakeholders
for implementation at various levels of educational system. These modules are available atthe NHRC website (http://nhrc.nic.in/publications.htm).
Thus, the Commission has played a catalyticrole in the promotion of human rights education in the universities and colleges across thecountry.

laws, charters and covenants. Notwithstanding
this, with changing national and international
contexts as a result of globalization, a serious
threat to human rights has arisen. One of theways by which this threat could be met is bybringing human rights education at all levelsof education. Through the learning of humanrights as a way of life, fundamental change
can be brought about to eliminate or eradicate
poverty, ignorance, prejudice and discrimination based on sex, caste, religion and disability.
Human rights education cannot be reduced toa single introduction of human rights content.
Such education brings about a profound reformwhich touches upon curriculums for in-service
and pre-service training, textbooks, methodology, classroom management and organization of
the education system at all levels. Human rights
education serves as a means of understanding
and embracing principles of human equality,
dignity and commitment to respect and protect
the rights of all. An attitudinal change in human behavior is required so that knowledge ofhuman rights is disseminated.
Human beings have to make far more conscious effort to alter the world reality considering the recent changes in the global scenario,
including massive violation of human rights.
Human rights education should aim at this. Being concerned of these issues, the Commission
made the effort to bring out its recommendations for model curriculums for schools anduniversities. At the same time, the Commission
has sustained its effort of ensuring that therecommendations do take care of human rights
concerns at national and international levels.

Conclusion

Endnotes

Out of the various dimensions of humanrights, only civil and political rights were focused upon for a long time. However, today
the economic, social and cultural rights are also
given prominence. As such, human rights inthe broader sense have paved the way to new

1
Editor’s note: A study of the drafting of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights shows thatthe drafting committee agreed not to use “by nature”
or any reference to divine source in the document.
This means that the drafters did not want to limit theinterpretation of human rights to one perspective (suchHRE Initiatives of the National Human Rights Commission of India  39
as natural rights view). Seeing human rights as “naturalrights” is an interpretation of the existing United
Nations concept of human rights, at least as far as the
UDHR is concerned.
2
The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka
was established under the Human Rights Commissionof Sri Lanka Act, No. 21 (1996) and became operationalin September 1997. The National Human Rights
Commission (NHRC) of Nepal is an independent andautonomous statutory body established in the year
2000 under the Human Rights Commission Act 1997.
3
The Commission was constituted by an Act ofParliament, which was amended in 2006. The Act isdivided into eight Chapters consisting of 43 Articles.
The Commission has special powers under Article 10(2) which says that, “the Commission shall have thepower to lay down by regulations its own procedure.”
4
The seventeen States are: Assam, Chhattisgarh,
Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Kerala Madhya
Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Orissa, Punjab,
Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West
Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat. See
http://www.nhrc.in.
5
The Commission has decided to intervene in thepending court proceeding in the Punjab & Haryana
Court relating to the disappearance of Harjit Singh.
Human Rights Newsletter, vol. 2, no. 7 (1995), page 1.
6Report of the All India Jail Manual Committee of
1957-59; the Report of the All –India Committee on
Jail Reforms 1980-83 Chaired by the Justice A.N.Mulla(popularly known as Mulla Committee Report); The
Report of the National Expert Committee on Women
Prisoners of 1987 chaired by Justice V.R.Krishna
Iyer; the Report of the Group of Officers on Prison
Administration chaired by Sri R.K.Kapur in 1987.
In addition to this, the Commission remains mindfulof the need for the country to abide by the United
Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatmentof Prisoners of 1957.

Annex
Teacher Training Module
I. Draft Syllabus of Human Rights Education
for the Teachers
1. Concept of Human Rights• Human Rights – Meaning and Concept (Theories)• Generational Classification of Human
Rights
2. International Development of Human
Rights• United Nations (System) and Universal Declaration of Human Rights(UDHR), 1948
• UN Council on Human Rights• United Nations Development Programme Reports: Human, Social,
Economic Development
3. Human Rights in the Indian Constitution• Rights in Indian Constitution - theirbackground, overview and contemporary debates• Relationship between Fundamental
Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights(ICCPR), Directive Principles ofState Policy and International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR)• Fundamental Duties as Constitutional Obligations
4. Human Rights Violations of Marginalized/Disadvantaged Groups• Children, Women, Scheduled Castes
and Scheduled Tribes, Backward
Classes, Minorities, Refugees, Aging Persons, Physically and Mentally
Challenged, Prisoners, Unorganized40  HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION IN ASIAN SCHOOLS

Workers and others
5. Globalization: Impact on Human
Rights• Impact on Employment, Livelihoods,
Working Conditions and Worker
Rights•	Emergence of Market Forces andChallenges to Human Rights• State and Corporate Sector Relationship• Impact on Society and Culture– Inequality and Growth Without
Justice• Agrarian and Industrial Distress and
Urban Poor
• Special Economic Zones
6. Emerging Issues in Human Rights• Challenges to Democratic State andCivil Society – Communalism andTerrorism, Corruption and Muscle
Power• Good Governance and State Accountability•	Debates on Big Dams, Displacement
and Rehabilitation• Tribal Rights and Forest Protection•	Environmental Issues and Sustainable
Development, Traditions, Cultureand Human Rights
7. Human Rights Protection Mechanism
in India•	Law Enforcement Agencies• Judicial System, Adjudication Process
and Judicial Activism• Remedies: Writs, Public Interest Litigation (PIL), Judicial Review, Right
to Information Act (RTI)• Protection of Human Rights Act
1993• Institutional Mechanisms•	National/State Commissions for
Human Rights, Women, Scheduled
Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Backward
Classes, Minorities, Minority Educa-

tional Institutions and others• Role of Civil Society Organizations
and Media
8. Promotion of Human Rights Education• Right to Education and Universalization of Education•	National Policy of Education and
Human Rights• Constructing Child Centered Education• Human Rights Education – India andInternational• Human Rights Education: Problems
and Prospects
9. Human Rights Education cannot be effectively transacted within the four walls of
the classroom, but must be learned in theworld outside and be linked to groundreality. The following are suggested forinternalizing the meaning and messageof Human Rights Education.
(1)	Exposure programs of various
forms(2)Short placement with programs/
projects addressing human rights
issues conducted by civil society
organizations and human rights
defenders(3) Case Study based report as a required
project by each student
II. Guidelines for preparation of syllabus
content
1. Concept of Human Rights is to be
developed in western and non-western
perspectives
2. For Historical Development of Rights
in the West: the documents that weremilestones like Magna Carta (1215),
English Bill of Rights (1689), the Bill of
Rights of the Constitution of the UnitedStates of America, the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of Citizen

HRE Initiatives of the National Human Rights Commission of India  41

(1789), Charters of League of Nations
and United Nations.
3. Perspectives on the rights of each Marginalized/Disadvantaged Group should
be developed in terms of their respective
violations of human rights, constitutional
provisions, international conventions,movements, landmark judgments.
4. For the United Nations System: International Convention on the Elimination of
all forms of Racial Discrimination, 1965,
Convention against Torture and other
Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment
or Punishment, 1984, Convention on
the Rights of the Child, 1989, Convention on the Elimination of All forms ofDiscrimination against Women, 1979,
Declaration on the Rights of Persons
Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities, 1992,
UN Millennium Declaration, 2000,
UN Global Agenda for Dialogue among
Civilizations, 2001.
5. For Development of Human Rights
in India in specific reference of Fundamental Rights and Economic Program
for the Swaraj Government adopted by
the Indian National Congress at its 45th
Session held at Karachi in March, 1931,
Objectives Resolution, 1947 has to bebrought out.
6. For Human Rights in Indian Constitution: Protection of Civil Rights Act,
1955, SC and the ST (Prevention of
Atrocities) Act, 1989, Persons with
Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation)
Act, 1995, Pre-Conception and Pre-natal
Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of
Sex Selection) Act, 1994, Environment(Protection) Act, 1986, Prevention ofDomestic Violence Act 2006.
7. Constant reference to website of National
Human Rights Commission

Source:Recommendations of National Human Rights
Commission
Module on Human Rights Education for Teaching
Professionals
Imparting Education in Primary, Secondary,Higher Secondary Levels
NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION
New Delhi, Rajika Press Services Pvt. Ltd., July 2007(www.nhrc.nic.in)