Human Rights Day 2025

Syllabus: GS2/ Polity and Governance; Miscellaneous

Context

• Human Rights Day is observed annually around the world on 10th December.

About Human Rights Day

• The day marks the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948.
  • Human Rights Day has been observed every year since 1950.
• Theme for 2025: “Human Rights, Our Everyday Essentials”.

What is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)?

• The document, consisting of a preamble and 30 articles setting out fundamental rights and freedoms.
• This landmark document enshrines the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being – regardless of race, color, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.
• The declaration is not a treaty and is not legally binding in itself, but the principles it sets out have been incorporated into many countries’ laws and is viewed as the basis for international human rights law.

What are Human Rights?

• Human rights are fundamental rights and freedoms that are inherent to all human beings, regardless of nationality, ethnicity, gender, religion, or any other status. 
• These rights are considered universal, inalienable, and indivisible, forming the foundation for human dignity, equality, and justice. 
• Human rights are different from the Civil rights that are created and defined by laws within a specific nation.
  • Civil rights are legal rights granted and protected by a government, and they may change over time as laws are amended or updated.

Significance of Human Rights

• Inherent Dignity: Human rights affirm the inherent dignity of every individual. 
• Equality and Non-Discrimination: They strive to ensure that all individuals have equal opportunities and are treated with fairness and without prejudice.
• Protection from Abuse: Human rights provide a framework for holding governments, institutions, and individuals accountable for actions that violate these rights, promoting justice and accountability.

National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in India

• It is a statutory body established in 1993 under the Protection of Human Rights Act for promoting and protecting human rights in India. 
• It consists of a Chairperson (a former CJI or Supreme Court judge), judicial members, human rights experts, and ex-officio members from national commissions. 
• NHRC investigates human rights violations, issues recommendations, intervenes in court cases, reviews safeguards, promotes awareness, and advises the government on policy reforms. Although it has civil court powers, its recommendations are not binding.

Source: DD NEWS