New Delhi, Oct 16 (IANS) Former President Ram Nath Kovind will inaugurate the 32nd Foundation Day celebration of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Thursday and lead deliberations on key human rights concerns, with a particular focus on the rights and welfare of prison inmates.

Kovind will deliver the inaugural address at the event in the presence of NHRC Chairperson Justice V. Ramasubramanian and Members Justice (Dr) Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi, Vijaya Bharathi Sayani and Priyank Kanoongo.

The Commission will also hold a day-long National Conference on the ‘Human Rights of Prison Inmates’, where multiple sessions will address issues related to the dignity, rights and living conditions of those incarcerated, according to an official statement.

NHRC Secretary General Bharat Lal, along with senior officers of the Commission, will also attend the event to reflect on the organisation’s 32-year journey and reaffirm its mission to safeguard human rights across the country.

The celebration will bring together a wide spectrum of participants, including representatives from Union ministries, state governments, diplomats, legal experts, researchers, academicians, members of civil society and human rights defenders, the statement said.

Established on October 12, 1993, the NHRC has, over the past 32 years, consistently advocated for policy reforms, transparency in governance and stronger accountability mechanisms to ensure fairness in law enforcement, investigation processes and welfare initiatives.

Since its inception, the Commission has handled 23.79 lakh cases, including 2,981 cases taken up suo motu. It has recommended monetary relief amounting to over Rs 263 crore in 8,924 cases to victims of human rights violations.

The NHRC has so far issued 31 advisories covering a wide range of issues — from Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), rights of widows, people involved in begging, right to food and health, mental health, and rights of informal workers to the dignity of the dead, rights of truck drivers, transgender welfare, prevention of suicide attempts by prisoners and mitigation of ocular trauma.

The Commission continues to play an important role in promoting police accountability, prison reforms, and the protection of the rights of both the accused and victims through research, policy advocacy and public awareness initiatives.

It has also collaborated with central and state governments, public institutions, NGOs and human rights defenders to strengthen rights protections for all, especially the vulnerable sections of society.

Among its notable interventions, the NHRC has recommended amendments to 97 discriminatory laws affecting persons with Hansen’s disease.

Between October 1, 2024, and September 30, 2025, the Commission handled 73,849 complaints and 108 suo motu cases. During this period, it conducted 63 spot enquiries, disposed of 38,063 cases and recommended more than Rs 9 crore as monetary relief in 210 cases of human rights violations.

The NHRC also organised two ‘Open Hearings and Camp Sittings’ in Odisha and Telangana, where cases were disposed of on the spot and compensation was recommended.

These sittings helped sensitise senior state officials about the timely submission of reports for quicker redressal, while fostering dialogue with local NGOs, human rights defenders and media representatives, the statement added.

–IANS

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