Human Rights — Quick Revision

Module 1: Introduction

• Human rights based on dignity, liberty, equality, justice, ethics, morals.
• HRE = lifelong process to respect dignity of others.
• Three models: Values/Awareness, Accountability, Transformational.
• Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam = world is one family.

Module 2: Rights, Duties, and Legal Instruments

• Claim right = require action; Liberty right = require non-interference.
• Positive duty = act; Negative duty = refrain; Perfect = always binding; Prima facie = may be overridden.
• Treaty = binding; Convention/Covenant = binding multilateral treaty; Declaration = soft law.
• Protocol = supplementary agreement; Charter = foundational treaty.

Module 3: UN System and UDHR

• UN founded 1945; UDHR adopted 10 Dec 1948.
• UDHR 30 articles = civil-political (3–21) + economic-social-cultural (22–27) + solidarity (28–30).
• Art 1 = free and equal in dignity; Art 2 = no discrimination; Art 29 = duties.
• HR Council (2006) replaced Commission on Human Rights.

Module 4: Vulnerable and Disadvantaged Groups

• Vulnerable = higher risk of poverty/social exclusion.
• Direct vs indirect discrimination.
• CEDAW = women (1979); CRC = children (1989); CRPD = disabled (2006).
• IDPs stay inside country; refugees cross border.
• Stateless = no nationality; Migrant Workers Convention = 1990.

Module 5: India — Enforcement Mechanisms

• NHRC Act = 1993.
• Art 32 = Supreme Court writs; Art 226 = High Court writs.
• NHRC = all rights; NCW = women; NCPCR = child; NCM = minorities.
• PIL = any public-spirited person can file.
• Sarvodaya = universal upliftment (Gandhi).

Module 6: Obstacles and Advocacy

• Obstacles: population, poverty, caste, illiteracy, corruption, bad governance.
• Good governance = transparency + accountability + rule of law.
• Advocacy = media, lawyers/legal aid, educational institutions, corporate, NGOs.

Ten memory lines

1. Human rights rest on dignity, liberty, equality, justice.
2. HRE = lifelong; three models: Values, Accountability, Transformational.
3. Claim right = require action; Liberty right = require non-interference.
4. Treaty/convention/covenant = binding; Declaration = soft law.
5. UDHR 30 articles: 3–21 civil-political, 22–27 economic-social, 28–30 solidarity.
6. CEDAW = women; CRC = children; CRPD = disabled.
7. IDPs = within country; Refugees = cross border; Stateless = no nationality.
8. Art 32 = Supreme Court; Art 226 = High Courts; NHRC Act = 1993.
9. PIL = any public-spirited person can file.
10. Good governance + civil society = human rights realised.