National Human Rights Commission, New Delhi, India
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National Human Rights Commission, New Delhi, India |
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NHRC-CHRC Linkage Project on ‘Human Rights of the Disabled’. |
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Human Rights Status of De-notified and Nomadic Tribes In Delhi, Gujarat & Maharashtra |
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Title :-
"Impact, Community Response and Acceptance of Non Formal Education under the National Child Labour Project – A Case study of Carpet-Weaving belt of Mirzapur – Bhadhoi and Glass – Bangle region of Ferozabad".
Agency:-
Himalayan Research and Cultural Foundation, New Delhi. The study was undertaken by Dr. Bupinder Zutshi, Visiting Faculty, Centre for the Study of Regional Development, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
Objectives:-
Time Frame:-
The research project, for six months, has since been completed and the final report submitted to the Commission.
Follow-up action:-
Dr. Zutshi organized three training workshops in partnership with NHRC and UNESCO. He also developed the curriculum for the accelerated three-year non-formal education which seeks to cover the curriculum of 5-year formal primary education. The recommendations emanating from the above study were sent to the senior officials of Labour Department in the Government of India, as well as Government of Uttar Pradesh, members of NCLP Society of Ferozabad district and others.
Human Development
Society (HDS), New Delhi
Ø Analyze the dynamics
of the tendu leaf trade - the role of different actors, the process and the economics of
the trade;
Ø Examine the extend of
bonded labour system in tendu leaf trade - relationship between the pluckers and their
employers, wages, working conditions etc. in the light of various statutory provisions and
guidelines and orders of the Supreme Court, NHRC, etc.
Ø Examine the extend of
child labour in tendu leaf trade;
Ø Find out the social,
economic and other problems faced by the pluckers and their families;
Ø Suggest remedial
measures that can be taken up to address the problems; and
Ø Create a database on
pluckers with a view to helping the policy makers and others concerned with the conditions
of the marginalized people, especially the tendu leaf pluckers.
Ø To unveil the social
and economic realities that force the children to start beedi rolling at an early age.
Ø To understand the
current trends in child labour in beedi industry and to find a proper explanation as to
why child labour in beedi industry is growing, while it is showing, a clear cut decline at
national level as a general trend.
Ø To enumerate GO- NGO
level intervention towards protection of rights and rehabilitation programmes for the
beedi making child labour.
Research Studies on Insurgency ,Terrorism and Human Rights in Jammu & Kashmir and North East and Land, Environment and other rights of Tribals.
Title :-
Agency:-
The above two studies were entrusted to the National Institute of Administrative Research (NIAR) at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), Mussoorie.
Objectives: -
1. document the types and modes of human rights violations,
2. understand and
analyse the causes and suggest remedial measures.
3. to conduct
action research on these issues so that the very process of research also achieves the
goal of sensitization of researcher.
4. associate officer
trainees or young officers in the field in the process of research and use the output in
training programmes conducted by the National Academy of Administration.
The J&K part of the study focusses on the role of Civilian Administration in the protection of Human Rights in the Kashmir Valley. Mr Wajahat Habibullah is the coordinator. So far as the study on the North-East is concerned, the focus is on Tripura and Mr Khan is the Coordinator.
Ms. Uma Devi took up the second study on the Protection of Human Rights in Tribal Areas. The study was carried out in 10 villages of Dindori District of Madhya Pradesh which is about 100 kms from Kanha National Park, Madhya Pradesh. It focussed on the dependency of Baiga Tribes on the forest for their livelihood and its impact on the environment.
Time-frame:-
These studies have been completed and the reports are being finalized.
NHRC-CHRC Linkage Project on ‘Human Rights of the Disabled’.
Title: -
`Human Rights for Persons with Disabilities’.
Agency:-
It is a collaborative project between the National Human Rights Commission and the Canadian Human Rights Commission, with Indira Gandhi National Open University, Delhi as partner.
Objectives:-
Time Frame:-
The total duration of the study is two years. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been signed in August 2003. The project is expected to be completed in October 2004.
Title
Sardar Vallabhbhai
Patel National Police Academy, Hyderabad.
Objectives:-
1. To identify
Human Rights observance domains (knowledge, skills and attitudes) relevant to police for
training and non-training organizational interventions by police in India.
2. To evolve
training strategies for the various identified knowledge, skills and attitudinal domains
related to Human Rights observance by Police in India.
3. To recommend non-training interventions for Human Rights observance by Police in India.
Time-frame
The
project has been completed and a Report has been submitted to the Commission recently. The recommendations contained in that Report are
being examined by the Training Division within the Commission.
Research Study on the criminal justice system
Title
Agency
The Commission has
entrusted this study to Action Aid, India. The study covers various jails across the
country.
Objectives
The broad objective of the study is to gather data on biases in the criminal justice
system against the poor and their custodialisation. The study was initially conceived for
five States of India viz Maharashtra, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Andhra Pradesh.
Later, the study has been extended to the States of Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu,
Karnataka and Delhi.
The research project is for one year. The study has been completed and a Report is expected to be submitted to the Commission shortly.
Economic, Social And Cultural Rights
Title
A study to assess
the promotion of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in India.
Agency
National Centre for
Advocacy Studies (NCAS), a Pune-based NGO.
Objectives
This study aims at looking into the human rights situation in India with particular reference to the
Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights (ESCR). This study will also indicate the present role of civil
society groups towards facilitating people in achieving ESCR.
1. To analyse the Government’s initiatives and
intervention in terms of allocation of resources for the
realization of ESCR especially the rights to food, health and education with particular
reference to
the marginalized (Adivasis, Dalits, Women and Children)
2. To know civil society initiatives in helping people to
claim ESCR;
3. To understand how far people are getting benefits from
the Governmental initiatives pertaining to
ESCR
Time-frame
The study has been completed and a draft
report is expected to be submitted to the Commission shortly.
Research Study on the Rights of the Disabled ( I )
Title:-
Estimating precise costs and providing level playing field to Persons with Disabilities (PWDs)
Agency:-
National Association
for the Blind, Delhi
Objectives:-
To enlist the
additional cost of living and for additional inputs needed for PWDs.
To quantify the additional costs, across different regions, of the country and for
different types / degree of
disability.
1. To disseminate information among International bodies, Central Government
organizations,
State Governments, NGOs on the additional costs of living of PWDs and additional inputs
needed.
2. To assess the gap
between the minimum support needed by PWDs as producers (contributors to the
economy) and consumers (user of social services) with what is provided presently.
3. To recommend steps
to bridge the gap through better utilization of existing scheme, introduce new
schemes (if needed), utilize the community resources and individual professional skills.
Ti
Time-frame
T
The study is expected to be completed by April 2005.
Research Study on the Rights of the Disabled ( II )
Title
Study on the efficacy of a district level mechanism for securing rights and entitlements of people with disabilities as guaranteed in the National Trust Act, 1999
Agency
National Trust for
the Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple
Disabilities
Objectives
1. To find out the factors that promote the effective functioning of a District Level
Committee.
2. To
find out the factors that impede the successful implementation of a national level policy
at the district
level.
3. To assess the level
of awareness, knowledge and motivation of the members of the District
Committees.
4 .To
assess the level of awareness, motivation and assertiveness of people with disabilities,
their families
and community covered under the National Trust Act.
5· To
assess level of coordination, convergence and readiness to integrate disability dimension
in the
mainstream of district level systems.
6. To find out ways and means of putting disability issues higher on the District Magistrate’s list of priorities.
Time-frame
The study is expected to be completed by April 2005.
"The Musahar: A Socio-economic study".
Title :-
"The Musahar: A Socio-economic study.
Agency:-
A.N. Sinha Institute of Social Studies, Patna.
Objectives:-
Follow-up action:-
The Institute after a detailed survey submitted its final report. Based on the recommendations made in the report, Mr K.B. Saxena, IAS (Retd) prepared an Action Plan to alleviate the conditions of the Musahars.
The findings of the study along with the Action Plan were sent to all concerned Ministries in the Government of India and to the Government of Bihar.
Time-frame:-
Six months. The study has since been completed.
Human Rights Status
of De-notified and Nomadic Tribes in Delhi, Gujarat and Maharashtra
Agency:-
Ø To study the patterns
of encounter with the police department;
Ø To study incidents of
custodial deaths of persons belonging to the communities selected for study;
Ø To study the levels
of legal awareness and legal literacy among these communities; and
Ø To study the
engagement of these communities with the electoral processes.
Title:-
Research Study on Complaints made by Women at Police Stations at Bangalore.
Agency:-
Vimochana – Forum for Women’s Rights, an NGO based at Bangalore.
Objectives:-
The objectives of the research are to –
(a) make an overall assessment of the kind of complaints that are made at police stations
by women;
(b) evaluate the manner in which these complaints are being handled by police personnel;
(c) know the extent of knowledge the complainants have about their legal rights;
(d) ascertain as to who assists the complainants when they lodged their complaints in the
police
station;
(e) suggest measures that may be adopted within police stations and outside with regard to
improving
citizen’s access to FIRs, the procedure of drafting complaints and follow-up on the
investigation
and prosecution of complaints.
Time-frame:-
The project is likely to be completed in April, 2004.
Title:-
Research Study on Domestic Violence Against Women in India : Nature, Causes and Response of Criminal Justice System.
Agency:-
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India), Hyderabad.
Objectives:-
The
objectives of the research study are to examine the following –
1) nature of
domestic violence against women in the country;
2) extent and
types of violence committed against women by family members;
3) causes of
domestic violence in the country;
4) entrenched
attitudes and stereotypes held by people which lead to domestic violence;
5) attitudes and
stereotypes held by police personnel of various ranks about domestic violence, which
make them to react to instances of domestic violence in a specified manner;
6) effectiveness
of the legal provisions regarding domestic violence; and
7) recommend
suitable interventions for reducing the incidence of domestic violence on the basis of the
findings of the study.
Time-frame:-
The project is likely to be completed in September,
2004.
Title:-
Pilot Study of the Socio-Economic, Political and Cultural Status of Dalit Women in Haryana.
Agency:-
Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak.
Objectives:-
The
objectives of the research study are as follows –
1) To survey the
socio-cultural and economic status of dalit women in the State of Haryana;
2) To identify the
impediments faced by the dalit women in attaining all round development in social,
economic and political field;
3) To survey the impact
of the government’s special protective provisions in providing economic,
political and judicial relief to the dalit women;
4) To assess the role
of elected representative in creating awareness among the dalits in general and
women belonging to this section in particular; and
5) To make
recommendations for the improvement of the social, economic and political status of dalit
women.
Time-frame:-
The study is likely to start in April, 2004 and is to
be completed in 18 months’ time.
Title:-
Implementation of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000
Agency:-
Socio-Legal Information Centre (SLIC), New Delhi. SLIC is a Registered Public Trust engaged in providing legal aid, especially to the children and NGOs working for them.
Objectives:-
The study
proposes to review the extent of implementation of the Juvenile Justice (Care and
Protection of Children) Act, 2000 by carrying out the following –
(a) interaction with
the Nodal Government agencies to check the status of the institutions/ committees/
boards that ought to be set up under the Act;
(b) interaction with
the Nodal Government agencies to check about the status of framing of rules,
appointment of judges, staff etc.;
(c) checking the
different kinds of homes set up or identified for the reception of children falling within
the
ambit of the Act;
(d) interviewing with
key institutions/academicians and child rights groups on their opinion on the proper
implementation of the Act;
(e) examining the
obligations cast on the Government and NGOs under the Act and check the status of
its implementation;
(f) examining the
status of the special police to be created under the Act;
(g) making sample
studies from the best and worst cases of implementation;
(h) collecting
statistics on the number of children who have been covered by the Act; and
(i) compiling
information with respect to the public interest litigation filed for the implementation of
the
Act.
Coverage:-
The study would cover 15 states, viz. Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal.
Time-frame:-
The study is likely to start in April, 2004 and is to be completed in 15 months’ time.
Human
Rights Education
Title:-
"Developing Source Material on Human Rights Education in Indian Universities"
Agency:-
Karnataka Women's Information and Resource Centre (KWIRC), Bangalore. The Study is
undertaken by Shri Nageena Nikhat Khaleel, Coordinator, Human Rights Project.
The KWIRC prepared 7 Dossiers relating to economic, social and cultural rights. Each of
the dossiers was authored by an Expert who is deeply involved or closely associated with
the relevant movement. These are on :-
(1) Land and Housing Rights
(2) Human Rights and the Environment;
(3) Child Rights
(4) Right to Information
(5) Home-based workers in India - their struggle and
emerging role
(6) Dalit Rights - Migration in search of labour and
other experiences of dalits.
(7) Fish workers' struggle for human rights.
These dossiers were discussed at a round-table workshop in October, 2002 with the
financial assistance from the Commission.
The University Grants Commission appreciated and approved the material
and has recommended it for various centres where HR education is taking place. Encouraged
by their response, the KWIRC proposed to undertake the project to further continue the
work in developing the source material on human rights education.
Objectives:-
(1) Re-writing the dossiers for grass root level
organizations use;
(2) Preparing the dossier for the school level;
(3) Translating the dossiers into 2 Indian languages
namely Hindi and Kannada;
(4) To prepare dossiers on three other human rights
endeavour :-
(a) Gandhian struggles for rights such as Boodhan and Gramdhan
(b) Women's rights for self-determination including reproductive right
(c) Rights of disabled.
Time Frame:-
The research project is for a period of one year. As per the interim report, the project
is in progress and is likely to be completed by April, 2004.
Human Rights Education
Victimology
Title:-
"Trauma Counselling for the victims of Gujarat Violence"
Agency:-
Swanchetan Society for Mental Health, New Delhi.
Objectives:-
(1) To understand the dynamics behind the fury shown
by the mobs in ferociously attaching innocent women
and children and other helpless members of a community;
(2) Try to ascertain the origin and the continuation
of the ferocity as shown by the mobs in Gujarat and the
subsequent trauma;
(3) To assess the reasons for the rage in the psyche
of the mob and the provoking factors;
(4) Assess and show the pre-indicators that could
prevent such mindless violence and ferocity in future.
Progress of the Case:-
Swanchetan has submitted a preliminary report. The highlights of the
report are as under:-
(i) Many children, who were either victims or
witnesses in the Gujarat riots, developed symptoms like
nightmares,
hyper-alertness, withdrawal from people, phobias and many psychiatric symptoms;
(ii) The focus was put on understanding the nature of grief
and shock that human beings face in a traumatic
situation;
(iii) Empowerment of community is crucial in healing process
of the individuals;
(iv) Counseling has been carried out in various camps
located at Baroda, Godhra, Baria, Lunawada,
Fatehpura,
Halol, Kalol, Ahmedabad, etc.
(v) In a period of five months, counseling has been
done for nearly one thousand children. Out of these, 242
(1/5th of
the total) has suffered severe trauma.
(vi) The first phase of counseling has taken care of
symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder in the
children;
(vii) The trauma to the community is deep and will go
away over a long term period;
Time Frame:-
Initially, the study was for a period of one year. The second and final phase of the
project is likely to end by March, 2004.
Rights of the
Mentally ill Persons
Title:
"Operation
Oasis" - A study related to mentally ill persons in West Bengal.
Agency:-
Sane and Enthusiast
Volunteers' Association of Calcutta (SEVAC), a Kolkata based NGO
Objectives:-
It seeks to
identify the mentally ill persons languishing in different
jails/homes in West Bengal. According
to SEVAC, they are not officially recognized as mentally ill or mentally disabled. Consequently, the benefits available under the
provisions of the "Mental Health Act" and "Disability Act" do not
reach them. The objectives of the study
are:-
1. Determining
the percentage of mentally ill and mentally disabled people among the inmates of the jails
and homes.
2. Assessing
their living conditions.
3. Preparing
guidelines for developing infrastructure to bring them under the purview of treatment,
care and rehabilitation programme.
4. Determining
the overall mental health status of the jail inmates and home inmates.
5. Assessing
the burden of mental illness and mental disability.
6. Quantifying
the number of other disabled persons (such as physically handicapped, speech & hearing
impaired, visually handicapped) among the jail and home inmates.
7. Assessing
the general health status of jails and home inmates.
8. Determining
whether the Human Rights of inmates of homes and jails are adequately protected.
9. Determining
the special needs of the Mental Health and Human Rights promotion of inmates of jails and
homes at large.
Time Frame:-
The year-long
project was completed on 31st March 2002.
SEVAC requested for extension of the project for one more year to ensure
that the mentally ill inmates identified by them continued to get the treatment till they
are cured. The Commission agreed, in
principle, to extend the project for one more year, i.e., upto March, 2003.
The project was
implemented in : -
v Dumdum Central
Correctional Home (Male)
v Presidency
Correctional Home (Female)
v Berhampore Central
Correctional Home (Male and Female)
v Mahalandi (Male &
Female)
v Uttarpara (Female)
v Dhakuria (Male)
v S.M.M. Home, Liluah,
Howrah (Femal)
The project has
been further extended upto June, 2004.
Mental Health
Title:-
Programmatic Intervention for the abandoned patients in three mental hospitals - Institute
of Mental Health & Hospital, Agra, Gwalior Mansik Arogyashala, Gwalior and Ranchi
Institute of Neuro Psychiatry and Allied Sciences, Ranchi.
Agency:-
Actionaid India, New Delhi
Objectives:-
(1) Recruiting and training a team of committed and
sensitive social workers/ volunteers from the local community to work with the patients
within the hospitals.
(2)
(a)
The team of volunteers would work directly with patients to guage individual needs and
design personalized rehabilitation by first identifying-
(i) Patients who are recovered and can be reintegrated with
the family,
(ii) Patients whose families cannot be traced but who are
recovered and can live semi-independent lives within groups in the local community, and
(iii) Patients, who are chronically ill, have been abandoned within the
institutional for a long time and require a protected setting.
(b)
All the patients would make the transition from the
hospital to the community through a half-way home, which would ideally be set outside the
premises of the hospital; the volunteers would assist with its functioning.
(c)
A set of volunteers would work exclusively to
locate the patients' families and assess the situation at home for its conduciveness to
integrate the member of the family. They would also be involved in family support.
(d)
Those patients who are recovered yet abandoned
and can manage semi-independence would live within groups and be trained in income
generating vocational skills. An effort would be made to engage hem in the running of the
long stay homes.
(e)
Long-stay homes would be needed for a small
number of chronically ill and abandoned patients who are (1) not responding to treatment
and have been in the hospital for most of their life, (2) are persons with special needs
due to socially unacceptable behaviour, multiple health problems etc. Such persons would
require a protected community setting, wherein the day to day living needs of the members
would receive priority in planning of services and activities. This would be possible only
through very close, long-term engagement with the patients done by the volunteers.
(3) Re-structuring the
hospital system by involving the hospital staff;
(4) Develop a network of
survivors of severe mental illness, which would in turn act as a support system for the
families; and
(5) Bringing mental health
concerns to the mainstream health scenario.
Time Frame:-
The project commenced in November, 2002 and is for a period of 2 years.
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