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The Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2019
August 2 , 2019
1857 days
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- The Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2019 which amends the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 has been approved by both Houses of Parliament.
- Under the 1993 Act, the Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is a person who has been a retired Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
- But now Chief Justice of India or any Supreme Court Judge can become a Chairperson.
- Similarly, State HRC can be headed by any Judge of the High Court including Chief Justice of High Court not only by a former Chief Justice of High Court.
- The Act provides for two persons having knowledge of human rights to be appointed as members of the NHRC.
- But after this amendment, three members will be appointed, of which at least one will be a woman.
- The Amendment reduces the term of office to three years or till the age of seventy years, whichever is earlier. Earlier it was five years.
- Further, the Act allows for the reappointment of members of the NHRC and SHRCs for a period of five years. The Bill removes the five-year limit for reappointment.
- The 1993 Act provided for a Secretary-General (SG) of the NHRC and a Secretary of a SHRC, who exercise powers as may be “delegated” to them.
- After amendments, SG will exercise all administrative and financial powers (except judicial functions), subject to the respective chairperson’s control.
- The present commission must include Chairperson of the National Commission for Backward Classes, Chairperson of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights and the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities as deemed Members of the Commission.
- The Bill provides that the central government may confer on a SHRC human rights functions being discharged by Union Territories. Functions relating to human rights in the case of Delhi will be dealt with by the NHRC.
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