President Droupadi Murmu said on Tuesday that India is steadfast in its commitment to guaranteeing all its citizens civic and political rights. Speaking at an event organised to celebrate Human Rights Day by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) here, the president said the government also guarantees a number of socio-economic and cultural rights, spanning from providing housing, clean drinking water, improved sanitation, electricity, cooking gas, and financial services to healthcare and education for all.
The provision of necessities is seen as a matter of rights, she said, adding that India, with its civilisational heritage spanning over 5,000 years, has long upheld values of empathy, compassion, and the interconnectedness of individuals within a harmonious community. Based on these values, institutions such as the NHRC and SHRCs along with civil society, human rights defenders, special rapporteurs, and special monitors, have been working to ensure the protection of human rights for all.
In this context, she lauded the proactive role played by the NHRC in addressing violations, raising awareness, and recommending policy changes to uphold the rights of the marginalised. The President said, “As we progress into the future, we are confronted with emerging challenges. Cybercrimes and climate change are new threats to human rights. The digital era, while transformative, has brought with it complex issues such as cyberbullying, deepfake, privacy concerns, and the spread of misinformation.
These challenges underscore the importance of fostering a safe, secure, and equitable digital environment that protects the rights and dignity of every individual. Murmu noted that Artificial Intelligence has now entered our day-to-day life, solving many problems and creating several new ones too. The human rights discourse so far has been centred on human agency, that is, the violator is assumed to be a human being, who would have a range of human emotions such as compassion and guilt. With AI, however, the culprit could be a non-human but intelligent agent, she added.
She further said that climate change forces us to review human rights thinking at the global level. Polluters of a different place and a different era are affecting the lives of people in another place and another period.
India, as the voice of the Global South, has rightly taken up the leadership in climate action. The government’s initiatives, such as the 2022 Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill, the Green Credit Initiative, and the Lifestyle for Environment, or LiFE, Movement, are clear demonstrations of India’s commitment to building a clean and green planet for future generations.
In recent years, the President noted that mental health has become an increasingly important issue, especially for our children and youth.
Hence, she appealed to all stakeholders to initiate adequate measures to alleviate the stress that affects our children and young people and urged business leaders to ensure that the growing ‘gig economy’ does not adversely affect the mental health of gig workers. “As we embrace new economic models, we must ensure that the well-being of all individuals, especially those in vulnerable sectors, remains a priority.
We all must work towards removing any stigma associated with mental illness, creating awareness, and providing help to those in need of it,” she added. She suggested that on Human Rights Day, we should renew our collective commitment to the values of justice, equality, and dignity that define our nation.
As we continue to confront the challenges of our times, we must uphold the fundamental rights of every individual and ensure that no one is left behind. She said that together, through sustained effort and solidarity, we can build a future in which every person, regardless of age, background, or circumstance, is empowered to lead a life of dignity, opportunity, and fulfilment.