In the report, Universal Periodic Review (UPR)-III, the UN has been informed that the Indian government is examining and “actively considering” the possibility of a universal basic income to reduce poverty. UPR is an international peer review mechanism based on a periodic self-assessment by each country of its human rights record, achievements and challenges, which is supplemented by reports from UN human rights experts, entities, treaty bodies, national human rights institutions, and civil society organizations. Civil society organizations, which are part of the Working Group of Human Rights (WGHR), say NHRC has done the bidding of the government of India rather than giving an independent view on the human rights conditions in India. Henri Tiphagne, executive director of the People’s Watch, said: “We are quite surprised because this NHRC UPR report reads like a government of India report. A 12-member Working Group of Human Rights (WGHR) for India, which includes CHRI, will prepare its own report and send it to the UN.

Source: Hindustan Times June 09, 2020 18:19 UTC