This document discusses human rights and vulnerable groups. It begins by defining human rights as those rights people have by virtue of being human. It then discusses key international agreements like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Vulnerable groups commonly referred to include women, children, disabled people, refugees, minorities and indigenous peoples. In India, scheduled castes, tribes, religious and linguistic minorities experience discrimination and structural inequalities hampering their rights. Several laws provide protection, but violations still occur regularly according to data from the National Human Rights Commission of India.

1. HUMAN RIGHTS AND VULNERABLE
GROUPS
VISHWANATH M.
(DR.D.C.PAVATE FELLOW, CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY, UK)
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR,
DEPARTMENT OF LAW
KARNATAK UNIVERSITY, DHARWAD

2. ‘Human Rights constitute
those very rights, which
one has precisely because
of being a Human Being’
- D.D.Raphael

3. UDHR
PREAMBLE
Whereas recognition of the
inherent dignity & of the equal
& inalienable rights of all
members of the human family
is the foundation of
freedom, justice & peace in

4. The Universal Declaration of Human
Rights 10th Dec 1948
The United Nations system for the
promotion and protection of human
rights consists of two main types of
body
1.Bodies created under the UN
Charter.
2.Bodies created under the
international human rights treaties

5. The Protection of Human Rights Act
• Sec-2(d) Human rights means rights
relating to life, liberty, equality and
dignity of the individual guaranteed by the
Constitution or embodied in the
International Covenants and enforceable
by Courts in India.
• Constitution
I. Preamble
II. Part III & IV

6. VULNERABLE GROUPS
• Vulnerable refers to the harsh reality that
these groups are more likely to
encounter discrimination or other human
rights violations than others.
• There are particular groups who, for
various reasons, are weak and
vulnerable or have traditionally been
victims of violations and consequently
require special protection for the equal
and effective enjoyment of their human
rights.

7. COMMONLY IDENTIFIED VULNERABLE GROUPS
• Women and Children
• Displaced People
• Persons With Disabilities
• Refugees
• Elderly People
• Victims of Racism
• Persons With HIV-AIDS
In India
• Scheduled Castes/ Scheduled Tribes
• Linguistic Minorities/ Religious Minorities

8. Reasons?
The political, social, economic
and cultural inequalities present in
each society many a
times, hamper the rights of these
weaker sections of a
society, thereby obstructing them
from fully realizing their rights.

9. The 2008 guidelines (Committee on Economic, Social
and Cultural Rights)
• Introduced the terminology marginalized
and disadvantaged groups instead of
Vulnerable groups.
• The 2008 guidelines include the training
programmes, specific data on housing,
right to food, education, scientific
progression, malnutrition, health, and
other social welfare schemes evolved
from time to time by the states.

10. SITUATION IN INDIA
• The hierarchical caste system along with
other socio-cultural practices prevailing
in India for many centuries has resulted
in discrimination and inequality.
• 2011 Census, the SC’s constitutes around
16.2% & 8.2% of ST’s population of the
country
• In addition to Constitutional provisions, a
number of legislations were enacted to
end discrimination against SC/ST

11. Structural Discrimination
Lack of
education
Lack of job Lack of
opportunit access to
y land
Lack of Low paid
access to wages
health & labour &
nutritious unorganize
food d labour

12. PROTECTION BY LAW
• The Protection of Civil Rights (Anti-
Untouchability) Act, 1955.
• The Bonded Labour (Abolition) Act, 1976.
• The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
(Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
• The Employment of Manuel Scavengers and
Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition)
Act, 1993.

13. NHRC
Annual year Number of complaints Annual year Number of complaints
received received
1993-94 496 2003-04 72,990
1994-95 5,710 2004-05 74,401
1995-96 11,153 2005-06 74,444
1996-97 20,138 2006-07 82,233
1997-98 31,299 2007-08 1,00,616
1998-99 40,724 2008-09 90,946
1999-2000 47,817 2009-10 82,021
2000-01 60,287
2001-02 67,776
2002-03 67,842

14. • During the last 18 years of its existence,
the Commission has registered a total
10,94,113 cases of human rights
violations, either suo moto or on
complaints or on intimation by the prison
and police authorities.
• 10,77,622 cases have been disposed of
till date.
• 6,22,635 number of complaints from UP
• 69,409 number of complaints from Delhi

15.  Maximum 4,25,877 complaints have been
registered against the police authorities under
various counts.
 Deaths in Police custody maximum (901)
complaints from UP followed by Maharashtra
(453), AP (305), Gujarat (260), TN
(221), WB (219) and Bihar (207).
 Death in judicial custody, UP registered
highest (3822) cases followed by Bihar
(2435), Maharashtra (2014), AP
(1621), Punjab (1080) and WB (997).

16. THANK YOU