1.

Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is a non-governmental organization

based in the United Kingdom focused on human rights. The organization claims it has more than
seven million members and supporters around the world.

The stated mission of the organization is to campaign for "a world in which every person enjoys all of
the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international
human rights instruments."

Amnesty draws attention to human rights abuses and campaigns for compliance with international
laws and standards. It works to mobilize public opinion to generate pressure on governments that
let abuse take place.[5] Amnesty considers capital punishment to be "the ultimate, irreversible
denial of human rights."

The core principle of Amnesty International is a focus on prisoners of conscience, those persons
imprisoned or prevented from expressing an opinion by means of violence. Along with this
commitment to opposing repression of freedom of expression, Amnesty International's founding
principles included non-intervention on political questions, a robust commitment to gathering facts
about the various cases and promoting human rights.[92]

One key issue in the principles is in regard to those individuals who may advocate or tacitly support
resorting to violence in struggles against repression. AI does not judge whether recourse to violence
is justified or not. However, AI does not oppose the political use of violence in itself since The
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in its preamble, foresees situations in which people could
"be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression". If a
prisoner is serving a sentence imposed, after a fair trial, for activities involving violence, AI will not
ask the government to release the prisoner.

AI neither supports nor condemns the resort to violence by political opposition groups in itself, just
as AI neither supports nor condemns a government policy of using military force in fighting against
armed opposition movements. However, AI supports minimum humane standards that should be
respected by governments and armed opposition groups alike. When an opposition group tortures
or kills its captives, takes hostages, or commits deliberate and arbitrary killings, AI condemns these
abuses.

Amnesty International opposes capital punishment in all cases, regardless of the crime committed,
the circumstances surrounding the individual or the method of execution.

Amnesty International primarily targets governments but also reports on non-governmental bodies
and private individuals ("non-state actors").

There are six key areas which Amnesty deals with:

Women's, children's, minorities' and indigenous rights

Ending torture

Abolition of the death penalty

Rights of refugees

Rights of prisoners of conscience

Protection of human dignity.

Some specific aims are to: abolish the death penalty, end extrajudicial executions and
"disappearances", ensure prison conditions meet international human rights standards, ensure
prompt and fair trial for all political prisoners, ensure free education to all children worldwide,
decriminalize abortion, fight impunity from systems of justice, end the recruitment and use of child
soldiers, free all prisoners of conscience, promote economic, social and cultural rights for
marginalized communities, protect human rights defenders, promote religious tolerance, protect
LGBT rights, stop torture and ill-treatment, stop unlawful killings in armed conflict, uphold the rights
of refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers, and protect human dignity. It also supports the
worldwide decriminalization of prostitution.

2. The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an international humanitarian
movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide[2] which was
founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and to prevent
and alleviate human suffering.

The movement consists of several distinct organizations that are legally independent of each other
but are united within the movement through common basic principles, objectives, symbols, statutes
and governing organizations. The movement's parts are:

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a private humanitarian institution founded in
1863 in Geneva, Switzerland, in particular by Henry Dunant and Gustave Moynier. Its 25-member
committee has a unique authority under international humanitarian law to protect the life and
dignity of the victims of international and internal armed conflicts.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) was founded in 1919
and today it coordinates activities between the 190 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
within the Movement. On an international level, the Federation leads and organizes, in close
cooperation with the National Societies, relief assistance missions responding to large-scale
emergencies.

National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies exist in nearly every country in the world. Currently,
190 National Societies are recognized by the ICRC and admitted as full members of the Federation.
Each entity works in its home country according to the principles of international humanitarian law
and the statutes of the international Movement.

Seven fundamental principles are

Humanity

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, born of a desire to bring assistance
without discrimination to the wounded on the battlefield, endeavors, in its international and
national capacity, to prevent and alleviate human suffering wherever it may be found. Its purpose is
to protect life and health and to ensure respect for the human being. It promotes mutual
understanding, friendship, cooperation and lasting peace amongst all peoples.

Impartiality
It makes no discrimination as to nationality, race, religious beliefs, class or political opinions. It
endeavors to relieve the suffering of individuals, being guided solely by their needs, and to give
priority to the most urgent cases of distress.

Neutrality

In order to continue to enjoy the confidence of all, the Movement may not take sides in hostilities or
engage at any time in controversies of a political, racial, religious or ideological nature.

Independence

The Movement is independent. The National Societies, while auxiliaries in the humanitarian services
of their governments and subject to the laws of their respective countries, must always maintain
their autonomy so that they may be able at all times to act in accordance with the principles of the
Movement.

Voluntary Service

It is a voluntary relief movement not prompted in any manner by desire for gain.

Unity

There can be only one Red Cross or one Red Crescent Society in any one country. It must be open to
all. It must carry on its humanitarian work throughout its territory.

Universality

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, in which all Societies have equal status
and share equal responsibilities and duties in helping each other, is worldwide.

The official mission of the ICRC as an impartial, neutral, and independent organization is to stand for
the protection of the life and dignity of victims of international and internal armed conflicts.

to monitor compliance of warring parties with the Geneva Conventions

to organize nursing and care for those who are wounded on the battlefield

to supervise the treatment of prisoners of war

to help with the search for missing persons in armed conflict (tracing service)

to organize protection and care for civil populations

to arbitrate between warring parties in an armed conflict

3. NGO or non-profit organization are organizations that operate independently of any government,
typically one whose purpose is to address a social or political issue.

Human rights are the ‘Rights relating to life, liberty, equality, and dignity of individuals guaranteed
by the constitution or embodied in international covenants and enforceable by the courts in India’

The term non-governmental or, more accurately non-profit is normally used to cover the range of
organizations that go to make up civil society. Such organizations are characterized, in general, by
having as the purpose of their existence something other than financial profit. However, this leaves a
huge multitude of reasons for existence and a wide variety of enterprises and activities. NGOs range
from small pressure groups on, for example, specific environmental concerns or specific human
rights violations, through educational charities, women's refuges, cultural associations, religious
organizations, legal foundations, humanitarian assistance programs. The Economic and Social
Council may make suitable arrangements for consultation with non-governmental organizations
which are concerned with matters within its competence. Such arrangements may be made with
international organizations and, where appropriate, with national organizations after consultation
with the Member of the United Nations concerned.

NGO’s have a vital role to play in the promotion and protection of human right especially in the
developing country, has the largest number of NGO’s whose activates are spared in different fields
for the welfare of human being including the promotion and protection of the human right.

The resolution no 38 of the declaration stated –the world conference on human right recognizes the
important role of the Non-Government Organization in the promotion of all human rights and
humanitarian.

NGO organizations have functioned as the conscience of the nation in the field of human right by
taking prompt action to investigate the instance human right by undertaking and the spot studies
and publishing the observations.

NGOs play a pivotal, role in many fields, such as in prevention of HIV/AIDS, to educate to teach and
train vulnerable groups, childcare, child exploitation, child labour, bonded labour, in sex tourism, and
providing counselling in number of matters including domestic disputes, subject relating to rights of
women and children and so on.

The NGO plays an important role to become a concrete expression of international, national and
regional and local level voice to assist and stand up for those who can’t speak themselves. Every
human being is entitled to certain basic human rights that are available to them without
discrimination of any sort human rights are protected by the United Nations and its specialized
agencies. In India human rights are protected by the judiciary, human rights commissions, apart
from these organizations the Non Governmental organizations also have an important role in the
protection of human rights. The Non Governmental organizations work from the grassroots level to
the national and international levels in the protection of human rights.

Contribution of NGOs towards the development of Human Rights

* They mobilize public opinion.

* They contribute a lot to society.

* They pressurize the government on certain issues, such as protection of prisoners’ rights, torture,
etc.

* They approach the judiciary on behalf of poor people who otherwise have no access to justice.

* They ask for submission of certain reports.

* They play a special role especially in developing countries for the development of human rights.

4. A humanitarian crisis (or "humanitarian disaster") is defined as a singular event or a series of

events that are threatening in terms of health, safety or well being of a community or large group of
people. It may be internal or external conflict and usually occurs throughout a large land area. Local,
national and international responses are necessary for such events.

Each humanitarian crisis is caused by different factors and as a result, each different humanitarian
crisis requires a unique response targeted towards the specific sectors affected. This can result in
either short-term or long-term damage. Humanitarian crises can either be natural disasters, man-
made disasters or complex emergencies. In such cases, complex emergencies occur as a result of
several factors or events that prevent a large group of people from accessing their fundamental
needs, such as food, clean water or safe shelter. Examples of humanitarian crises include armed
conflicts, epidemics, famine, natural disasters, and other major emergencies. If such a crisis causes
large movements of people it could also become a refugee crisis. For these reasons, humanitarian
crises are often interconnected and complex and several national and international agencies play
roles in the repercussions of the incidences.

Women's social status in humanitarian crises

Socially, women and children (mostly girls) receive a significantly decreased amount of attention in
response to humanitarian crises. Women and children make up 3 quarters of refugees or displaced
persons at risk post-crisis. A quarter of this population is of reproductive age and a fifth of this
population is likely to be pregnant. In times of emergency and such crises, deaths associated with
pregnancy, reproductive health, sexual violence and sexual exploitation increase drastically
especially amongst females. During such emergencies, women lose access to family planning
services, prenatal care, postpartum care, and other health services. The heightened risk of female
health and safety makes them vulnerable to disease, violence, and death.

Non-profit organizations such as the Women's Refugee Commission deal with aiding particularly
women suffering from various types of humanitarian crises.[8] According to the Women's Refugee
Commission, during the first hours of a humanitarian crisis, women and young children are at most
risk. During such an event, agencies and organizations approach matters variably. However, the top
critical requirements within hours and months of the crises include: keeping the refugees and
internally displaced persons away from danger, allowing access to fundamental needs such as food
and healthcare, identification information, preventing sexual violence and others.[9]

Socio-economic realities of humanitarian crises

Economic issues can lead to humanitarian crises or humanitarian crises that can lead to economic
downfalls. If it occurs after a humanitarian crisis affects a nation, it is imperative to return the
livelihoods in the economic settings of the nation.[10] One of the critical needs of the Women's
Refugee Commission's list is providing education and economic opportunities in order to maintain
the economic qualities of the region. It is done by using the skills of the displaced persons or
refugees involved to provide them with opportunities to gain income.[11]

If it occurs as a cause of the humanitarian crisis, society would have been in a state of civil insecurity
and economic shortfalls, which could cause the government to collapse. This can also result from
food insecurity, famines, corruptions, and various other issues. Direct effects of this situation include
human rights violations, violence and mass murders.[12]

Environmental and ecological impacts

In the cases of humanitarian crises, especially natural disasters such as tornadoes, tsunamis, and
earthquakes, these incidences leave environmental and ecological impacts on the regions affected.
The aftermath of natural disasters can lead to a significant decrease in natural resources while
making the region prone to future issues. For example, if a forest fire occurs in a large region, the
area may be susceptible to air pollution, dust clouds, the release of carcinogenic gases and others.
Forest ecological wildlife, for example, is severely impacted by such events. In the cases of water
natural disasters such as floods and tsunamis, extensive damage due to the water is prevalent.[14]
Fish, corals and other ocean life are impacted, which further impacts the livelihoods of fishermen.

5. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India is a Statutory public body constituted on
12 October 1993 under the Protection of Human Rights Ordinance of 28 September 1993. It was
given a statutory basis by the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 (TPHRA). The NHRC is the
National Human Rights Commission of India,[3] responsible for the protection and promotion of
human rights, defined by the Act as "Rights Relating To Life, liberty, equality and dignity of the
individual guaranteed by the Constitution or embodied in the International Covenants".

The Protection of Human Rights Act mandates the NHRC to perform the following functions:[2]

proactively or reactively inquire into violations of the government of India human rights or
negligence in the prevention of such violation by a public servant

by leave of the court, to intervene in court proceeding relating to human rights

make recommendations about granting relief to the victims and their families.

review the safeguards provided by or under the Constitution or any law for the time being in force
for the protection of human rights and recommend measures for their effective implementation

review the factors, including acts of terrorism that inhibit the enjoyment of human rights and
recommend appropriate remedial measures

to study treaties and other international instruments on human rights and make recommendations
for their effective implementation

undertake and promote research in the field of human rights

engage in human rights education among various sections of society and promote awareness of the
safeguards available for the protection of these rights through publications, the media, seminars,
and other available means
encourage the efforts of NGOs and institutions congress to working in the field of human rights.

it considers the necessity for the protection of human rights.

requisitioning any public record or copy thereof from any court or office.

6. Torture is the act of deliberately inflicting severe physical or psychological suffering on someone
by another as a punishment or in order to fulfill some desire of the torturer or force some action
from the victim. Torture, by definition, is a knowing and intentional act; deeds which unknowingly or
negligently inflict suffering or pain, without a specific intent to do so, are not typically considered
torture.

Torture has been carried out or sanctioned by individuals, groups, and states throughout history
from ancient times to modern-day, and forms of torture can vary greatly in duration from only a few
minutes to several days or longer. Reasons for torture can include punishment, revenge, extortion,
persuasion, political re-education, deterrence, coercion of the victim or a third party, interrogation
to extract information or a confession irrespective of whether it is false, or simply the sadistic
gratification of those carrying out or observing the torture. Alternatively, some forms of torture are
designed to inflict psychological pain or leave as little physical injury or evidence as possible while
achieving the same psychological devastation. The torturer may or may not kill or injure the victim,
but torture may result in a deliberate death and serves as a form of capital punishment. Depending
on the aim, even a form of torture that is intentionally fatal may be prolonged to allow the victim to
suffer as long as possible (such as half-hanging). In other cases, the torturer may be indifferent to the
condition of the victim.

7. Undertrial Prisoners mean the persons retained inside the prison (judicial custody) when the
charges against him are being tried in the competent courts. In Bangladesh, cases go years and years
to get to the hearing stage and kill an unpredictable and countless time to reach the sentencing
stage. In several cases, the time spent in jail, while a trial is on; maybe more than the sentence finally
given. This is an unacceptable violation of fundamental rights.

However, it is also true that the consequences of pre-trial detention are crucial. Defendants
presumed innocent are subjected to the psychological and physical deprivations of life, usually under
more onerous conditions than are imposed on convicted defendants. The jailed defendant loses his
job if he has one and is prevented from contributing to the preparation of his defense. Equally
important, the burden of his detention frequently falls deeply on the innocent members of his
family. An effective criminal justice system inevitably needs to ensure that the accused stands trial
for the crimes they are alleged to have committed. Therein lie the historical roots of incarcerating
people accused of committing crimes. Depending on the gravity of the offense, the police are
empowered to keep a person in their custody for 24 hours, after which any further detention must
be authorized by the judiciary. Save a few exceptions, all are entitled to be released on bail.

Many poor people are detained in prisons for alleged involvement in bailable offenses primarily
because they are unable to furnish surety. This is a serious concern because in such cases bail is a
matter of right and people end up spending long periods in jail merely because they are poor.
Many prisoners suffer in prisons because the police do not finish the investigation, and file the
charge sheet in time. This is a very serious matter because such people remain in prisons without
any inkling of a police case against them.

It is very common in the criminal justice administration of Bangladesh that undertrial prisoners are
confined under judicial custody for a long time and after the trial, they are declared innocent. This is
a major human rights violation and especially poor persons are such victims. In many cases,
influential and rich people go for compensation but the poor remain silent as they are not in a
position to engage a lawyer and pay court fees for this purpose.

Another concern is that the undertrial prisoners in Bangladesh are kept in the same jail where the
convicted prisoners are kept. Hence, it is very important that separate accommodations provided to
the undertrials. It should be promoted that no convicted prisoner shall be kept in the same area in
which undertrial prisoners are kept, or be allowed to have contact with undertrial prisoners. No
convicted prisoner shall be allowed to enter the undertrial yard or block.

In practice, it has been realized that the treatment of undertrial prisoners in the jails is not
satisfactory and their human rights are violated. Experts advise that untried prisoners should sleep
singly in separate rooms, with the reservation of different local customs in respect of the climate.
Within the limits compatible with the good order of the institution, untried prisoners may, if they so
desire, have their food procured at their own expense from outside, either through the
administration or through their family or friends. Otherwise, the administration shall provide their
food. Advice from experts also suggests that an untried prisoner shall be allowed to wear his own
clothing if it is clean and suitable. If he wears a prison dress, it should be different from that supplied
to convicted prisoners. An untried prisoner shall always be offered an opportunity to work, but shall
not be required to work. If he chooses to work, he should be paid for it. An untried prisoner should
be allowed to procure at his own expense or at the expense of a third party such books, newspapers,
writing materials and other means of occupation as are compatible with the interests of the
administration of justice and the security and good order of the institution. An untried prisoner
should be allowed to be visited and treated by his own doctor or dentist if there is reasonable
ground for his application and he is able to pay any expenses incurred. An untried prisoner should be
allowed to inform immediately his family of his detention and should be given all reasonable
facilities for communicating with his family and friends, and for receiving visits from them, the
administration of justice and of the security and good order of the institution.

Universal Declaration on Human Rights under Article 9 states that no one shall be subjected to
arbitrary arrest, detention or exile. Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights and
Fundamental Freedoms, states that everyone has the right to liberty and security of person. No one
should be deprived of his liberty save in the cases of lawful arrest and detention, which is to be done
in accordance with a procedure prescribed by law.
The Constitution of Bangladesh is also firm on the protection and respect for fundamental human
rights, equality for the citizen.

With regards to undertrial prisoner, the most important constitutional safeguards are incorporated
under Articles 27, 31, 33 and 35 of the Constitution of Bangladesh. While Article 27 guarantees the
right to equality and equal protection of the law, Article 31 provides that all citizens have the
inalienable right to be treated only ‘in accordance with law’. Article 32 provides that no person shall
be deprived of life or personal liberty save in accordance with the law. Article 33 provides provisions
on safeguards as to arrest and detention. Article 35(3) ensures a speedy and fair trial. The
Constitution under Article 35 (3) of the Constitution provides that -

Every person accused of a criminal offense shall have the right to a speedy and public trial by an
independent and impartial Court law.

The right to liberty of a citizen is a constitutional right of citizens of Bangladesh, which is not an
absolute right and must have to be balanced with other public benefits. Hence Police and other
forces while dealing with undertrial prisoners must have to be cautious about these fundamental
rights and must ensure that none of these are violated.

8. Major problems faced by Indian Police

Police are overburdened and at the lower levels, they are forced to work 12-14 hours continuously
for 7 days a week. It adversely affects their performance.

The weapons they use are outdated and outmatched by the weaponry used by the anti-social
elements.

Training methods are outdated and aspects of human rights are largely ignored by the training
modules.

In spite of recommendations of various commissions, crime investigation has not been separated
from the maintenance of law and order.

Criminalization of politics and politicization of crime has multiplied the problems of the police force
as they are not in a position to curb the crime in an effective manner.

Lack of co-ordination of center and states is matter related to maintenance of law and order results
in the ineffective functioning of the police force.

CID at the state level has failed to perform because of political cases filed by the ruling parties
against their opponents and because of excessive political interference by political executives.

Judicial reforms have not been effective as most of the criminals are not punished for the crimes
they have committed.

The police force is not n the position to tackle present problems of cybercrime, global terrorism,
Naxalism because of structural weaknesses.
The pay scales of police personnel especially at the lower levels are very low and they are forced to
adopt corrupt means to earn their livelihood.

Training of police officials is heavily biased in the favor of higher-level officials. 94% of the total
training expenditure on IPS officers.

The prevalence of rank system within the police force results in abuse of power by the top executive
over a lower level of personnel.

9. Religion is a social-cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, worldviews,

texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that relate humanity to supernatural,
transcendental, or spiritual elements. However, there is no scholarly consensus over what precisely
constitutes a religion.

The relationship between religion and human rights is both complex and inextricable. While most of
the world's religions have supported violence, repression, and prejudice, each has also played a
crucial role in the modern struggle for universal human rights. Most importantly, religions provide
the essential sources and scales of dignity and responsibility, shame and respect, restraint and
regret, restitution and reconciliation that a human rights regime needs to survive and flourish in any
culture. With contributions by a score of leading experts, Religion and Human Rights provide
authoritative and accessible assessments of the contributions of Judaism, Christianity, Islam,
Hinduism, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Indigenous religions to the development of the ideas and
institutions of human rights. It also probes the major human rights issues that confront religious
individuals and communities around the world today, and the main challenges that the world's
religions will pose to the human rights regime in the future.

10. A state of emergency in India refers to a period of governance under an altered constitutional
setup that can be proclaimed by the President of India when they perceive grave threats to the
nation from internal and external sources or from financial situations of crisis. Under the advice of
the cabinet of ministers and using the powers vested in him/her largely by Part XVIII of the
Constitution of India, the President can overrule many provisions of the constitution, which
guarantee fundamental rights to the citizens of India and acts governing devolution of powers to the
states which form the federation. In the history of independent India, a state of emergency has been
declared thrice.

During a national emergency, many Fundamental Rights of Indian citizens can be suspended. The six
freedoms under Right to Freedom are automatically suspended. By contrast, the Right to Life and
Personal Liberty cannot be suspended according to the original Constitution. In January 1977, during
the emergency declared controversially by Indira Gandhi, the government decided to suspend even
the Right to Life and Personal Liberty by dispensing with Habeas corpus. Justice Hans Raj Khanna
defended the Right to Life and asked: "Life is also mentioned in Article 21 and would Government
argument extend to it also?". The Attorney General observed: "Even if life was taken away illegally,
courts are helpless".
11. Crimes against women occur every minute in India. Women are not safe, whether it is in their
houses, public places or at the workplace. Given the number of crimes that are committed against
women, it is pertinent that women are aware of the laws that are in place to protect them.

The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006

According to the International Research Centre for Women, almost 47 percent of girls are married
before the age of 18. Currently, India ranks 13 in the world when it comes to child marriages. Since
child marriage has been steeped into the Indian culture and tradition for centuries, it has been tough
eliminating it. The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act was made effective in 2007. This act defines
child marriage as a marriage where the groom or the bride is underage, that is, the bride is under 18
years of age or the boy is younger than 21 years. Parents trying to marry underage girls are subject
to action under this law. Since the law makes these marriages illegal, it acts as a major deterrent.

Special Marriage Act, 1954

The objectives of this act is to provide – a special form of marriage in certain cases, provide for the
registration of certain marriages and, to provide for divorce. In a country like India and with the
diverse religions and cast, when people from different faiths and caste chose to get married they do
it under the Special Marriage Act. It is not applicable to the state of Jammu and Kashmir and also
extends to intending spouses who are Indian nationals and living abroad.

Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961

According to this act, taking or giving of dowry at the time of the marriage to the bride or the
bridegroom and their family is to be penalized. Dowry system, giving and taking of dowry, is a norm
in India. Dowry is often asked of the bride and her family by the groom and his family. The system
has taken strong roots because women after marriage move in with their spouse and in-laws. Also,
over the centuries, the lack of economic independence of women and the taboo towards divorce has
resulted in bride burning. When demands for dowry even after marriage are not met by the girl’s
families, many women are tortured, beaten and even burnt. It is one of the major challenges that
our society is grappling with. Women openly complaining about it has helped to spread the word
and encourage other women to take a stand.

Indian Divorce Act, 1969

The Indian Divorce Act allows the dissolution of marriage, mutual consent, nullity of marriage,
judicial separation and restitution of conjugal rights. Family Courts are established to file, hear, and
dispose of such cases.

Maternity Benefit Act,1861

This act regulates the employment of women and maternity benefits mandated by law. It states that
a woman employee who has worked in an organization for a period of at least 80 days during the 12
months preceding the date of her expected delivery is entitled to receive maternity benefits, which
includes maternity leave, nursing breaks, medical allowance, etc.

Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act,1971

The Act came into effect in 1972, as amended in 1975 and 2002. The aim of the Act is to reduce the
occurrence of illegal abortion and consequent maternal mortality and morbidity. It clearly states the
conditions under which a pregnancy can be ended or aborted and specifies the persons qualified to
conduct the same.
Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013

To ensure women’s safety at the workplace, this Act seeks to protect them from sexual harassment
at their place of work. Thirty-six percent of Indian companies and 25 percent among MNC’s are not
compliant with the Sexual Harassment Act according to a FICCI-EY November 2015 report. Sexual
harassment at the workplace also includes – the use of language with sexual overtones, invasion of
private space with a male colleague hovering too close for comfort, subtle touches and innuendoes.

Indecent Representation of Women(Prevention) Act,1986

This Act prohibits indecent representation of women through advertisement or in publications,

writings, paintings, figures or in any other manner.

National Commission for Women Act, 1990

The National Commission for Women (NCW) is a statutory body of the Government of India,
established in January 1992. Lalitha Kumaramangalam was appointed its Chairperson in 2014. The
NCW represents the rights of women in India and provides a voice for their issues and concerns. The
National Commission for Women Act aims to improve the status of women and worked for their
economic empowerment.

Equal Remuneration Act, 1976

This Act prevents discrimination in terms of remuneration. It provides for payment of equal
recompense to men and women workers.

12. Although the term ‘minorities’ is not defined in the Constitution, from the Constituent Assembly
Debates, it can be gathered that the Constitution Makers used it to connote numerically vulnerable
groups in the power equation of the State population. The expression "minority" has been derived
from the Latin word 'minor' and the suffix 'ity' which means "small in number". According to
Encyclopaedia Britannica 'minorities' means 'groups held together by ties of common descent,
language or religious faith and feeling different in these respects from the majority of the inhabitants
of a given political entity". J.A. Laponee in his book "The Protection to Minority" describes "Minority"
as a group of persons having a different race, language or religion from that of the majority of
inhabitants. In the Year Book on Human Rights U.N. Publication 1950 ed. minority has been
described as nondominant groups having a different religion or linguistic traditions than the majority
population.

Right to Freedom of Religion

Article 25 reads – Freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion-

Subject to public order, morality, and health and to other provisions of this Part, all persons are
equally entitled to freedom of conscience and the right freely to profess, practice and propagate
religion.

Nothing in this Article shall affect the operation of any existing law or prevent the State from making
any law –

regulating or restricting any economic, financial, political or other secular activity which may be
associated with religious practice;
providing for social welfare and reform or the throwing open of Hindu religious institutions of a
public character to all classes and sections of Hindus.

Freedom to manage religious affairs

Article 26 reads – Subject to public order, morality and health, every religious denomination or any
section thereof shall have the right-

to establish and maintain institutions for religious and charitable purposes;

to manage its own affairs in matters of religion;

to own and acquire movable and immovable property; and

to administer such property in accordance with the law.

Freedom as to payment of taxes for promotion of any particular religion

Article 27 reads – No person shall be compelled to pay any taxes, the proceeds of which are
specifically appropriated in payment of expenses for the promotion or maintenance of any particular
religion or religious denomination.

Cultural and Educational Rights

Article 29 reads – Protection of interests of minorities-

Any section of the citizens residing in the territory of India or any part thereof having a distinct
language, script or culture of its own shall have the right to conserve the same.

No citizen shall be denied admission into any educational institution maintained by the State or
receiving aid out of State funds on grounds only of religion, race, caste, language or any of them.

Article 30 reads – Right of minorities to establish and administer educational institutions-

All minorities, whether based on religion or language, shall have the right to set up and administer
educational institutions of their choice.

In making any law providing for the compulsory acquisition of any property of an educational
institution established and administered by a minority, referred to in clause (1), the State shall
ensure that the amount fixed by or determined under such law for the acquisition of such property is
such as would not restrict or abrogate the right guaranteed under that clause.

The State shall not, in granting aid to educational institutions, discriminate against any educational
institution on the ground that it is under the management of a minority, whether based on religion
or language.

Facilities for instruction in mother-tongue at the primary stage

Article 350A reads – It shall be the endeavor of every State and of every local authority within the
State to provide adequate facilities for instruction in the mother-tongue at the primary stage of
education to children belonging to linguistic minority groups; and the President may issue such
directions to any State as he considers necessary or proper for securing the provision of such
facilities.

Special Officer for linguistic minorities

Article 350B reads –

There shall be a Special Officer for linguistic minorities to be appointed by the President.

It shall be the duty of the Special Officer to investigate all matters relating to the safeguards
provided for linguistic minorities under the Constitution and report to the President upon these
issues at such intervals as the President may direct, and the President shall cause all such reports to
be laid before each House of Parliament, and sent to the Governments of the States concerned.

Right to education

Conservation of Distinct Language and Culture

13. Children's rights are the human rights of children with particular attention to the rights of special
protection and care afforded to minors. The 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)
defines a child as "any human being below the age of eighteen years unless, under the law
applicable to the child, the majority is attained earlier."

Right to Survival:

• Right to be born

• Right to minimum standards of food, shelter, and clothing

• Right to live with dignity

• Right to health care, to safe drinking water, nutritious food, a clean and safe environment, and
information to help them stay healthy

Right to Protection:

• Right to be protected from all sorts of violence

• Right to be protected from neglect

• Right to be protected from physical and sexual abuse

• Right to be protected from dangerous drugs

Right to Participation:

• Right to freedom of opinion

• Right to freedom of expression

• Right to freedom of association

• Right to information

• Right to participate in any decision making that involves him/her directly or indirectly

Right to Development:

• Right to education

• Right to learn

• Right to relax and play

• Right to all forms of development – emotional, mental and physical

The Right to Education

14.

Human rights cannot be secured in a degraded or polluted environment. The fundamental right to
life is threatened by soil degradation and deforestation and by exposures to toxic chemicals,
hazardous wastes and contaminated drinking water. Environmental conditions clearly help to
determine the extent to which people enjoy their basic rights to life, health, adequate food and
housing, and traditional livelihood and culture. It is time to recognize that those who pollute or
destroy the natural environment are not just committing a crime against nature, but are violating
human rights as well.

In modern societies, harmful chemicals have become part of people’s lives and a constant threat to
their health and the environment. However, the threat to human rights of hazardous products such
as chemicals, pesticides and toxic waste remains to be adequately recognized, to identify practical
measures to reduce and eradicate the negative impact of the movement and dumping of toxic
products on human rights.

since the 1970s, the increased generation of toxic wastes had made people more aware of the
potential dangers to their health and the environment. This prompted the introduction of new laws
in industrialised countries where the cost of disposing of toxic wastes increased. Companies
producing toxic wastes opted to dispose of them for less in developing countries.

“Today, the situation is more complex. Certainly, hazardous wastes generated in the northern
hemisphere continue to be illegally dumped in developing countries by unscrupulous companies.
Although the Convention’s main goal is to protect human health and the environment, the treaty
can also be applied to the protection of human rights. The Convention has put in place a prior and
informed consent system aimed at ensuring that only countries with the will and capacity to dispose
of, in an environmentally sound manner, hazardous wastes originating from another country actually
receive such wastes. Illegal transport is a crime according to the Convention, however it still remains
uncontrolled.

In the course of the discussion, experts called for concerted international action to address the
effects of toxic and other wastes, as well as concrete measures to put an end to their transfer. They
also advocated for the development of general guidelines on the management and disposal of toxic
waste from a human rights perspective. Reparations for victims of dumping should also be
envisaged.

15. Surrogacy is a contract by which a woman accepts to bear a child for someone else, then
abandon it at birth and hand it over to the contracting party.
Surrogacy, generally presented as an altruistic and generous
action, actually opens the door to all kinds of abuse because it
does not respect the human dignity of the personsconcerned (I).
Since there are still no international legal provisions on surrogacy yet, it
is necessary to refer to other treaties applicable to comparable
situations. A review of surrogacy under international law shows that this practiceis
 contrary to current standards.In a surrogacy, the child is the object of a
contract. It is conceived, carried and delivered according to a contract,
usually in exchange for money. The woman, meanwhile, is
treated as a means to obtain the desired end, a reproductive machine.
Neither the woman nor the child are treated as human beings. They are
treated as objects,as means. This is clearly contrary to the
recognition of the inherent dignity of all members of the human
family, to quote the preamble of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights. The carrier mother is used as an instrument to
get a baby. Thus, she is considered as a means, not
an end, which in itself violates her dignity. The fact that, in
rare circumstances, she may be a volunteer does not change this since dignity is
inalienable. Most of the time, the carrier mother accepts to bear the child for
an amountof money. She rents her body, or part of it:
her womb. Renting one’s body is the characteristic of
prostitution, which can hardly be considered as respecting women’s
dignity. Consequences on Women’s Health Whatever the conditions
of surrogacy, pregnancy is the somatopsychic event par
excellence, a time of intense physiological and psychological changes.
Imagining the life with the child is one of the necessary
steps, and it is impossible when the child is for
somebody else. Separation is a cause of suffering for both the newborn
and the carrier mother. The woman, to protect herself, keeps a certain distance
from the child that she is expecting, avoiding “engaging”
in her pregnancy, which prevents the psychic development of pregnancy.

The first question that contracts of surrogacy give rise to

concerns the freedom to consentof the mother: if the surrogacy is
commercial, the mother is not truly free because she needs money, often so she can
provide for her own family. In India, from a single pregnancy
she can earn up to ten times the annual income of her
husband. in these circumstances the consent is evidently not free, but
constrained by economic necessity. Even if it is “voluntary,” the mother can in reality be subjected to
emotional blackmail, even to commitments or threats concerning her job. This is
already the case regarding egg donation in France, as is
mentioned in the IGAS report.When the surrogacy is not for a profitable
purpose, few women agree to carry a child for somebody else. The consequence of the
inadequacy of supply to demand is that either more vulnerable women are
pressured into consenting, or the sponsors go abroad, where
surrogacy is commercial and there is a risk that the carrier mother will have no protection.

16.Commercial surrogacy will soon be banned and only close relatives will be permitted to act as
surrogates to infertile couples for "ethical altruistic" reasons. On Monday, the government
introduced the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2019 in the Lok Sabha that also provides for constitution
of surrogacy boards at national and state levels, as well as that the intending couples should not
abandon such a child under any condition. Only Indian couples who have been legally married for at
least five years would be allowed to opt for surrogacy, as per the Statement of Objects and Reasons
of the bill, which was introduced by Health and Family Welfare minister Harsh Vardhan.

The bill seeks to "allow ethical altruistic surrogacy to the intending infertile Indian married couple
between the age of 23-50 years and 26-55 years for female and male, respectively".

17.Pros” of Surrogacy 

1.Surrogacy allows otherwise infertile couples to have a biologically related child.

There are cases where surrogacy is the only way that a couple can have a biologically related child.
However, there are other viable options which are not immoral, the most obvious one being
adoption.

2. Some think surrogacy is faster than adoption.

While a typical timeframe for the entire surrogacy process (surrogate screening until birth) is around
15 to 20 months, adoption can actually be equally as quick, 18-24 months or longer. The difference is
too complex to be explained here, because adoption circumstances are so variable. Surrogacy seems
easier.

3. Surrogacy, on its face, seems to satisfies both parties.

“Seems” is the operative word here. There have been court cases where the surrogate mother
changes her mind and does not wish to give up her child. If her egg is used in the equation,
biologically half the child’s DNA is hers and the legal (not just moral) situation can be very messy.

The Cons of Surrogacy

Because the above benefits can be enticing to the unschooled, especially in today’s cultural climate,
it is key for Catholics to understand the ethics of surrogacy and why it is immoral.

1. All forms of surrogacy require in vitro fertilization or artificial insemination, which are themselves
immoral.

This is the most important of these moral objections. Regardless of the type of surrogacy chosen, the
child is conceived outside of the natural process, which means that no matter how loving and human
the rest of the process is, it will still be immoral because of this evil and essential part. The Catechism
of the Catholic Church explains that in vitro fertilization and other such reproductive technologies
are morally unacceptable:

They dissociate the sexual act from the procreative act. The act which brings the child into existence
is no longer an act by which two persons give themselves to one another, but one that “entrusts the
life and identity of the embryo into the power of doctors and biologists and establishes the
domination of technology over the origin and destiny of the human person. Such a relationship of
domination is in itself contrary to the dignity and equality that must be common to parents and
children (CCC 2377)
There are more reasons  to reject IVF. One is that it involves the fertilization of multiple embryos.
Each of these is a person. However, in implantation, it is possible for multiple embryos to implant. In
this case, the medical technical will selectively abort “extra” children to make room for one or two,
to try to encourage the pregnancy(ies).

Also, artificial insemination involves masturbation, a sin in itself. Due to the graphic aspects of this
topic, we will leave it at that.

2. Surrogacy encourages same-sex couples as parents.

Becoming a parent is a sacred act, in which the husband and wife – spouses united in the most holy
Sacrament of Marriage- unite with one another in the marital act and create another human being
with God’s assisstance. Same-sex unions are disordered by nature, and should in no way be allowed
to parent children. At this time in the United States some Catholic foster agencies have had to close
their doors for refusing to bow to same-sex agenda which is attempting to force them to do so, while
others are engaged in legal battles to maintain their rights to adopt children out to safe, wholesome
families.

3. Surrogacy is essentially the same, in most instances, as child trafficking, apart from the timing.

In the case of partial and full surrogacy, the surrogate is essentially selling their own child. The only
difference is that there is a contract prior to conception. How does one guarantee the safety of that
child? The answer of course, is that one cannot. While there are laws against child abuse, with no
overseeing adoption agency, the chances of abuse of the laws protecting the safety of both child and
parents can be easily abused.

18.The legislation called the Transplantation of Human Organ Act (THO) was passed in India in 1994
to streamline organ donation and transplantation activities. Broadly, the act accepted brain death as
a form of death and made the sale of organs a punishable offence.

Ethical issues in organ transplantation are commonly related to well known problems in health care.
Among others, they have to deal with: 1. managing scarcely available treatment due to the shortage
of donor organs; 2. determining accurately the onset of death (brain death and heart death) as
starting point for organ donation; 3. getting informed consent from donor, relatives of a deceased
donor and from the patients – paediatric as well as adults; 4. the question whether or not donors
should be rewarded for the altruistic deed of offering a donor organ; 5. in the case of research and
experimental medicine, determining the acceptable balance between risk for the patient and benefit
for society.

Current ethical issues Currently, as transplant legislation is in place, brain death determination and
informed consent are no longer major issues within Eurotransplant. The same can be stated for
research and experimental medicine, as the pioneer era of organ transplantation has passed, and
transplantation medicine has developed to a high tech routine. Within Eurotransplant, organ
donation is seen as an act of altruism. There is no remuneration system. However, the continuous
shortage of donor organs makes the management of scarce treatment an important issue. It is in
fact the reason for existence of Eurotransplant. Related to this topic there are two ethical issues we
would like to discuss. − The ethics of allocating organs for transplant poses a classical problem: any
criteria defined to allocate organs efficiently, maximising utility, can easily lead to situations
perceived as grossly unjust or unfair. First and second generation immigrants from a different ethnic
background on the waiting list have different tissue characteristics and therefore generally have to
wait longer than native patients. As in many cases the awareness on the benefits of organ donation
in populations of immigrants is low, relatively few donor organs are available for patients from these
populations. Attempts to increase the awareness on organ donation and to increase the willingness
in these populations to donate organs can help to reduce waiting time for these patients.

19. Human organs may be harvested from live donors or from cadavers.  Live donation is performed
for kidney, liver, bone marrow, lung, pancreas, skin and intestine transplants, but by far the most
common of these are kidney transplants. Prior to the advent of effective anti-rejection drugs, donors
and recipients had to be genetically related in order to be matched for transplant surgery.  Today
live kidney transplants from unrelated donors have an excellent success rate, and constitute nearly
half of kidney donations worldwide. In most countries, it is forbidden to offer or receive
remuneration for human organs (in the U.S., a 1984 law entitled the National Organ Transplantation
Act criminalizes the exchange of a human organ for “valuable consideration”). But the tremendous
demand, the long waiting lists, the accessibility of donor and recipient matching information through
the internet, and the desperation of people who will die without a transplant, have led many to
evade the law.  In some countries, like Iran, where individuals are permitted to sell their kidneys for
money, the vendors have fared badly, both medically and financially.As the demand for organs
increased at a much greater rate than organ availability, “organ trafficking” and “transplant tourism”
increased proportionately, despite laws making such arrangements illegal.  Vendor countries include
Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Colombia, Egypt, India, Mexico, Moldova, Pakistan, Peru,
Philippines, Romania, Russia, Turkey, while recipients come from the wealthiest countries in Asia
and the West.  Over the years, a number of stories have been published on the thorny ethical and
legal questions involved (for examples, see here, here, and here).  India was for many years the
focus of a great deal of media attention; it was only in 1995, following reports of thousands of kidney
donations by impoverished living donors, that the Indian Parliament banned payment for organ
donation.  But the law is openly flaunted, and bribes are paid in order to allow participants to
proceed unhindered by fear of prosecution.

Very few prosecutions for organ trafficking have taken place to-date. The UN  Protocol of 2000
includes “the removal of organs” in the definition of trafficking. Like  drug traffickers, and sex and
labor traffickers, human organ traffickers thrive on the corruption of public officials.  In 2004, the
European Parliament proposed a ban on organ tourism, and  in 2006, the European community
began initiatives to encourage organ donorship and to fight trafficking.   In May 2008, the non-
binding Declaration of Istanbul on Organ Trafficking and Transplant tourism was issued at an
international summit, published in the Lancet and translated into twelve languages.

But these efforts have largely come to naught, as organ trafficking and transplant tourism continue
to thrive.

20.Euthanasia refers to deliberately ending someone’s life, usually to relieve suffering. Doctors
sometimes perform euthanasia when it’s requested by people who have a terminal illness and are in
a lot of pain.
It’s a complex process and involves weighing many factors. Local laws, someone’s physical and
mental health, and their personal beliefs and wishes all play a role.

In active euthanasia a person directly and deliberately causes the patient's death. In passive
euthanasia they don't directly take the patient's life, they just allow them to die.

This is a morally unsatisfactory distinction, since even though a person doesn't 'actively kill' the
patient, they are aware that the result of their inaction will be the death of the patient.

Active euthanasia is when death is brought about by an act - for example when a person is killed by
being given an overdose of pain-killers.

Passive euthanasia is when death is brought about by an omission - i.e. when someone lets the
person die. This can be by withdrawing or withholding treatment:

Withdrawing treatment: for example, switching off a machine that is keeping a person alive, so that
they die of their disease.

Withholding treatment: for example, not carrying out surgery that will extend life for a short time.

21.Aruna Ramchandra Shanbaug was a nurse in the King Edwards Memorial Hospital in Mumbai. In
November 1973, she was assaulted by ward boy, Sohanlal Bhartha Valmiki, of the same hospital
while changing her clothes in the hospital basement. Valmiki strangulated Shanbaug with a dog
chain around her neck. The attack cut off oxygen supply from her brain leaving her blind, deaf,
paralysed and in a vegetative state for the next 42 years.From the day of the assault till the day she
died on May 18, 2015, Aruna could only survive on mashed food. She could not move her hands or
legs, could not talk or perform the basic functions of a human being.In 1974, Valmiki was charged
with attempted murder and for robbing Aruna's earrings, but not for rape. The police did not take
into account that she was sodomized. A trial court sentenced Valmiki seven years imprisonment.
This was reduced to six years because he had already served a year in lock up. Valmiki walked out of
jail in 1980 and still claims he did not rape Shanbaug. The Supreme Court accepted the petition and
constituted a medical board to report back on Aruna's health and medical condition. The medical
board, comprising three eminent doctors, reported that the patient was not brain dead and
responded to some situations in her own way. They felt that there was no need for euthanasia in the
case.

The staff at KEM Hospital and the Bombay Municipal Corporation filed their counter-petitions in the
case, opposing euthanasia for Aruna. The nurses at KEM Hospital were quite happy to look after the
patient and they had been doing that for years before petitioner Pinky Virani emerged on the scene.
On May 18, 2015, Shanbaug then 66, died of severe pneumonia. She was on ventilator support in
KEM's acute care unit.

The Supreme Court on March 9 ruled that individuals had a right to die with dignity, allowing passive
euthanasia with guidelines. The need to change euthanasia laws was triggered by the famous Aruna
Shanbaug case. The top court in 2011 had recognised passive euthanasia in Aruna Shanbaug case by
which it had permitted withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment from patients not in a position to
make an informed decision.
22. Health as a part of Fundamental Right under Article 21: A pursuit by India

Right to health refers to and mean the most attainable levels of health that every human being is
entitled to. Health has been much regarded as the basic and fundamental human right by the
international community under international human rights law. In contrast to all the other human
rights, the right to health creates an obligation upon the states to ensure that the right to health is
respected, protected and fulfilled, and is duly entitled to all its citizens. Health has been defined to
mean a state of absolute mental, physical and social well being; and therefore is not only restricted
to merely absence of diseases.The definition has been further simplified to include ability to lead
economically as well as socially productive life. This led to the expansion of the dimensions and
scope of right to health which has multiple effects on the duty and responsibility of the health
professionals along with their relationship with the society at large. Presently, the international
organisation working towards the highest attainment of right to health is the World Health
Organisation. Within this, there is a World Health Organisation Indicatory Metadata Registry (IMR)
that acts as a central source of meta-data and lays down certain indicators for the highest
attainment of standards ensuring right to health. These standards are followed by World Health
Organisation as well as other organisations also. 

Article 25 of the United Nations' 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that "Everyone
has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his
family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services.”

23. A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war
or violence. A refugee has a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion,
nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group. Most likely, they cannot
return home or are afraid to do so. War and ethnic, tribal and religious violence are leading causes of
refugees fleeing their countries. Asylum seekers that is, those who are seeking refugee status in
another country-- normally need to establish individually that their fear of persecution is well-
founded and undergo a legal procedure in which the host country decides if she or he qualifies for
refugee status. However, during a mass exodus, it may not be possible for a host country to carry
out individual screening. In such circumstances, particularly when civilians are fleeing for similar
reasons, a 'group' determination of refugee status may be declared, whereby each civilian is
considered a refugee, in the absence of evidence to the contrary. Refugee protection and assistance
organisations generally promote three "durable solutions" to the fate of refugees:

Voluntary repatriation : refugees are able to return to their home country because theirlives and
liberty are no longer threatened;

Local integration: host governments allow refugees to integrate into the country of firstasylum; and

Resettlement in a third country : repatriation is unsafe and the first-asylum country refuses local
integration.

Most of the world's refugees wait for durable solutions for their predicament. While most have been
granted provisional or temporary asylum in neighboring countries, they are not able to regularize
their status or integrate. Their rights to move and work are often highly restricted, and educational
and recreational opportunities are often nonexistent or severely lacking. These refugees may also be
subject to attack, either by local security forces or by cross-border incursions from the country of
origin.

Articles 12 - 30 of the Refugee Convention set out the rights which individuals are entitled to once
they have been recognised as Convention refugees:

All refugees must be granted identity papers and travel documents that allow them to travel outside
the country

Refugees must receive the same treatment as nationals of the receiving country with regard to the
following rights:

Free exercise of religion and religious education

Free access to the courts, including legal assistance

Access to elementary education

Access to public relief and assistance

Protection provided by social security

Protection of intellectual property, such as inventions and trade names

Protection of literary, artistic and scientific work

Equal treatment by taxing authorities

Refugees must receive the most favourable treatment provided to nationals of a foreign

country with regard to the following rights:

The right to belong to trade unions

The right to belong to other non-political nonprofit organizations

The right to engage in wage-earning employment

Refugees must receive the most favourable treatment possible, which must be at least as favourable
to that accorded aliens generally in the same circumstances, with regard to the following rights:

The right to own property

The right to practice a profession

The right to self-employment

Access to housing

Access to higher education

Refugees must receive the same treatment as that accorded to aliens generally with regard to the
following rights:

The right to choose their place of residence

The right to move freely within the country

Free exercise of religion and religious education

Free access to the courts, including legal assistance

Access to elementary education

Access to public relief and assistance

Protection provided by social security

Protection of intellectual property,such as inventions and trade names

Protection of literary, artistic and scientific work

Equal treatment by taxing authorities

24.1. Grant people access to asylum

Everyone should be allowed to enter another country to seek asylum – it’s a human right. The
process should be fair and effective, but in reality many governments leave asylum-seekers without
a final answer for years. Others are sent back to countries where their lives could be in real danger.

2. Sponsor refugees

Some countries allow groups of people to organise and raise money to bring refugees to their
country and help them settle in. Nearly 300,000 people have come to Canada through sponsorship
since the 1970s, and more countries, including the UK, Australia and Ireland, are gearing up to follow
suit.

3. Reunite families

Having close family around can make all the difference to people adjusting to a different life and
culture, often while recovering from deep trauma. Governments have an obligation to let refugees
join family members who are already settled abroad through family reunification.

4. Provide medical visas

Refugees who have a serious medical condition can get life-saving treatment – if governments
decide to grant them visas to a country where they can access it. About 200 refugees with life-
threatening illnesses were being resettled in the United States during an average month until
President Donald Trump announced a four-month ban on refugees in early 2017 and crushed many
people’s hopes of recovery.

5. Allow people to study

Universities and schools can offer refugees visas to start or carry on their studies in another country.
This opportunity can turn people’s lives around through completing their schooling, integrating,
making a living and contributing to society. According to the UN’s refugee agency, UNHCR, only 1 per
cent of refugees currently attend university. A staggering 3.7 million refugee children and teenagers
are not in school right now - five times the global average.

6. Embrace technology

A smartphone can be a lifeline if you’ve had to leave everything else behind, lost touch with friends
and relatives, or are trying to find your way in a new country. Amnesty recently found that one of
the top things refugees search for online is information about their own situation and the solutions
open to them. Many tech-savvy groups are responding to that need through innovative
projects ranging from online phrasebooks to smartphone recycling and launching start-ups for
refugees.

7. Help newcomers settle in

Anyone who has lived abroad knows how difficult it can be to learn a new language, make friends,
understand the culture, find somewhere to live or a new job. That’s why integration is paramount
for refugees. In many parts of the world, a whole range of community initiatives have sprung up to
welcome newcomers, such as offering advice about asylum, language classes, bicycle recycling
schemes and support for women who are on their own.

8. Offer work visas or employment

For many refugees, getting a job is a vital solution to their problems. As well as surviving and
supporting their families, it helps people maintain their self-respect and independence, and to
integrate in a new community. Many countries offer refugees work permits. Businesses can
potentially offer work visas to refugees with particular skills, as well as training and work experience.

9. Scale up resettlement

This is a crucial way that governments can protect refugees who need it most – people who have
been tortured, for example, or women at risk of abuse. But it’s a heavily underused solution. Right
now, around 1.2 million people urgently need resettlement, but only 189,300 refugees got the
chance in 2016. And only 30 countries currently offer this option.

Extreme danger has forced 22.3 million people to flee abroad. Most are stuck in less wealthy
countries which offer few opportunities and are struggling to cope. That’s why Amnesty is pushing
for all countries, especially the wealthiest, to do their fair share by welcoming refugees in any way
they can.

25. Things we can do to reduce pollution

1. Car pooling: Reduce traffic-based air pollution and congestion by starting car pool lanes for those
cars and four wheelers that have three or more passengers to encourage people to go for car
pooling. Meanwhile, citizens too should take initiative and car pool with friends, colleagues, family
wherever possible.

2. Use bicycles: Mark out bicycle lanes in residential colonies as well as on all roads in Delhi to
encourage safe travel by bicycles. Meanwhile, citizens should also be encouraged to use bicycles.

3. Public transport: Encourage greater use of public transport by supporting the Metro, overhead rail
and bus services to make it convenient for people to travel by public transport affordably and safely
instead of using their own vehicles. Citizens too must shed hang-ups over social status and try to
travel by public transport proactively.

4. More CNG vehicles: Encourage use of CNG in motor vehicles as it is a much cleaner fuel than
petrol or diesel by considerably reducing the road tax and sales tax on CNG filled cars as compared
to petrol and diesel four wheelers. Since there are at least 1,400 cars added to Delhi roads every day,
all the cars should be restricted to using CNG only as all new petrol cars can be converted to CNG.
Also, new registrations should be discouraged by enhancing registration charges.
5. Fuel-efficient cars: Encourage more fuel efficient four wheelers with better mileage per litre
through road tax and sales tax incentives in addition to CNG requirement. Citizens should opt for
more efficient and smaller cars that can run on CNG as alternate fuel.

6. Bigger trucks: Encourage six-axle trucks rather than the typical four-axle ones to increase the pay
load per truck to reduce the number of trucks on roads. Trucks going to other destinations must not
be allowed to pass through Delhi and only use the bypass.

7. Road signs: Improve the poor road signs so that people do not travel extra to locate their
destinations. All the signs must be signposted at two or three places well before the turning rather
than at the last minute.

8. Maintenance of roads: Better maintain roads to complexes such as Nehru Place to reduce the time
a four wheeler spends on plying on such poor roads.

9. Shared taxis: The transport department should encourage shared taxi services by developing a taxi
sharing website and set up taxi stands and cabs to offer reduced fares for shared service. This is
other than the facilities Ola and Uber provide.

10. Burning waste: Burning of leaves, old tyres or any items in the open should be made a
punishable offence in NCR with a fine of Rs 10,000 per incident as this is a major cause of air
pollution. Citizens should be asked to report such incidents to helpline numbers and emails.

11. Solar power: Installation of solar panels should be encouraged at homes, multi-storey buildings

and commercial establishments so that decentralised power is generated with suitable subsidies to
make it financially viable for all households. The cost of solar panels has come down considerably.
This should help retire all coal-based thermal power plants which are adding a lot to Delhi’s air
pollution problems and adversely effecting climate change. In fact, thermal power plants in Delhi-
NCR should be stopped from functioning till the AQI level is under 200.

12. Power backup: Inverters should be encouraged for back up supply and diesel generator sets
should not be allowed to run in Delhi-NCR till the AQI level comes below 200.

13. Dump sites: Landfills should be better managed by the government to ensure there are no fires
there.

14. RO-RO on roads: The present RO-RO (Roll-on-Roll-off) scheme launched by Indian Railways to

carry loaded trucks on goods train to decongest Delhi roads and to reduce air pollution needs to be
given a fill up and made compulsory for trucks which otherwise pass through Delhi.

26. As artificial intelligence continues to find its way into our daily lives, its propensity to interfere
with human rights only gets more severe. With this in mind, and noting that the technology is still in
its infant stages, Access Now conducts this preliminary study to scope the potential range of human
rights issues that may be raised today or in the near future. Many of the issues that arise in
examinations of this area are not new, but they are greatly exacerbated by the scale, proliferation,
and real-life impact that artificial intelligence facilitates. Because of this, the potential of artificial
intelligence to both help and harm people is much greater than from technologies that came before.
While we have already seen some of these consequences, the impacts will only continue to grow in
severity and scope. However, by starting now to examine what safeguards and structures are
necessary to address problems and abuses, the worst harms—including those that
disproportionately impact marginalized people—may be prevented and mitigated. There are several
lenses through which experts examine artificial intelligence. The use of international human rights
law and its well-developed standards and institutions to examine artificial intelligence systems can
contribute to the conversations already happening, and provide a universal vocabulary and forums
established to address power differentials. Additionally, human rights laws contribute a framework
for solutions, which we provide here in the form of recommendations. Our recommendations fall
within four general categories: data protection rules to protect rights in the data sets used to
develop and feed artificial intelligence systems; special safeguards for government uses of artificial
intelligence; safeguards for private sector uses of artificial intelligence systems; and investment in
more research to continue to examine the future of artificial intelligence and its potential
interferences with human rights.