Rights awareness among youth key to an inclusive society: NHRC chief

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

New Delhi, June 17 (IANS) National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Chairperson Justice V. Ramasubramanian said that the youth can contribute to an inclusive and just society by acquiring human rights awareness, an official said on Tuesday.

Speaking at the inauguration of NHRC’s four-week Summer Internship Programme (SIP) 2025, Justice Ramasubramanian underscored the importance of gaining knowledge to serve a purpose in life.

He asked the interns to champion justice and empathy, contributing to a society where equal rights and opportunities are accessible to all human beings.

The programme, inaugurated on Monday, aims to foster human rights awareness among university-level students.

Around 80 students out of 1,468 applicants from 42 institutions of 20 States/ UTs with diverse academic disciplines have been shortlisted for this programme.

They include the students of Law, Social Sciences, Social Work, Psychology, Journalism, Gender Studies, Digital Humanities, and International Relations.

Earlier, NHRC Secretary General Bharat Lal emphasised the critical role of youth in advancing human rights.

He called for cultivating a deep sense of sensitivity, responsiveness and compassion among youth to address societal challenges with a purpose and dedication.

Drawing on India’s civilizational values, he encouraged the interns to adopt a balance in their outlook towards rights with responsibilities and to foster a commitment to creating an inclusive and just society.

He expressed the hope that the interns would make the best use of this opportunity in shaping their lives for a better cause, said an official statement.

NHRC Joint Secretary Samir Kumar highlighted the Commission’s efforts in promoting and protecting human rights through such programmes.

He said that the programme’s interactive sessions, group research projects, book reviews, and declamation contests and field visits to NGOs, police stations, prisons, shelter homes, other National Commissions are designed to deepen interns’ understanding of various facets of human rights issues and inspire innovative solutions, strengthening their dedication to the cause.

–IANS

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Amritsar, April 23 (IANS) The Akal Takht’s officiating Jathedar, Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj, on Wednesday condemned the attack in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir.

Expressing grief over the incident, he offered prayers before the Akal Purakh, seeking eternal peace for the departed souls and strength for the bereaved families to accept His will.

He also prayed that such inhumane acts should never occur anywhere in the world and that peace and harmony should prevail across the nation and the world.

Jathedar Gargaj said the Pahalgam tragedy deeply pained him and reminded him of the March 2000 massacre in Chittisinghpura in Kashmir in which 35 Sikhs were killed, but the truth was “yet to come to light”.

Echoing similar sentiments, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) President Harjinder Singh Dhami said: “This inhuman and brutal act had deeply hurt the values of society.”

At least 26 tourists were killed on Tuesday after gunmen opened fire on innocent civilians in Baisaran in Jammu and Kashmir. According to eyewitness accounts, a group of heavily armed terrorists emerged from the nearby forests and opened indiscriminate fire on civilians, most of whom were tourists. Baisran is a small meadow three to four km from the Pahalgam market, and tourists take horses to reach the place as there is no motorable road to it.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday morning after cutting his Saudi Arabia trip short due to the terror attack. He had a brief meeting with NSA Ajit Doval, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri at the airport. PM Modi strongly condemned the terror attack on Tuesday, stating that the guilty will be brought to justice and reaffirming India’s “unshakable” resolve to fight terrorism.

–IANS

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Kerala Guv upset after Minister skips event displaying Bharat Mata’s portrait

Thiruvananthapuram, June 6 (IANS) Reacting to the controversy after the Kerala Agriculture Minister P. Prasad boycotted the state-level celebrations on the World Environment Day at the Raj Bhavan — the official residence of the state Governor, Rajendra V. Arlekar, the latter expressed his displeasure.

Speaking at the event as the state Governor, Arlekar expressed his displeasure by saying that the Agriculture Minister should also have been present here.

“The State Education Minister informed that he could not come. Then the Agriculture Minister also did not come. I do not know what better issues we have, the Agriculture Minister wanted to remove the portrait of Bharat Mata from the dais,” said Governor Arlekar.

“I told them that we will do everything else, but we cannot remove Bharat Mata’s portrait as this is what we are living for and probably that’s the reason why they did not come,” he added.

“What sort of thinking we have in our minds,” lamented Governor Arlekar.

The reason was that the State Agriculture Minister did not want the portrait of the Bharat Mata, commonly used by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), to be placed on the central dais.

Minister Prasad told the media that the programme was decided after speaking to the Governor.

“Last night, a change was made, and this was not acceptable to the state government. The picture was not the regular Bharat Mata picture which we use, but at the Raj Bhavan, it was the one that is used by the RSS. It is not right to keep such pictures, and the Governor said it cannot be changed, and hence the state government decided not to take part in the event at the Raj Bhavan,” he said.

“This is an unconstitutional thing. It is only after this Governor took over that there have been such changes. We have the highest regard and respect towards the normal Bharat Mata picture, but not the one used by the RSS,” Prasad added.

Incidentally, on Tuesday evening, officials from the concerned Minister’s office were at the Raj Bhavan for an inspection of the Central Hall, where the picture of Bharat Mata was kept.

Later, the officials who visited the Raj Bhavan told the Minister about the picture. Following this, the Minister spoke to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and later, the decision was taken that Minister Prasad would not attend the meeting.

The Minister called the Raj Bhavan and told that he would not be able to attend the event if the picture of Bharat Mata used by the RSS was not removed.

However, Governor Arlekar stood his ground and said that the picture of Bharat Mata would not be removed.

Later, the state government decided to hold a function in the Durbar Hall of the State Secretariat to mark the World Environment Day celebrations.

The Kerala Chief Secretary, A. Jayathilak, was directed to organise a separate event.

Prior to this event, on Thursday, there were two different state-level functions — one chaired by Governor Arlekar at the Raj Bhavan and the other in the Durbar Hall with Minister Prasad presiding over.

Prasad, a first-time legislator, is a member of the Commmunist Party Of India (CPI).

Former Kerala Minister and State CPI Secretary, Binoy Viswam, said this was unacceptable, as the picture of Bharat Mata used by the RSS should not be displayed at a state function.

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‘Cowardly act against humanity’: Dilip Jaiswal deplores Pahalgam terror attack

Patna, April 24 (IANS) Bihar unit BJP president Dilip Jaiswal on Wednesday expressed deep sorrow over the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, calling it a heinous act committed against unarmed and innocent civilians.

“This is not merely an attack on tourists… it is a murder of humanity. The whole country stands united in condemning this cowardice,” said Jaiswal.

He emphasised that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, such perpetrators will not go unpunished.

“This is a new India. Narendra Modi government has taught such elements a lesson earlier and will do it again,” he said.

Jaiswal paid tributes to the deceased and extended his condolences to the bereaved families.

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Union MSME Minister and HAM leader Jitan Ram Manjhi echoed similar sentiments.

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–IANS

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