In view of the COVID-19 situation, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued advisories to various ministries and States stressing on aspects of human rights, including protection of rights to mental health of people, officials said on Tuesday.
The NHRC, in a statement, said “deeply concerned” about the rights of the vulnerable and marginalised sections of the society affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant lockdowns, it had constituted a ‘Committee of Experts on Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Human Rights and Future Response’.
The committee included representatives from civil society organisations, independent domain experts and representatives from the concerned ministries and departments. It was tasked to assess the impact of the pandemic on realisation of the rights of the people, especially the marginalised and vulnerable sections of the population which have been “disproportionately impacted”, the statement said.
After due consideration of the impact assessment and recommendations made by the Committee of Experts, the commission has issued the advisories.
