India’s election to UNHRC reflects global confidence in democratic institutions: PMO official
NEW DELHI: India’s election to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) reflects the global confidence in democratic institutions and inclusive development, a senior official at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said here on Wednesday.
Driven by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for “Jan Bhagidari” (people’s participation), public service delivery has shifted from prescribing to responding, from delivering schemes to delivering dignity, and from viewing people as beneficiaries to partners in nation-building, P K Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, said.
Addressing the National Conference on Ensuring Everyday Essentials — Public Services and Dignity for All, Mishra emphasised the significance of the World Human Rights Day (observed on December 10) for democratic countries like India, where constitutional ideals, democratic institutions and societal values converge to protect and promote human dignity.
He said good governance itself is a fundamental right, defined by efficiency, transparency, grievance redressal and timely service delivery.
Urging the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to adapt frameworks for emerging challenges as the country advances toward Viksit Bharat 2047, Mishra highlighted climate change, environmental justice, data protection, algorithmic fairness, responsible AI, gig-work vulnerabilities and digital surveillance as pressing concerns.
India’s civilisational ethos, he said, has long placed dignity and duty at the centre of public life.
Concepts such as “dharma”, “nyaya”, “karuna” and “seva” emphasise righteous conduct and welfare, while “ahimsa” encourages restraint and “vasudhaiva kutumbakam” fosters belonging to a larger human family, Mishra said.
Reflecting on the 10-year period prior to 2014, he said India pursued a rights-based approach to development through legislations such as the Right to Education Act, MGNREGA and National Food Security Act.
However, enacting rights without effective delivery undermined credibility, he said.
Mishra said since 2014, the BJP-led government has emphasised a saturation approach, ensuring that no eligible beneficiary is left out. This marked a shift from “paper rights” to “implemented rights”, supported by digital infrastructure, direct benefit transfers and outreach campaigns such as the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra.
Poverty alleviation, he stressed, is the most effective human rights intervention, with 25 crore Indians lifted out of poverty in the last 10 years, corroborated by the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey 2023-24. (PTI)
