THE UNTHINKABLE HAS FINALLY HAPPENED. On April 23, 2025, India’s National Human Rights Commission (‘NHRC’) — was officially downgraded from an A to a B status by the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (‘GANHRI’), the international body which gives accreditation to the National Human Rights Institutions globally. The Indian NHRC will now share its B grade with the National Human Rights Institutions of countries like Bangladesh, Libya, Bahrain and Turkey.
In simple terms, this means the NHRC of India, cannot speak, submit documents officially, or vote at the United Nations Human Rights Council when the recommendation becomes final. Its participation will be very limited — more like an observer without active rights; a mighty blow for a nation that likes to see itself as a global defender of democracy and rights.
This decision will not come as a surprise to most Indians. To the average Indian citizen, the National Human Rights Commission has long seemed like a toothless tiger offering little hope for timely justice for citizens whose rights are violated.
Human rights activists who have engaged with the NHRC say that they have observed a major decline in recent years, largely during the tenure of previous Chairpersons like former Justices H.L. Dattu and Arun Mishra, although the fall in standards commenced much earlier.
