MGPE-016 Human Rights: Indian Perspective

By Dr. Tata RamaKrishna | Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi

Learners enrolled: 2413

Every human being possesses certain basic, inherent and inalienable rights. Human rights are essential for the physical, mental, moral and spiritual upliftment of human personality. Human rights are colour blind and know no barrier. The evolution of the human rights can be traced to the early human civilization. However, on account of tyranny, oppression and barbarism, human rights were grossly abused from time to time. Even then, whenever the human rights were massively violated, each time the human rights were revived with more strength and vigour. Freedom struggles, revolutions are standing examples of the human rights movements in the world. The establishment of the UN Charter in 1945 and subsequent adoption and incorporation of human rights in various international declarations, conventions, treaties, regional conventions, national constitutions and legislation, judicial interpretations reflect the magnitude of the significance of promotion and protection of human rights in the world. Thus the objectives of the MGPE-016 are: i) To understand the meaning and concept of human rights and its gradual development, ii) To know and understand human rights in theoretical and historical perspective, iii) To examine and assess the global efforts made to promote and protect human rights in the world, iv) To critically evaluate the measures taken at national level to promote and protect human rights in India, and v) To assess the role of individual groups and human right institutions such as media, press, and Human Right Commission in the effective realization of human rights in India. This course is a critical evaluation for the measures taken at national level to promote and protect human rights in India.

Summary

Course Status :	Upcoming
Course Type :	Elective
Language for course content :	English
Duration :	Self Paced
Category :	Humanities and Social Sciences
Level :	Postgraduate

Page Visits

Course layout

WEEK	TOPICS
Week-1	HISTORICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVE
	Human Rights : Evolution of the Idea,
	Human Rights : Theoretical/Philosophical Foundation,
	Human Rights: Different Perspectives (Natural Rights,
	Positivist, Libertarian and Marxist),
	Human Rights : The Indian Perspective
Week-2	THE INDIAN TRADITIONS
	Western and Non-Western Traditions: A Comparison
	Indian Traditions of Human Rights, Buddhist Traditions of Rights
	Hindu Traditions: The Vedic Concept,
	Hindu Politico-Religious Traditions: Post-Vedic Notion,
	Contribution of Asoka and Akbar, Sufi-Bhakti Traditions,
	Traditions of Sikhism, Constitutional Framework of Protective Discrimination
Week-3	FREEDOM STRUGGLE AND HUMAN RIGHTS
	Background, The Beginnings,
	National Movement and Human Rights,
	Programmatic Content,
	Making Demands from the Government,
	Struggling for Human Rights, Practising Human Rights,
	Struggles for Social Transformation, Struggle Against Caste Oppression
Week-4	CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND DUTIES
	Human Rights in India,
	The Constituent Assembly,
	Fundamental Rights, Right to Equality,
	Right to Freedom, Right Against Exploitation,
	Right to Freedom of Religion, Cultural and Educational Rights,
	Right to Constitutional Remedies, Directive Principles of State Policy, Socio-Economic Rights,
	Gandhian Principles, Directives for General Welfare and Governance, Fundamental Duties
Week-5	UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS (UDHR) AND THE UN COVENANTS
	The Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
	Provisions of the Universal Declaration,
	Significance of the Universal Declaration,
	The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR),
	Provisions of the ICCPR, Implementation of the ICCPR,
	The International Covenant on Economic,
	Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), Provisions of the ICESCR5.,
	Implementation of the ICESCR, The Interdependence Between ICCPR and ICESCR, The Significance of the International Bill of Human Rights
Week-6	MAJOR CONVENTIONS AND DECLARATIONS
	International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD),
	Provisions, International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), Provisions, Problems, Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT)
Week-7	HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
	Major Types of Human Rights Violations, Slavery,
	Torture, Genocide, Problem of Child Soldiers, Disappearances, MNCs and Human Rights, Human Rights Violation and Terrorism,
	Violations of Women’s Rights and Violence against them, Other Gross Violations: A Global Snapshot, Mechanisms to deal with Human Rights Violations
Week-8	CONTEMPORARY DEBATES ON HUMAN RIGHTS
	The Primacy of a Set of Rights, Interdependence between ICCPR and ICESCR,
	Universalism and Cultural Relativism, Minority Rights: Problem of Definition, Rights of Indigenous Groups, Disabled or Differently-abled?,
	Euthanasia: The Right to Die with Dignity
Week-9	RIGHTS OF WOMEN
	Origins of Woman’s Question, Three Waves of Feminism, Liberal Feminism
	Socialist/Marxist Feminism, Radical Feminism, Post-Modern Feminism, Eco-Feminism
	RIGHTS OF CHILDREN
	Childhood: Various Aspects, Childhood in Ancient India, Modern Concept of Childhood
	Rights of the Child – An Overview, Legal Definition of a Child, Constitution of India and the Child, Present Legal Framework, UN and the Child, The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)
	International Instruments and India, India’s Courts and the Child, Juvenile Justice in India, Policies and Implementation, Situation of Children in India, Child Population, Adverse Sex Ratio, Children’s Health, Child Education, Child Labour, Children with Disabilities, Children in Especially Difficult Circumstances, Progress in Children’s Rights, Looking Ahead
Week-10	INSTITUTIONAL MECHANISMS TO PROTECT HUMAN RIGHTS
	National Human Rights Commission, State Human Rights Commissions National Commission for Women, National Commission for Minorities,
	National Commissions for SCs, STs and Backward Classes, Civil Society, Media and Non-governmental Organisations
	RIGHTS OF MINORITIES AND THE MARGINALISED
	Rights of Minorities, Constitutional Provisions,
	Freedom of Religion, Rights for Protection of Cultures and Languages,
	Other Provisions, Right of Scheduled Castes and Tribes, Constitutional Provisions, National Commissions for SCs and STs , Other Backward Classes
Week-11	GANDHI: THE FIRST CRUSADER OF HUMAN RIGHTS
	South African Experiences, Gandhi: A Born Democrat,
	In South Africa, Conception of Rights, Satyagraha in South Africa, Right to Rebel,
	Concept of Swaraj and Theory of Satyagraha, Rights and Duties and Social Service
Week-12	GANDHI’S APPROACH TO HUMAN RIGHTS
	Charter of Earned Rights,
	Political Rights, Civil Rights, Religious Rights
	Economic and Educational Rights, Rights and Duties
	GANDHI’S PROGRAMME ON SOCIAL REFORMS
	Removal of Untouchability, Temple Entry, Caste System, Communal Problems, Dignity of Womanhood, Ill-treatment of Women,
	Child Marriage, Dowry and Purdah System, Other Evils, Social Equality, Prohibition
	SATYAGRAHA FOR OUR TIMES
	Satyagraha Reconsidered, Conflict Resolution
	Active Citizenship and Good Government, Social Justice, Sustainable Development

Books and references

IGNOU Study Material at www.egyankosh.ac.in

Instructor bio

Dr. Tata RamaKrishna

Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi

Dr. Tata RamaKrishna is an Associate professor in Staff Training and Research Institute of Distance Education (STRIDE) of Indira Gandhi National Open University IGNOU. He has done his Master’s, M.Phil. and Ph.D from the Centre for Political Studies (CPS), JNU. In his M.Phil. he has worked on the area – ’Development, Displacement and Rehabilitation: Evaluating the Government Policies on Dams in Orissa’. For his Ph.D, he had worked on ‘Disability and Right to Education in India: Politics, Policies and Programmes’. Before joining Staff Training and Research Institute of Distance Education (STRIDE) of Indira Gandhi National Open University IGNOU as faculty in 2005, he got Junior Research fellowship (JRF) awarded by U.G.C. He has also been associated with many NGO’S at Regional and National Level working towards the empowerment of the persons with disabilities. His area of interest includes: Research especially on education, political affairs, human rights and socio economic aspects of rural areas. To know more about the impact and usage of Information Technology on persons with disabilities and to connect the disadvantaged sections including persons with disabilities with the main stream of the society are also of his great interest. It may be mentioned here that with great learning comes great responsibilities and he too has his own shares of responsibilities and challenges which he faces every day. His priority as of today is training and capacity building of different personnel in IGNOU and of other ODL institutions for exploring ways and means to provide access, equity and quality education to the students with disabilities. He would also like to share the responsibilities of other colleagues in terms of design and development of curriculum for training, in developing appropriate training tools, techniques and methods for skill development, and lastly in contextualizing and applying Interactive Communication Technologies (ICT) for every spheres of educational activities.