Ms Jyotika Kalra joins as Member, NHRC

I n pursuance of the Warrant of Appointment signed by the President of India, Ms Jyotika Kalra assumed office as Member of the National Human Rights Commission on the 5th April, 2017. Born on the 7th of October 1966, Ms Kalra completed her Bachelor's in Commerce and Law from Delhi University and Masters in Law from Kurukshetra University. Prior to her appointment as a Member, NHRC, she was a practicing Advocate and Advocate-on-record with the Supreme Court of India, having more than twenty seven years of experience. She was also on the panel of Supreme Court Legal Services Committee. In many cases argued by her, the death sentence was converted into life imprisonment.
Ms Kalra has filed many Public Interest Litigations (PILs). These include, among others, opening up a channel for females to practice as make-up artists in Cine industry and non-recruitment of women in the Armed Forces. Her curative petition, concerning the rights of married women, resulted in setting aside a Supreme Court judgment. She was appointed Amicus Curie in important matters, some of which concerned the violation of women's rights. Besides, She has worked on the rights of domestic workers, workers in the Gulf, Dalits' right to enter into temples and rights of victims of religious fundamentalism.
As a passionate activist, she has been associated with many NGOs, including the All India Women's Conference & the Indian Federation of University Women's Associations affiliated to Graduate Women International - both having consultative status with the United Nations (ECOSOC) and travelled in connection with international conferences at Istanbul, Manchester and United Nations Headquarters, New York. She has also been associated as a Guest Lecturer at Delhi University's Faculty of Law & I.P. College. She has also been honoured by the Supreme Court for her three books.
The National Commission for Women, NCW, awarded Ms. Kalra as an 'Outstanding Woman' in 2014. She was on the Expert Committee of NCW; participated in many consultative workshops and deliberated on draft laws related with women, which include surrogacy, female feticide, witch-hunting etc. She has been a member of many Internal Complaints Committees, constituted to examine sexual harassment of women at workplace.