The Commission has brought out a calendar for the year 2002 as a tribute to the efforts of all who have participated, helped and encouraged the Commission in its constant endeavours to translate the rhetoric of ‘all human rights for all’ into action.

In addition to carrying a statement on the `Mission’ of the Commission, the Calendar highlights and illustrates some of the main issues of concern to the Commission: human dignity, the right to equality, bonded and child labour, compulsory and human rights education, public health and sustainable development, trafficking in women and children, natural calamities, displaced persons, mental health, the need to respect the secular character of India, the right to food, the need to combat terrorism under the Rule of Law. Each of these subjects is illustrated by a photograph and accompanied by the views and directions of NHRC on the subject.

The Calendar was released by the Chairperson at a press conference held in the Commission on 2 January 2002.

The Commission has also issued a set of four posters on Mahatma Gandhi which carry some of his sayings most germane to a proper understanding of human rights. The first of these posters was released by the President of India, Dr. K.R. Narayanan, on Human Rights Day, 10 December 2001. The quotations carried on these posters are:

It has always been a mystery to me how men can feel themselves honoured by the humiliation of their fellow beings.
Peace will not come out of a clash of arms but out of justice lived and done.
To slight a single human being, is to slight those divine powers and thus to harm not only that Being, but with Him, the whole world.
There is a higher court than the courts of justice and that is the court of conscience. It supercedes all other courts.


Core Group on Lawyers constituted
The Commission, in discharge of its functions assigned under the provisions of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, is required to deal with a wide range of legal issues, including provisions in Bills, Acts and Statutes relating to human rights. The Commission is also required to review safeguards provided by, or under the Constitution, or any law for the time being in force, for the protection of human rights, as well as to study treaties and other international instruments on human rights and make recommendations for their effective implementation.

In matters having legal implications, the Commission has been seeking the advice and opinion of eminent lawyers from time to time. In order to formalize the arrangement of drawing upon the expertise and experience of such lawyers, it has been decided, with the approval of the Chairperson, to set up a Core Group of Legal Experts under the chairmanship of Shri Fali S. Nariman, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India. The Core Group would consist of the following members:

Shri Anil B. Divan, Shri Dipankar P. Gupta, Shri T.R. Andhyarujina, Shri P. Chidambaram, Shri Rajeev Dhavan, Shri R. Venkataramani, Shri A.K. Ganguli, Senior Advocates; Smt. Sadhana Ramachandran, Ms. Kamini Jaiswal, Ms. Meenakshi Arora and Shri S. Muralidhar, Advocates.

The Core Group will advise the Commission on legal issues and give its opinion on Bills and Acts referred to it by the Commission, from time to time. The Registrar (Law), NHRC will be Convenor of the Core Group