NHRC, India started capacity building programme on human rights for senior forest officers in collaboration with the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy, Dehradun

Press release

National Human Rights Commission

New Delhi: 19th June, 2024

NHRC, India started capacity building programme on human rights for senior forest officers in collaboration with the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy, Dehradun

NHRC India is reaching out to All India Service officers working in the field to sensitize them on various aspects of human rights

NHRC's programme to sensitize forest officers on protecting human rights of tribal communities, other forest dwellers and forest labourers

NHRC Secretary General, Shri Bharat Lal highlighted the Commission’s endeavour to develop human rights training modules in partnership with AIS national academies to build officers’ capacities for protecting and promoting human rights

Secretary General emphasized the significance of focusing on human rights of forest dwellers, Scheduled Tribes particularly in the context of climate change

31 senior officers from different States and UTs attending the four-day residential training programme

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India, is organizing a four-day Residential Capacity Building Programme for Forest Officers on Human Rights in collaboration with the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy (IGNFA), in Dehradun from 18th to 21st of June, 2024. Inaugurating it, the NHRC Secretary General, Shri Bharat Lal said that the Commission is partnering with various All India Services (AIS) national academies in developing training modules on various dimensions of human rights to build officers’ capacities for protecting and promoting human rights of all human beings. He underscored the importance of human rights from both the national and international perspectives for forest officers.

Shri Lal emphasized the importance of protecting and promoting human rights for forest dwellers, Scheduled Tribes and forest labours particularly in the context of climate change. He highlighted the significant role forests play in mitigating the effects of climate change and commended all forest officers for their contributions to fulfilling national objectives.

He urged the participants to internalize 'The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)' and other relevant laws for better understanding and appreciation of human rights. He also spoke on the UN Human Rights Council and Universal Periodic Review, their role in upholding the human rights of every human being, the Indian ethos of empathy and compassion, and the constitutional framework for safeguarding human rights in the country. He emphasized that upholding human rights is a collective responsibility of every individual and every generation. It's about embodying the principles of justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity enshrined in our constitution, which is a sacred duty of everyone.

Addressing the inaugural session, Shri Jagmohan Sharma, Director, IGNFA said that a Human Rights module for the Indian Forest Service (IFS) probationers may be included in the Phase-II training programme for them. Shri Ajay Bhatnagar, Director General (Investigation), NHRC discussed the significance of NHRC in outreach efforts, spreading awareness, and fostering societal involvement for the welfare of the people.

Earlier, Shri Yuvraj, SSP, NHRC gave an overview of the four-day training course for forest officers. The experts in different fields of human rights and laws related to the forests will interact with the 31 senior officers from the Forest Departments of various states and Union Territories.

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