NHRC launches training programme on human rights for police personne

Press Release

National Human Rights Commission

New Delhi, 21stAugust, 2023

NHRC launches training programme on human rights for police personnel

Forty police officers invited from different States/UTs to attend

Police personnel have to give utmost importance to human rights in line with their duty: Mr Justice ArunMishra, NHRC Chairperson

The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, India, today launched its first residential 'Training of Trainers'programme on Human Rights for the officers of the different State/UT police organizations. The NHRC ChairpersonMrJusticeArunMishra, inaugurated this five-day residential trainingin the presence of Member Mr Rajiv Jain, Secretary General Mr Bharat Lal and senior officers of the Commission. The training module has been developed by the Commission's officers in its Investigation Division after wide-ranging discussions with various stakeholders, including the Bureau of Police Research & Development (BPR&D).

Justice Mishra said that training is very significant in every professional field to update knowledge and upgrade skills to improve performance. He said police personnel play a major role in implementing law & order and the criminal justice system. Therefore, there is always pressure on them to perform. Human rights have to be given utmost importance in the line of their duty.He also said that even the accused has human rights which are to be respected.

Referring to the challenges posed by the internet-aided dark web, e-commerce frauds, data hacking, trafficking, etc., he said that the lawbreakers are more advanced than the researchers. There is need for putting in place a solid mechanism for checking these offences.

Earlier, the NHRC Member, Mr Rajiv Jain said that the police personnel are the primary protectors of human rights. He expressed the hope that while sharing the perspective of the Commission about human rights with the police officers, the interactive sessions with them will also provide an opportunity to know their human rights perspective.

The NHRC Secretary General, Mr. Bharat Lal said that it may make a lot of difference in policing if police personnel treat others how they may like to be treated. They must be conscientious, which requires wisdom that comes through knowledge and training. He expressed the hope that the 40 chosen officers for this training programme from different States/ UTs police organizations will avail this opportunity fully to be sensitized about human rights and be seen as role models when they go back to their respective police organizations and inspire and train others in terms of human rights. Their colleagues should be able to see the difference in them after this course.

Giving an overview of the training programme, the NHRC DIG (Investigation), Mr Sunil Kumar Meena said that the Commission felt the need for the training of the police personnel and prison officers to orient them to adhere to human rights minimizing human rights violations in custody. For this purpose, a model syllabus for the training has been prepared after extensive consultation with all the stakeholders, including the BPR&D.

It is the first residential training course in the series of four courses planned, with one such to be conducted in each quarter of the year. Forty police officers of the level of SPs, Addl. SPs, Dy. SPs were shortlisted from 20 States and 01 Union Territory to attend. The expected outcome of this training course is to prepare the first batch of trainers with a better understanding of human rights, who will be further employed & utilized by their respective organizations for imparting human rights training to the other personnel.

NHRC Registrar (Law), MrSurajitDey, Joint Secretaries, Mrs Anita Sinha and MrDevendra Kumar Nim, among other senior officers, were present.

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