New Delhi, August 10th, 2011

Mr. Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, Chairperson, NHRC has said that the social, political and cultural rights are not being fully implemented by the State. He said that though most of the complaints reaching to NHRC are mainly against the police authorities and on issues concerning law and order problems, yet equal importance needs to be given to providing basic facilities which form part of social, political and cultural rights.

Justice Balakrishnan was addressing the valedictory session of three days Training programme on human rights for Assistant Commissioners, Principals and Education Officers of Kendriya Vidyalya Sangathan in New Delhi today.

With a specific reference to child rights, the NHRC Chairperson said that the system has been little slow in giving these rights. It took years to implement the Right to Education for which now the states are duty bound. Justice Balakrishnan said that schools need to pay a special attention to providing drinking water and toilet facilities to children. He asked the academicians that with their knowledge about the human rights and various related laws attained during the training programme, they should endeavour to raise their voice for protecting the rights of the people who are voiceless, so that marginalized sections of society and under privileged people are not deprived of the core values of human rights.

Justice Balakrishnan said that Kendriya Vidyalya Sangthan with its wide network could be a useful partner in NHRC's mission to build awareness about the importance of promotion and protection of human rights. The reach of Kendriya Vidyalya Sangathan is very wide having 1080 schools and over ten lakh students across the country. This was the second training programme for the education officers jointly organized by the National Human Rights Commission and the Kendriya Vidyalya Sangathan.

During the training programme several issues of human rights and the existing laws to protect them were discussed which included among others the Rights of Persons with Disability, Child Rights, Right to Education, Manual Scavanging, Women's Rights, Environment Issues. NHRC Chairperson also gave away certificates to the participants.
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