Status of Ratification on Convention Against Torture

The National Human Rights Commission has been requesting the Government of India to ratify the Convention Against Torture and Other forms of Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Punishment or Treatment, which was signed by India on 14 October 1997 on the recommendation of the Commission. The Convention entered into force on 26 June 1987 (article 27).
In October 2003, the Government of India informed the Commission that the draft cabinet note for ratification of the Convention Against Torture "is under examination". The Commission has since been reminding the Government to expedite the process.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has now communicated that the Ministry of External Affairs has constituted an Inter-Ministerial Group under the Chairmanship of AS (UN), comprising of representatives from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Law and L&T Division of the Ministry of External Affairs to go into the question of early ratification and steps required for this purpose. It stated that the action on ratification of the Convention could be taken only after the receipt of the recommendations of the group.