India considering universal basic income: NHRC tells UN

NEW DELHI: India is considering a universal basic income and will not consider a repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers ) Act or a moratorium on the death penalty, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has told the United Nations.

In a first, NHRC, submitted a mid-term report to the United Nations on the human rights situation in the country , highlighting the government’s policies on climate change, rights of women, children, disabled, and the elderly, and the right to food, work and health.

In the report, Universal Periodic Review (UPR)-III, the UN has been informed that the Indian government is examining and “actively considering” the possibility of a universal basic income to reduce poverty. Universal basic income (UBI) refers to periodic cash transfers to every citizen. The government has focused cash transfer schemes aimed at farmers, especially, but no universal cash transfer programme.

In the mid-term report submitted last month, accessed by Hindustan Times, NHRC has listed government flagship schemes such as the PM Awas Yojana affordable housing initiative , the Swachh Bharat Mission, and the Ujjwala scheme.

Civil society organizations, which are part of the Working Group of Human Rights (WGHR), say NHRC has done the bidding of the government of India. Henri Tiphagne, executive director of the People’s Watch, said: “...Many events have taken place (since India accepted the recommendations of UN member countries) but nothing has been mentioned in the report. The report doesn’t show the independent view of NHRC.”

Sanjoy Hazarika, director of the Commonwealth Human

Rights Initiative, welcomed NHRC submitting a mid-term report but added that the NGO would brainstorm on the findings.

NHRC chairperson, justice (retd) H L Dattu, said, “This (mid-term) report addresses all the recommendations given by the UN members for the central government during last review meeting (in September 2017 in Geneva). The UPR is significant because it takes into account issues pertaining to human rights including poverty, religious issues, women rights etc.”

Asked about NHRC’S role in the whole process, Dattu said, “The Commission has the role of an onlooker as these recommendations are for the central government (to address).”

Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia Director at Human Rights Watch (HRW) said, “The NHRC...IS not supposed to report government achievements. That is for the state party to do.”