Question

Explain various institutions protecting the rights of different sections in India.

Answer 1

The benefits of good governance must be available to all sections of society. The constitution provides for socio-economic and political safeguards for certain disadvantaged sections of society. Besides the safeguards provided for them, the government has created several commissions to safeguard the rights of different sections of society. These include the following:

1. National Commission for Scheduled Castes: Deals with matters related to the safeguards provided under the constitution and inquires into specific complaints relating to deprivation of rights of the Scheduled Caste community.
2. National Commission for Scheduled Tribes: Deals with matters related to the safeguards provided under the constitution and inquires into specific complaints relating to deprivation of rights of the Scheduled Tribe community.
3. National Human Rights Commission: It deals with the protection of rights relating to life, liberty, equality and dignity guaranteed by the constitution.
4. National Commission for Women: This was created to facilitate the redressal of grievances and accelerate the socio-economic development of women.
5. National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights: It seeks to protect, promote, and defend child rights in the country. The Commission defines a child as a person in the 0 to 18 years of age group.
6. National Commission for Backward Classes: The focus is on the welfare of socially and economically backward classes.
7. National Commission for Minorities: It monitors the working of the safeguards for minorities provided in the Constitution and by laws enacted by the Parliament and the State Legislatures.
8. National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission: This provides for a consumer dispute redressal mechanism, e.g., consumer courts are set up.