International Human Right in the PATNA,Bihar:Students of Patna Women's College and Magadh Mahila College participated in the human chain formation. Signature campaigns and street plays were also organized in different places of Patna

Human Rights Day is celebrated annually across the world on 10 December.

The day is normally marked both by high-level political conferences and meetings and by cultural events and exhibitions dealing with human rights issues. In addition, it is traditionally on 10 December that the five-yearly United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights and Nobel Peace Prize are awarded. Many governmental and nongovernmental organizations active in the human rights field also schedule special events to commemorate the day, as do many civil and social-cause organisations.

Human Rights Day presents an opportunity, every year, to celebrate human rights, highlight a specific issue, and advocate for the full enjoyment of all human rights by everyone everywhere.

This year, the spotlight is on the rights of all people — women, youth, minorities, persons with disabilities, indigenous people, the poor and marginalized — to make their voices heard in public life and be included in political decision-making.

Introduction

The Protection of Human Rights Act 1993, an Act of the Parliament, provides for establishment of the National Human Rights Commission at the national level and State Human Rights Commissions at the state level.

In the State of Bihar, the State Human Rights Commission was established on 3rd-Jan-2000 vide Notification No. 207. However, the Commission was formally constituted vide notification no. 6896 on 25.6.2008 when Shri Justice S.N. Jha, a former Chief Justice of the Jammu & Kashmir and Rajasthan High Courts was appointed as Chairperson and Shri Justice Rajendra Prasad, a former Judge of the Patna High Court and Shri R.R. Prasad, a former Director General of Police, Bihar were appointed as members with effect from the date they assume charge of this office.

General Info

The Human Rights Commission is an autonomous high power human rights watch body which derives its authority from the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993. Its autonomy lies, among other things, in the method of appointment of its Chairperson and Members, their fixed tenure and the statutory guarantee provided in section 23 of the Act, and the financial autonomy referred to in section 33 of the Act. The high status of the Commission is found in the status of the Chairperson, Members and its functionaries. Unlike other Commissions, only a former Chief Justice of a High Court can be appointed as Chairperson and, likewise, the Secretary to the Commission is an officer not below the rank of Secretary to the State Government. The Commission has an investigating agency of its own headed by a police officer not below the rank of Inspector General.

Functions

The Commission may:

(a)	Enquire on its own initiative or on a petition presented to it by a victim or any other person on his/her behalf into complaint of
	1. violation of human rights or abetment or; 2. negligence in the prevention of such violations by a public servant;
(b)	Intervene in any proceeding involving any allegation or violation of human right pending before a court to the approval of that court;
(c)	Visit any jail or any other institution under the control of the State Government where persons are detained or lodged for purposes of treatment, reformation or protection, for the study of living conditions of the inmates;
(d)	Review the safeguards provided by or under the constitution or any other law for the time being in force for the protection of human rights;
(e)	Review the factors that inhibit the enjoyment of human rights;
(f)	Undertake and promote research in the filed of human right;
(g)	Spread human right literacy and promote awareness of the safeguards available for protection of these rights through publications, medical seminars and other available means;
(h)	Encourage the efforts of Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) and extension work in the field of human rights; and
(i)	Perform such other functions as it may consider necessary for the promotion of human rights.

It is clarified that though ordinarily the Commission has the power to make enquiry when there is violation of human rights (or abetment thereof) by a public servant; where the human rights are violated by a private citizen, the Commission can intervene if there is failure or negligence on the part of a public servant to prevent such violation.

The figures of human rights' violation cases in the state during the last four years under different categories are startling and also an eye-opener for human rights activists on this International Day of Human Rights. The number of cases of police excesses lodged with the Bihar Human Rights Commission (BHRC) are alarming. 

Established in 2008, the BHRC had registered only 26 cases of police excesses that year, while in 2009 the number was as high as 552. 

"No cases were registered in the BPL and ration-related denial/excesses subcategories with the BHRC in 2008, 26 cases in 2009, 33 cases in 2010 and 45 cases in 2011," BHRC sources said. This is a major concern for authorities out to streamline the cumbersome delivery mechanism system for the BPL people. However, the heartening aspect is that the BHRC is registering such cases, hitherto unrecognized as human rights violations. 

"We discuss human rights violations on December 10 every year, but little is discussed about fraud in the BPL list, service-related cases, development-related cases, pension and ration-related cases as cases under human rights violations. Yet, the figures of such excesses and denial are also staggering," said a social activist, Animesh Prasad. 

Incidentally, on this day in 1948, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). India is a signatory to this declaration. 

This year, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has focused on inclusion in decision-making and the right to participate in public life. For, it is only through participation in public life that one can understand the meaning and real significance of human rights, feels the UN body.

A number of institutions organized programmes to mark the International Human Rights Day (IHRD) in the state capital on Monday.

People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) organized a seminar on the Birla Institute of Technology Patna (BITP) campus to apprise its students of various aspects of human rights.

A poster show and a lecture by scholar activist Vinay Kanth marked the occasion on the St Xavier's College campus on Monday. Kanth, a former president of the PUCL, Bihar unit, said young students were now more aware of their rights and duties. "It is good that they raise their voice against injustice. We have to take bold stance to protect the human rights of all citizens, particularly the most marginalized people," he told the students.

Human chains were formed under the banner of Oxfam India near Income Tax roundabout, on Fraser Road and near SK Memorial Hall to protest violence against women.

ADRI director Prabhat P Ghosh stressed on the attitudinal and behavioural changes to eradicate discrimination in the society. He was speaking at a seminar organized by Jan Sikshan, ADRI, Patna, and IHRE, Madurai, to mark the occasion.

Challenges and opportunities of human rights were discussed at IIBM, Patna. Bihar State Human Rights Commission member Justice (retd) Rajendra Prasad stressed that a society cannot function properly without guaranteeing human rights to its citizens.

Slum people of Shekhpura, Yarpur and Bindtoli participated in a seminar organized by Nidan to know about their rights