Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Monday asserted that the effectiveness of a human rights institution is defined not merely by case volumes, but by its capacity to amplify the voices of society’s most vulnerable. Speaking at the 33rd Foundation Day celebrations of the National Human Rights Commission at Vigyan Bhawan, the Chief Justice warned that legal protections which cater solely to the influential while failing the powerless amount to little more than branded privilege.
The event, which was also addressed by NHRC Chairperson and former Supreme Court judge V. Ramasubramanian, commemorated the commission’s establishment by Parliament more than three decades ago to safeguard human dignity.
Credibility And Moral Authority
Addressing the gathering, Justice Kant remarked that the commission acts as a vital custodian of constitutional assurances, reaching areas beyond the immediate grasp of the courts, initiating suo motu interventions, and providing a platform for those unable to speak for themselves.
He observed that the influence of a human rights body does not stem from coercive authority, but from moral credibility accumulated gradually over time. Comparing this authority to a financial reserve, he noted that while trust is built through diligent inquiries, prompt interventions, and transparent reporting, it can be depleted rapidly.
Reflecting on the commission’s history of handling complaints concerning custodial deaths, torture, bonded labour, industrial silicosis, and the rights of marginalised communities, Justice Kant emphasised that human rights enforcement must extend beyond cataloguing abuses. Institutional action, he stated, must demand accountability, ensure tangible redress for victims, and institute systemic safeguards against future violations.
Over its 33-year tenure, the NHRC has registered more than 24 lakh cases and resolved upwards of 23 lakh matters, maintaining a disposal rate above 98 per cent. Justice Kant noted that these figures reflect significant institutional activity that brought serious human rights breaches into public view.
Evolution Of Constitutional Protections
Justice Kant also highlighted the expanding scope of Article 21 of the Constitution, which has transitioned from a fundamental shield against the arbitrary deprivation of life and liberty into a comprehensive guarantee of living with dignity. Over the decades, rights to health, food, shelter, livelihood, and an unpolluted environment have been integrated into this guarantee through judicial interpretation.
This constitutional shift, he explained, has redefined state accountability from merely refraining from harmful acts to actively ensuring that citizens possess the necessary conditions to live with dignity.
Water As An Obligation To Present And Future
Focusing on the national conference organised alongside the foundation day, titled “Water as the Elixir of Life: Advancing Human Dignity through the Right to Water,” the Chief Justice stressed that community dignity is inextricably linked to dependable water access.
Acknowledging significant national progress in expanding rural household pipeline networks, Justice Kant cautioned that physical infrastructure alone does not guarantee access. He noted that dry pipes fail their purpose, while supplies tainted with fluoride, arsenic, or other toxins represent hazards to public health rather than public services.
He outlined a shared institutional duty regarding water security: executive authorities must develop and sustain distribution networks, courts must step in when basic rights are compromised, and human rights bodies must investigate systemic gaps to elevate overlooked issues.
Justice Kant warned that the exhaustion of groundwater and the contamination of rivers unfairly shift ecological hardships onto generations that had no role in creating them, urging that the right to clean water be treated as both an immediate entitlement and a future responsibility.
Modernisation And Institutional Reach
Commending the commission’s recent administrative updates, the Chief Justice noted the introduction of the NHRC India mobile application and the digitisation of historical records, expressing confidence that the rights panel will continue to widen its reach and advance the cause of justice.
