New Delhi: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has constituted an 11-member expert committee to study the impact of COVID-19 on human rights. The expert panel would be headed by Dr KS Reddy, president of Public Health Foundation of India and the meetings of the panel are likely to take place via video conferencing.
The expert committee would work to assess the impact of COVID -19 pandemic on human rights of people especially the marginalized and vulnerable sections of society. The panel would also suggest the future policy for the Central and the state government on the basis of the findings of the experts.
As per the terms of reference, the committee will also identify the best practices dealing with human rights situations in any part of the country or abroad.
This expert panel would study the migrant crisis that had unfolded at the beginning of the pandemic from the public health perspective and how it was addressed by various states. NHRC had issued notice to the government of Uttar Pradesh over reports of dead and injured migrant labours of Auraiya being carried in the same vehicle.
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In another case, a notice was also issued to Punjab and Yogi government after a viral the video emerged where a migrant mother was seen pulling a suitcase with her child sleeping half hung. A notice to Maharashtra government was also issued after a migrant woman from Madhya Pradesh gave birth to her child on road in the state, along with the death of 16 workers in a rail mishap in Aurangabad.
As per sources, the commission would also seek views of different ministries including Health and Family Welfare, Labour, Women and Child Development, Food and Public Distribution, Social Justice and empowerment, Agriculture, and Tribal Affairs.
