UN Committee raises concerns over human rights and caste in India

The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) has conducted its first detailed review of India's human rights situation since 2007. The committee expressed grave concern regarding reports of widespread violations by law-enforcement agencies against minority ethnic-religious groups, tribal and Scheduled Tribe communities, Scheduled Castes—specifically Dalits—and non-citizens.

Specific allegations include ethnically motivated violence, excessive use of force, extrajudicial killings, torture, sexual violence, and prolonged detention without due process. The committee noted that despite India ratifying the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination in 1968, the government has not provided updated information regarding investigations or actions taken concerning these allegations.

A central point of contention remains the legal classification of caste. The Indian government maintains that caste-based discrimination is distinct from race and does not fall under the scope of the Convention. However, CERD asserts that discrimination rooted in inherited social status, or “descent,” falls within the framework of the international treaty.