UN CERD review of human rights in India

The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) 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 against minority ethnic-religious groups, tribal and Scheduled Tribe communities, Scheduled Castes—specifically Dalits—and non-citizens. Allegations include ethnically motivated violence, extrajudicial killings, torture, and sexual violence.

A primary point of disagreement involves the legal classification of caste. While the Indian government maintains that caste-based discrimination is distinct from race and falls outside the scope of the Convention, CERD asserts that discrimination based on inherited social status, or “descent,” is covered by the international treaty.

Following the review, India rejected the committee’s findings, labeling them “politically motivated” and “highly malicious.” The Indian Ministry of External Affairs characterized the review as a routine process and challenged what it described as “sweeping generalisations” and “unsubstantiated allegations,” maintaining that the country’s constitutional safeguards remain unwavering in protecting disadvantaged communities.