India’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is set to lose its 'A' grade accreditation after the Sub-Committee on Accreditation (SCA) of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) recommended a downgrade to ‘B’ status. The recommendation, made public during GANHRI’s 45th session in March 2025, cited persistent concerns over the NHRC’s independence, transparency, and effectiveness in addressing human rights violations.
GANHRI grants ‘A’ and ‘B’ status designations through its Sub-Committee on Accreditation. ‘A’ status signifies full compliance with the Paris Principles — international standards adopted by the UN defining the minimum requirements for the independence, pluralism, and effective functioning of human rights bodies. Institutions with ‘A’ status can participate fully in UN human rights mechanisms, including speaking rights at the Human Rights Council. ‘B’ status indicates only partial compliance; NHRIs with ‘B’ status may attend UN sessions but lack voting rights and speaking privileges.
According to the SCA report, the NHRC has been under review since 2023. Although some steps were taken recently, the SCA found them "insufficient or not yet implemented" and noted that "these measures do not yet address the substance of the SCA concerns." Key concerns include the involvement of police officers in investigations, lack of pluralism in the Commission’s composition, opaque selection and appointment processes, inadequate response to systemic human rights violations, and poor cooperation with civil society.
The SCA particularly flagged the continued secondment of police officers as investigative staff, warning that it “may impact on the NHRC's ability to conduct impartial investigations as well as the ability of victims to access human rights justice”. It recommended that the NHRC advocate for amendments to the Protection of Human Rights Act (PHRA) to eliminate this practice.
Similarly, the appointment of the Secretary General — a senior civil servant deputed by the Union government — was seen as undermining the NHRC’s independence. The SCA reiterated that “a fundamental requirement of the Paris Principles is that an NHRI is, and is perceived to be, able to operate independent of government interference”.
The Commission’s composition was also criticised for lacking diversity, with only one woman serving as a standing commissioner and staff composition failing to reflect gender representation. The SCA also pulled up the NHRC’s selection and appointment process for lacking broad consultation and transparency.
While acknowledging the NHRC’s interventions in some individual cases, the SCA said the Commission had failed to effectively address systemic human rights violations or speak out on issues such as shrinking civic space, attacks on human rights defenders, and custodial deaths. "These interventions have not been sufficient to address the systemic human rights violations," the report said.
The SCA added that under GANHRI statutes, the recommendation to downgrade will not take immediate effect. “A recommendation to downgrade does not take effect for a period of one year," the report said, allowing the NHRC time to submit documentary evidence to demonstrate conformity with the Paris Principles.