National Human Rights Commission (NHRC):

• It is a statutory body established under Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993.
• The Commission is the watchdog of human rights in India.

Composition:

• The Commission is a multi-member body consisting of a chairperson and five members.

Appointment :

• The chairperson and members are appointed by the President on the recommendations of a six-member committee consisting of:
• Prime Minister as its head
• Speaker of the Lok Sabha
• Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha
• Leaders of the Opposition in both the Houses of Parliament
• Central Home Minister

Tenure:

• The chairperson and members are appointed for the term of 3 years or till the age of 70 years, whichever is earlier.
• The chairperson and members are eligible for reappointment.
  

   UN-related body to review NHRC accreditation status

Global Alliance for National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI):

• It is an organisation affiliated to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
• GANHRI’s mission is to unite, promote, and strengthen NHRIs to operate in line with the UN Paris Principles. Accreditation by the GANHRI:
• Sub-Committee on Accreditation (SCA) reviews National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) every five years, and there is an appeal process for NHRIs to ensure greater transparency and due process.
• In a unique peer-review-based accreditation process. GANHRI ensures individual NHRIs’ compliance with the Paris Principles – to ensure their independence, pluralism and accountability.
• The Paris Principles set out internationally agreed minimum standards that NHRIs must meet to be considered credible.
• The six principles require a country‘s human rights agency to be independent from the government in its structure, composition, decision-making and method of operation.

 India’s accreditation:

• India’s NHRC got ‘A’ status of accreditation for the first time in 1999, which it retained in 2006, 2011, and in 2017 after it was deferred for a year.