International Human Rights Day 2021 celebrated at Central University of Punjab

Bathinda, December 10,2021: The Department of Law of the Central University of Punjab, Bathinda (CUPB), under the guidance of Vice Chancellor Prof. Raghavendra P. Tiwari, celebrated International Human Rights Day 2021 by organizing a special invited lecture by Prof. Balraj Chauhan, former Vice Chancellor of Dharmashastra National Law University, Jabalpur.
The programme commenced with the welcome address of Prof. Tarun Arora, Dean, School of Legal Studies, where he shared that this year’s UN theme for International Human Rights Day is ‘Equality – non-discrimination is at the heart of human rights." This was followed by the introduction of a keynote speaker by Dr. Deepak Chauhan, HoD, CUPB Dept. of Law.
In his address, Prof. Balraj Chauhan stated that the concept of human rights emerged in the year 539 BC when Cyrus the Great declared that all people had the right to choose their own religion. He talked about various important events that occurred during the history of human rights and stressed that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948 by United Nations was the milestone in the journey of human rights as its principles have been incorporated into the constitutions of various countries, including the Constitution of India. He discussed various types of human rights, like economic, social, cultural, civil, political etc. and highlighted that the human rights not only empower a person to live their life freely but also play a vital role in the creation of an equitable society. He cited various judgments of the judiciary to highlight the shift in the judicial approach for Human Rights from protectionist to seamless to pragmatic in the changing times. Prof. Balraj Chauhan highlighted that the concept of human rights has its roots in human dignity and public morality, and legal practitioners need to see it in a holistic perspective for the betterment of society.
Towards the end, Dr. Puneet Pathak gave the formal vote of thanks. He expressed his gratitude towards the esteemed speaker for inspiring everyone to respect each other’s rights and work towards the creation of an equitable and inclusive society. The programme was attended by Dr. Sukhwinder Kaur, research scholars and university students.