New Delhi, Oct. 12 -- Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Monday said the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had emerged as a "trusted address" for the aggrieved, asserting that the effectiveness of a human rights institution should be judged not merely by the number of cases it disposes of but by its ability to reach the most vulnerable.

Addressing the NHRC's 33rd Foundation Day function at Vigyan Bhawan, the CJI said the commission had registered over 24 lakh cases and disposed of more than 23 lakh, achieving a disposal rate exceeding 98 per cent.

He said human rights protection must go beyond identifying violations to ensuring accountability, meaningful relief for victims and systemic changes to prevent their recurrence. Referring to cases involving custodial deaths, bonded labour and silicosis, he highlighted the commission's role in protecting marginalised communities.

"A right that works for the powerful, but fails the powerless is not a right in the true sense," Kant said, adding that the commission's moral authority depended on credible inquiries, timely interventions and honest reporting.

He also underlined the expanding scope of Article 21, saying the right to life had evolved to encompass dignity, healthcare, food, shelter, livelihood and a clean environment.

Highlighting access to safe drinking water as a human rights concern, the CJI said providing household tap connections was insufficient unless water remained safe, reliable and available when needed. Contaminated water, he warned, posed a threat to life and health.

He called for coordinated efforts by governments, courts and human rights institutions to address water insecurity, cautioning that depleted aquifers and polluted rivers would burden future generations. He also welcomed the launch of the NHRC India mobile application and digitisation of records.

NHRC chairperson Justice V Ramasubramanian (retd), meanwhile, described the CJI's office as the country's most powerful and vulnerable, saying it faced an "Agni Pariksha" every minute, "not necessarily by sacred souls" at all times. The remarks drew a lighter reaction from the gathering.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.