Cabinet approves new amendments for human right protection bill

New Delhi, April 4: The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved amendments to the human rights protection bill for "better protection and promotion of human rights in the country", a statement said.

The Protection of Human Rights (Amendments) Bill, 2018, was cleared in a Cabinet meet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The statement said the amendment bill "proposes to enlarge the scope of eligibility and scope of selection of chairperson of National Human Rights Commission as well as the State Human Rights Commissions".

It also aims at to incorporate a mechanism to look after the cases of human rights violation in the union territories.

The bill "proposes to amend the terms of office of chairperson and members of National Human Rights Commission and State Human Rights Commissions to make (them) in consonance with the terms of chairperson and members of other commissions".