Murders of Religious Minorities in India Go Unpunished, Report Finds (The New York Times):
The Indian authorities have delayed investigating a wave of vigilante-style murders of religious minorities, with many instead working to justify the attacks or file charges against some of the victims’ families, according to a report released Tuesday by Human Rights Watch.

Amnesty urges Meghalaya to investigate attacks on activists for exposing illegal coal mining (Sikh Siyasat News):
The grievous attack on activist Anges Kharshiing and her two aides -- Amita Sangma and Emiki Kurbah -- in Meghalaya, highlights a pattern of reprisals against activists who are standing up against injustice and exposing corruption in the state, said Amnesty India.

Bhima Koregaon case: Sudha Bharadwaj, Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira get 14-day judicial custody (The New Indian Express):
In August, the Pune Police had raided and arrested two others Gautam Navlakha (now released) and P. Varavara Rao (currently under house arrest in Hyderabad), besides Bharadwaj, Gonsalves and Ferreira.

Govt treating human rights organisations like criminal enterprises: Amnesty (The Times of India):
Amnesty International India said on Friday the Union government is treating human rights organisations like criminal enterprises in the wake of searches by the Enforcement Directorate at its premises. The ED on Thursday conducted searches at two locations of the rights watchdog in connection with a foreign exchange contravention case.

Republic Of Fear: ‘India is hostile to its weakest and poor, there is no justice for them’ - interview with a reporter (The Polis Project):
India has always been a profoundly violent country. The routinized violence experienced by the country's marginalized - Dalits, Muslims, Adivasi, poor, women - is not only denied but also hidden behind a language of neutrality.

Letter by nine European MEPs urging cancellation of all agreements with the Indian Government (ICN):
Nine MEPs sent a letter to the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Ms. Federica Mogherini, regarding the raids on homes and arbitrary arrest of nine human and democratic rights activists across India on August 28 (2018).

A brief timeline of the legal battle against Section 377 (The Indian Express):
Section 377 of the Indian has been partially struck down Thursday by a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court, with the apex court legalising same sex relations between consenting adults.

India Strikes Down Colonial-Era Law Against Gay Sex (The New York Times):
In a groundbreaking victory for gay rights, India’s Supreme Court on Thursday struck down one of the world’s oldest laws criminalizing consensual gay sex, putting to rest a legal battle that stretched for many years and burying one of the most glaring vestiges of India’s colonial past.

Section 377 will not apply to consensual same-sex acts, says Supreme Court (The Hindu):
A five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court on Thursday decriminalised homosexuality by partially striking down the colonial era provisions of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Supreme Court extends house arrest of rights activists till Sept. 12 (The Hindu):
The Supreme Court on Thursday extended till September 12, the house arrest of five rights activists in connection with their alleged connection with proscribed Communist Party of India (Maoist).

India: MRG & IDSN strongly condemn latest arrests of prominent human rights defenders (IDSN):
Five prominent Indian human rights activists were arrested during simultaneous police raids, as part of an investigation into events earlier this year during a Dalit commemoration. They follow a wider crackdown on activists in recent months.

Activists’ arrest: It's a more serious situation in country than Emergency, says Arundhati Roy (The Hindu):
Following the arrests of civil rights activists and lawyers on Tuesday, writer Arundhati Roy said the situation in the country could become “more serious” than it was at the time of the Emergency in the mid-1970s. 'It’s the sign of a government in panic'.

Demand for Public Investigation into the Murder of Ajit Naik (Intercultural Resources):
Ajit Naik, popular environmental and right to information activist, and well known lawyer, was brutally murdered in Dandeli (Karnataka) as he was returning home on 27th July 2018. A demand for a comprehensive public investigation into the murder and expose’ of real forces behind this cycle of violence.

The Global Slavery Index 2018 - Findings: Country Study India (GlobalSlaveryIndex.com):
The Global Slavery Index estimates that on any given day in 2016 there were nearly 8 million people living in modern slavery in India. In terms of prevalence of modern slavery in India, there were 6.1 victims for every thousand people.

INDIA: Victims of torture need effective accountability mechanisms (Asian Human Rights Commission):
June 26th every year is marked as the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) works closely with victims of torture through its network of partner organisations across the countries it works in.

The need to address caste-based violence highlighted in international annual human rights reports (IDSN):
The newly released Human Rights Watch World Report 2018, Amnesty International Report 2018 and the US State Department reports on India and Nepal, find that caste-based discrimination and violence remain a serious threat as hate crimes against Dalits are widespread. Some of the other themes raised in the reports include discrimination in accessing services, ´manual scavenging´ and bonded labour.

INDIA: Right to freedom of opinion and expression deteriorating (Asian Legal Resource Centre):
A Written Submission to the 38th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council by the Asian Legal Resource Centre.
The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) along with its sister concern, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to bring the state of the right to freedom of opinion and expression in India to the Human Rights Council of the United Nations.

INDIA: Climate of impunity allows extrajudicial executions to go unchecked (Asian Legal Resource Centre):
A Written Submission to the 38th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council by the Asian Legal Resource Centre.
The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) writes to the United Nations Human Rights Council seeking its attention and intervention considering the violent culture of extrajudicial, summary and arbitrary executions in India.

Dutch PM Mark Rutte urged to take up Hindu extremism in talks with PM Modi (National Herald):
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has been asked to take up with Prime Minister Narendra Modi increasing attacks on minorities and Dalits by Hindu extremist groups during the Netherlands’ leader two-day visit to India beginning Thursday.

Why selling their vote is a rational choice for a large segment of voters in India (Scroll.in):
The earnings of the poor are so abysmal and unpredictable, their work so backbreaking, that money earned from selling votes seems like manna from heaven.

Rescued from slavery, Indian workers unite to stop bonded labour (Thomson Reuters Foundation):
Indians rescued from slavery are coming together to free others from bonded labour in brick kilns, rice mills and factories throughout the southern state of Tamil Nadu.
About 500,000 labourers in 11 industries in Tamil Nadu are trapped in debt bondage, in which people must work to repay debts to employers and moneylenders, according to the International Justice Mission (IJM), an anti-slavery group.

Amnesty International: Dalit human rights defenders face serious risk (IDSN):
A new report released by Amnesty International paints a grim picture of the situation for human rights defenders across the globe who face death, persecution and harassment for carrying out human rights work. The report raises particular concern for Dalit human rights defenders in India.

Dalit rights activist Chandrashekhar Azad's detention is a mockery of law: Amnesty International India (Sikh Siyasat News):
The arrest and detention of Chandrashekhar Azad under the National Security Act a day after he was granted bail is a brazen attempt to sidestep human rights safeguards in the country in the ordinary criminal justice system.

Urgent Appeal for Action – Dalit Professor attempted killed in need of immediate protection (IDSN):
The HRDA-India has issued an urgent appeal for the protection of Professor Kancha Ilaiah Shepherd – a political analyst, human rights activist and one of India’s most prominent Dalit thinkers. Prof. Shepherd was allegedly attempted killed in his car....

Urgent Appeal for Action – Death threats and withdrawal of police protection for a Dalit human rights activist (IDSN):
The HRDA-India, a forum for the protection of human rights defenders, has issued an urgent appeal for action to protect Dalit human rights defender Mr. Rajat Kalsan. Mr. Kalsan is working to help Dalits gain justice and protection from abuses as a lawyer and activist in Haryana state.

URGENT ACTION: Death Threats for Human Rights Lawyer (Amnesty):
Dalit lawyer and human rights defender, Rajat Kalsan, faces fabricated charges and death threats due to his work defending Dalit communities in Haryana state. Forced to suspend his legal practice and leave his home town, he faces life imprisonment if convicted of the charges.

India: Superpower aspirations while 21 percent of children waste away (Asian Human Rights Commission):
With the publication of the 2017 Global Hunger Index Report, it is clear that India’s dreams of becoming a superpower, with world class airports and bullet trains, are all hyperbole. The utopian narrative of modern India overlooks the fact that it is a country that fell three places down to 100 in the 2017 Hunger Index, and 45 places down overall since 2014. It is also a country which has 21 percent of its children wasted, a one-percentage point increase from 1990-1994, when it was at 20. In other words, for nearly 25 years straight, India has failed its children, while moving ahead in other areas.

Indian Government responds to UN rights review – accepts key recommendations on caste but not on ensuring space for civil society (IDSN):
Fifteen states made interventions with explicit recognition of the challenges faced by Dalits, at the United Nations human rights review (UPR) of India, which took place in May. Responding to the review in September 2017, the Indian Government has accepted nine of the recommendations concerning caste-based discrimination. However, the Government did not accept any of the recommendations related to protecting civil society space and amending the foreign contributions act, which were of great importance to ensuring accountability, support to civil society and protection of all human rights defenders.

The murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh shows India descending into violence (The Guardian):
Hindu extremists go unpunished, leading to a culture in which lynching, mob violence and hate crimes are increasingly, horrifyingly, widespread.
Once quiet, civilised Bangalore is shaken to the core by the news of the shocking murder of its most famous journalist, Gauri Lankesh.

Rights defenders: legislation meant to stop caste atrocities is failing (IDSN):
Dalit and Adivasi Civil Society Organisations, Human Rights Defenders from across India met in New Delhi to discuss the status of implementation of India’s legislation to prevent atrocities against Dalits and Adivasis.

Squeezing civil society hurts India (New Age):
This August, India celebrates 70 years of the culmination of its freedom struggle which inspired the world. Powered by individuals from all walks of life and led by social activists who cut across religious and ethnic divides, the country’s freedom struggle was the greatest civil society movement of its time, and led by the world’s pre-eminent civil society activist, Mahatma Gandhi. The struggle’s purpose was not only to win independence but to create a just and equal society where the human rights of everyone including the historically disadvantaged would be respected.
Through their successful struggle, India’s freedom activists paved the way for replacing colonial structures with constitutional democracy in much of the post-colonial global south. They faced regular persecution for acts of peaceful protest. Their writings demanding civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights were often deemed to be ‘seditious’ and against ‘public order’.
Today, India might be an electoral democracy with human rights enshrined in its constitution. Following tradition, prime minister Modi paid a floral tribute at Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial and referenced the sacrifices of the men and women who fought for the country’s freedom in his independence day speech.
Despite this, the spiritual descendants of India’s freedom fighters working in thousands of civil society organisations across the country are facing a slew of well documented obstacles. Routine online trolling, unjustified vilification based on rumour and various forms of arbitrary administrative harassment as some of the everyday challenges faced by those engaged in the defence of constitutional values.

Justice Under Trial: A study of pre-trial detention in India (Amnesty International India):
Around 280,000 Indians are being held in prison during their trials or awaiting trial, without having been convicted of a crime. Many have been awaiting trial for years, some for a longer period than their maximum formal sentence. These prisoners who are known as ‘undertrials’ account for two out of three prisoners in India’s prisons – a percentage far higher than other democracies around the world. India has the third highest undertrial population in Asia.

Dutch govt in ‘dialogue with India on human rights’ (The Times of India):
Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the Netherlands, Joel Voordewind of the Dutch parliament raised some questions for his PM Mark Rutte. On June 30, the Dutch minister of foreign affairs responded on behalf of the PM.

Talk to Modi on Human Rights Violations: Dutch Parliamentarians, India Committee of the Netherlands (Sabrang India):
Open letter to Prime Minister Rutte about the visit of Indian Prime Minister Modi to the Netherlands: Talk to Narendra Modi on human rights violations.
On June 27, Prime Minister Modi of India will pay his first official visit to the Netherlands. Reasons for this visit are the 70 years diplomatic relations between India and the Netherlands and the fact that the Netherlands is one of the largest investors in India.

Dutch civil society groups prodded govt to confront Modi on foreign funding of NGOs (The Times of India):
Days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in the Netherlands, Dutch civil society organisations involved in advocacy of human rights, Dalit upliftment and prevention of child-labour were actively lobbying with their government to confront Modi on the alleged marginalisation of minorities, restrictions on foreign funding of NGOs and violation of labour rights in India.
India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN), a human rights organisation claiming to be dedicated to improving the lives of the marginalised in south Asia, wrote an open letter to Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on June 24, drawing his attention to the increase in "marginalisation of minority groups such as Dalits, Christians and Muslims". ICN director Gerard Oonk, who signed the letter, particularly referred to cow vigilantism, while accusing the Indian government of largely ignoring related violence.

Modi’s ‘silent support for Hindu extremism’ criticised in Holland (National Herald):
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi winds up his three-nation tour, a human rights group in the Netherlands has expressed serious concerns about the deteriorating freedom standards in India.
The Indian Committee for the Netherlands, a group advocating the rights of the country’s South Asian communities, has called on Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte to take up rising Hindu violence in India under Modi’s rule during the Indian PM’s visit. The two leaders met on Tuesday.

Ahead of Modi’s Visit, Dutch Civil Groups Raise Concerns of Rights Violations in India (The Wire):
Ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Netherlands on June 27, international human rights organisations and a section of political representatives have raised serious concerns over increasing human rights violations under Modi’s regime.
In an open letter to Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN), a human rights advocacy group that partners with many international non-governmental bodies, including in India, has urged him to discuss escalating Hindu extremist violence against minorities and the Modi government’s severe clampdown on Indian human rights organisations.

Open letter to Prime Minister Rutte about the visit of Indian Prime Minister Modi to the Netherlands:Talk to Narendra Modi about human rights violations (ICN):
On June 27, 2017, Prime Minister Modi of India will pay his first official visit to the Netherlands. Reasons for this visit are the 70 years diplomatic relations between India and the Netherlands and the fact that the Netherlands is one of the largest investors in India.

UN Side-event: Blocking of civil society access to the UN must end now (IDSN):
In a UN side-event in New York several states and civil society representatives spoke about how the NGO committee, which grants UN ECOSOC accreditation, is effectively blocking legitimate civil society participation at the United Nations. Several shocking examples of harassment by the NGO Committee were shared including IDSN’s 9-year deferral, due to perpetual questioning from one state on the Committee. Participants at the event outlined courses of action that could be taken to reform the Committee and open the UN to civil society participation.

Breaking Down Democracy: Goals, Strategies, and Methods of Modern Authoritarians (Freedom House):
The 21st century has been marked by a resurgence of authoritarian rule that has proved resilient despite economic fragility and occasional popular resistance. Modern authoritarianism has succeeded, where previous totalitarian systems failed, due to refined and nuanced strategies of repression, the exploitation of open societies, and the spread of illiberal policies in democratic countries themselves. The leaders of today’s authoritarian systems devote full-time attention to the challenge of crippling the opposition without annihilating it, and flouting the rule of law while maintaining a plausible veneer of order, legitimacy, and prosperity.
Central to the modern authoritarian strategy is the capture of institutions that undergird political pluralism. The goal is to dominate not only the executive and legislative branches, but also the media, the judiciary, civil society, the commanding heights of the economy, and the security forces. With these institutions under the effective if not absolute control of an incumbent leader, changes in government through fair and honest elections become all but impossible.

Rights groups assail India’s human rights record (UCAN India):
Alliance for Justice and Accountability, a coalition of Indian Christians, Dalits, Muslims and progressive forces in the US, released a comprehensive report on human rights abuses against India’s social and religious minorities. The report released on May 23 in Washington said the abuses have increased since the BJP government came to power.

Citizens' report highlights ignorance of BJP-led government (DailyHunt):
As the NDA celebrated three years of BJP government, a 110-page citizen’s report compiled by Wada Na Todo Abhiyan claimed: “In the third year of a five-year term in which the BJP-led government has little of substance to show on issues that affect India’s poor and middle classes.”
The report which has over 4,000 civil society organisations and individuals on board has contributions of a diverse collection of analysis of government’s performance with reference to accountability, budget, climate justice, civil society space, education, environment, food and nutrition, functioning of Parliament, governance, health, housing and urban poverty, human rights, labour and employment, land rights, livelihood, peace, security and justice, water and sanitation and the constituency groups are LGBTQI, children, Dalits, minorities, person with disability, senior citizens, tribals, women, and youth.

Attacks on human rights activists reach crisis point globally (Amnesty International):
Community leaders, lawyers, journalists and other human rights defenders across the world are facing unprecedented levels of persecution, intimidation and violence, warned Amnesty International today as it launched a new global campaign demanding an end to the onslaught of attacks against brave individuals standing up to injustice.

Battle over cow protection polarises India (The Straits Times):
Vigilantes go after those who slaughter cows or eat beef; 'cow politics' used to win votes.

India is using travel ban as weapon against human rights activists (GEO TV):
Amjad Bashir, Member of Parliament from Yorkshire, and an outspoken critic of Indian atrocities in Kashmir, gave a scathing criticism of the country for refusing him a visa.
Addressing the EU Parliament's Sub-Committee on Human Rights, Bashir criticised the Indian government's refusal to grant him visa as a nominated member of the delegation that recently visited the country. The delegation was visiting India as preparation for the EU-India summit on Free Trade Agreement scheduled in September this year.
...
Distinguished and influential human rights activist, Gerard Oonk, who has been campaigning against child labour in India for years was barred from the country despite having strong connections with and cooperation from Indian labour unions. Oonk had successfully advocated for the protection of child rights and the end of child labour. He also influenced legislation on child labour in Netherlands and to prevent business with firms who exploit children in manufacturing sector....

Comparative analysis of foreign contribution regulatory mechanisms in India, its neighbours (Counterview):
The recent developments in the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) regime and strengthening of restrictions and regulations by the Central Govt. has raised many eyebrows, including the UN. Looking at the foreign contribution regulations in the neighboring countries of India like Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, it is interesting to point out that something similar has been going on in these countries as well, the Governments are curbing the foreign donations and imposing restrictions and broadening the scope of discretionary powers for rejecting the applications to receive foreign funds, it is further interesting to note that despite the ongoing tussles between CSOs and the governments, such restrictions have been imposed in the past decade only.

EU states its commitment to civil society and human rights defenders (IDSN):
In a statement on World NGO Day the EU reiterates its commitment to protecting space for civil society and human rights defenders. This is particularly relevant in relation to organisations and defenders working to fight caste discrimination as they are increasingly facing threats and sanctions.

Narendra Modi’s Crackdown on Civil Society in India (The New York Times):
Among their common traits, illiberal strongmen share a virulent mistrust of civil society. From Vladimir V. Putin’s Russia to Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Turkey, illiberal governments regularly use imprisonment, threats and nationalist language to repress nongovernmental organizations. Here in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is going after their money.

India blocks funding for IDSN member Navsarjan Trust (IDSN):
In the latest of a series of blocks on foreign funding to human rights NGOs, the Indian Government has revoked the foreign funding (FCRA) license from Dalit rights NGO Navsarjan Trust. The revocation of the license means that Navsarjan can no longer receive funding from foreign donors and the organisation has had to ask its 80 staff to resign.

Deaths in custody could be prevented if police follow rules designed to deter mistreatment (Counterview):
The Human Rights Watch report “Bound by Brotherhood: India’s Failure to End Killings in Police Custody” examines the reasons for the continuing impunity for custodial deaths in India, and recommends steps that authorities can and should take to end it.

India: Foreign Funding Law Used to Harass 25 Groups - Stop Invoking FCRA to Restrict Peaceful Association, Speech (Human Rights Watch):
The Indian central government’s refusal to renew foreign funding licenses of 25 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) without valid reasons violates their rights to freedom of expression and association, Amnesty International India and Human Rights Watch said today.

A review: US State Department Report on human rights in India 2015 (IDSN):
The US State Department published its Report 2015 on human rights practices in India, which provides a comprehensive overview of the human rights situation in the country. The report covers areas of deprivation of life, detention, torture, trial procedures, violence, freedom of speech, assembly and religion, cultural rights, freedom of movement, refugees, political rights, workers’ rights, and discrimination against vulnerable groups, including women, Dalits, indigenous, LGBTI, children, people with disabilities and those affected by HIV/AIDS.

Holland to raise free speech concerns in India’s 2017 UPR (The Hindu):
India’s recent track record in protecting freedom of expression is expected to come under close scrutiny in the next Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in 2017, and leading the charge could be Holland. The UPR is a mechanism of the UN Human Rights Council that periodically reviews the compliance of member states with international human rights law.

Child Labour, CSR and Dalits in India: Talking with Gerard Oonk about an ongoing battle (ALP):
Interview with Gerard Oonk, the director of the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN), about the Covenant Sustainable Garment & Textile, his work, and the current state of affairs in India.

India Has the Most People Living in Modern Slavery (The Wall Street Journal):
India has more people living in modern slavery than the population of the Netherlands, a new report estimates.
Of the 167 countries surveyed, the South Asian country has the highest number of people living in slavery–more than 18 million people, or 1.4% of the population.

India: Stop Treating Critics As Criminals (Human Rights Watch):
The Indian authorities routinely use vaguely worded, overly broad laws as political tools to silence and harass critics, Human Rights Watch said in a new report released today. The government should repeal or amend laws that are used to criminalize peaceful expression.

UN Special Rapporteur criticises India’s FCRA (IDSN):
A controversial piece of Indian legislation could be used to silence organisations that criticize the government. It contravenes the country’s international human rights obligations, a UN expert says.

Stand for Human Rights Campaign launched by Human Rights and Democracy Network (IDSN):
Today the Human Rights and Democracy Network (HRDN), of which IDSN is a member has launched the year-long campaign Stand 4 Human Rights Defenders. Urging the EU to take action on commitments to protects and defend human rights defenders.

Dalit singer arrested and film on caste refused clearance – the right to expression curtailed in India (IDSN):
New incidents add to the concerns on fresh attempts to limit freedom of expression in India. A Dalit folk singer has been arrested and kept in custody and charged with sedition solely on the grounds of singing songs with a message to close down state owned liquor stores.

Over 3200 held in administrative detention, ‘lawless laws’ must be scrapped in India (Amnesty International India):
The continuing use of administrative detention laws in India to lock up persons without charge or trial violates the rights of both suspects and victims of human rights abuses. An interactive online map published by Amnesty International India today shows how several states continue to retain these laws to detain people on executive orders without charge or trial.

Human rights groups face global crackdown 'not seen in a generation' (The Guardian):
Laws affecting funding, requiring registration and prohibiting protest are among controls that are making it difficult for NGOs and other campaign groups.

Here's proof that poor get gallows, rich mostly escape (Times of India):
A first of its kind study, which has analyzed data from interviews with 373 death row convicts over a 15-year period, has found three-fourths of those given the death penalty belonged to backward classes, religious minorities and 75% were from economically weaker sections.

Modi's one-year legacy: sharpening social conflicts, nervous religious minorities (Scroll.in):
Regardless of the extent of its own culpability, the Modi government in its first year of existence has reinforced, even enhanced, all the dark fears the religious minorities have had about living under a Bharatiya Janata Party regime enjoying a majority of its own.

Greenpeace India could close within a month due to government crackdown (The Guardian):
Greenpeace India will be forced to close within a month with the loss of 340 jobs because of a government crackdown on its funding, the organisation’s chief has warned.
The Indian home ministry froze seven bank accounts connected with the organisation last month, the latest in a series of moves against the NGO since Narendra Modi’s government came to power.

Amnesty International Report 2014/15 (Amnesty):
Impunity was widespread for human rights abuses by state and non-state actors. Despite progressive legal reform and court rulings, state authorities often failed to prevent and at times committed crimes against Indian citizens, including children, women, Dalits and Adivasi (Indigenous) people. Arbitrary arrest and detention, torture and extrajudicial executions often went unpunished. The overburdened and underfunded criminal justice system contributed to justice being denied to those who suffered abuses, and to violations of the fair trial rights of the accused. Violence by armed groups in Jammu and Kashmir, northeastern states and areas where Maoist forces operated continued to put civilians at risk.

Human Rights Watch - India chapter 2014 (Human Rights Watch):
India took positive steps in 2013 by strengthening laws protecting women and children, and, in several important cases, prosecuting state security force personnel for extrajudicial killings. The impact of these developments will depend in large part on effective follow-up by central government authorities. The year also saw increased restrictions on Internet freedom; continued marginalization of Dalits, tribal groups, religious minorities, sexual and gender minorities, and people with disabilities; instances of remained marginalized and often without redress; and persistent impunity for abuses linked to insurgencies, particularly in Maoist areas, Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, and Assam.

Henri Tiphagne: Indian Human Rights Defender (International Service for Human Rights):
Despite the trials faced by People’s Watch in fighting the suspension of its registration under the Foreign Contributions Regulations Act (FCRA) by the Indian government for nearly two years, the Tamil Nadu-based human rights NGO continues to work for the promotion and protection of human rights through the monitoring of human rights violations, strategic advocacy and solidarity with peoples’ struggles.

India: How internet laws are holding back freedom of expression (Business & Human Rights Resource Centre):
In July 2014, the Global Network Initiative and the Internet and Mobile Association of India published an interactive slideshow created by Newsbound, in which they explain the impact of current laws and regulations for Internet users and businesses in India. They demonstrate how the current regulatory framework is holding back economic innovation and freedom of expression.

How India treats its NGOs (The Indian Express):
In a case of giving a dog a bad name and hanging him, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) has submitted a report damning foreign-funded NGOs for stalling development and giving to Western powers undue leverage over India. Notwithstanding that it is a confidential document, it has been widely reported in the press, though no official confirmation of its receipt has been made.
The report suggests that the activities of some not-for-profits account for a 2 to 3 per cent loss in the GDP. How the loss has been calculated is uncertain. Nor can we tell how this compares with, say, the losses incurred through environmental degradation, rampant corruption, crony capitalism or money stashed abroad. That aside, the report exploits a longstanding suspicion of NGOs and civil society organisations, a legacy of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s Emergency and her favourite defence for her failings, the covert “foreign hand”.

India’s Snooping and Snowden (Human Rights Watch):
"It is not actually snooping." This was the Indian foreign minister’s response to the US mass surveillance programs that also targeted India. One year ago, Edward Snowden released data revealing that the US National Security Agency had spied on the Indian embassy in Washington and its mission to the UN.

India Exclusion Report 2013-14 (Centre for Equity Studies):
This report is envisioned as the first of a series of widely collaborative annual reports, involving numerous institutions and individuals working on the issues of disadvantaged and marginalised communities in India.

Report European Parliament on freedom of religion and belief: India and Pakistan among ‘serious offenders’ (EP Working Group on Freedom of Religion and Belief):
The report focuses on 15 countries as ‘serious offenders’ of these internationally recognized freedom rights. India and Pakistan are included.

Trapped in Textile (The New Jurist):
Human Rights abuses of female textile workers in Tamil Nadu and the responsibility of manufacturers and buyers.

Activists highlight poor condition of Kandhamal survivors (UCAN India):
About 200 activists and survivors of the Kandhamal anti-Christian violence gathered to discuss the present situation on the fourth anniversary of the incident.

UN expert deeply disturbed by the situation of Dalit human rights defenders in India (IDSN):
The UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders has released a report with a strong focus on the dire situation of Dalit human rights defenders, following her 2011 visit to India.