New Delhi, August 26, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
India on Wednesday strongly rejected remarks by the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), describing references in its observations as “politically motivated” and “highly malicious”.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said India had participated constructively in CERD’s review of its periodic reports, held in Geneva on August 11-12. The UN treaty-body session ran from August 10 to 25, with India among the countries whose reports were considered.
The MEA said India’s commitment to combating racial discrimination remained unwavering and that its delegation had highlighted the country’s constitutional safeguards, legal framework, pluralism, democratic accountability, affirmative action and measures for disadvantaged communities.
“While we will respond to the Committee’s observations through the established procedure, the inter-Ministerial delegation, which was led by the Solicitor General of India, Shri Tushar Mehta, had already rejected the sweeping generalisations, unsubstantiated allegations, or tendency to exceed the Convention’s mandate during the review meeting,” the ministry said.
“India rejects any politically motivated highly malicious references in the report with all the contempt that it deserves,” it added.
The response came after CERD raised concerns over reports of alleged large-scale violations by law-enforcement officials against ethnic and ethno-religious groups, Indigenous and Tribal Peoples, including Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes, particularly Dalits, as well as non-citizens.
CERD is an independent expert body that monitors implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination by states parties. Its latest concluding observations on India are listed under document CERD/C/IND/CO/20-21.
The Permanent Mission of India in Geneva said the delegation had outlined India’s diversity, constitutional and legal safeguards, judicial remedies, targeted public policies and sustained socio-economic development.
India also highlighted its historical role in negotiating and drafting the convention in the 1960s, when developing countries were confronting colonialism, apartheid and racial discrimination.
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