CBSE to start course on human rights from coming session

NEW DELHI: To sensitise students on human rights issues, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has decided to start a course on the subject from the coming academic session.

"The course will be started as an elective subject from the next session at class-XI and XII level," CBSE chairperson Vineeth Joshi said at a seminar on 'Human Rights Education at School Level'.

The CBSE has already prepared the syllabus for the course with the help of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), NCERT and other experts.

"The course will touch upon topics like equality of opportunity, consumer rights and human development, natural resources and environment," he said.

The CBSE's step assumes significance in view of several bodies, including NHRC, advocating introduction of Human Rights in the school syllabus.

The NCERT's new textbooks on social science have several topics analysing the concepts of human rights. The teachers' training institutes will also have human rights as a subject of study.

"Human rights will be incorporated in the revised framework teachers' training curriculum being prepared now," National Council of Teachers Education chairman M A Siddiqui said.