National Minorities Rights Day 2022: 18 December

National Minorities Rights Day 2022:

National Minorities Rights Day is commemorated on December 18 every year in India. Its aim is to safeguard the individual rights of the religious, ethnic, racial, or linguistic minorities in the country. This day is a reminder about the rights of minorities and to raise awareness about it. Minority Rights Day in India is commemorated by conducting debates and seminars on topic related to minority communities.

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Awareness about their linguistic, national, cultural and religious identity are also a topic of study during this day. The day revolves around understand the issues faced by these communities and how discrimination against them can be stopped.

Minorities Rights Day 2022: Significance

Minorities Rights Day is commemorated to uphold the right to freedom and equal opportunities for the ethnic minorities in India. It is a day to raise awareness about the issues faced by these communities and how these challenges can be tackled. While India had been subjected to several obstacles towards basic human rights since the British Rule, these rights were safeguarded after the independence.

Minorities Rights Day: History

• The Union Government set up the National Commission for Minorities under the National Commission for Minorities Act 1992. Following this five religious communities have been notified as minority communities in the Gazette of India by the Union Government all around the country.
• These religious communities are Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians, and Zoroastrians. The major function of this commission was and is to protect the interests of the minorities.
• On December 18, 1992, the United Nations adopted the day as Minorities Rights Day. They stated that it is the responsibility of the government to improve minority conditions. The state is also responsible for creating awareness about their linguistic, national, cultural and religious identity in the country.
• On January 29 2006, the Ministry of Minority Affairs was created as the apex body of the Central government’s developmental and regulatory programs for the minority communities.
• In 2014, Jains were also added to the list of religious communities considered as minority communities.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams: 

• Union Minister of Minority Affairs: Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi;
• Minister of State in the Ministry of Minority Affairs: John Barla.

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