India Defends Youth Freedoms, Questions UN Report on Mental Health and Gender Justice

India has rejected allegations in a report by a UN human rights expert that young people in the country face retaliation or stigmatisation for discussing mental health and gender justice. New Delhi has urged the expert to verify the claims before making generalisations about India.
 

First Secretary at India’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, Anuj Swarup, delivered the country’s statement during the 81st session of the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee. He was speaking at an interactive dialogue with Gina Romero, the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
 

Swarup objected to Romero’s report, which referred to a satirical political movement formed by young people in India and included claims that they had faced retaliation or stigmatisation for raising issues related to mental health and gender justice.
 

He said the report relied on “unnamed submissions” cited in a footnote and questioned the credibility of allegations based on anonymous and unverified information.
 

“A sweeping charge against the world's largest youth population, resting on anonymous and unverified claims, is not evidence. It is hearsay dressed up as a UN report, and my delegation rejects it outright,” Swarup said.
 

He argued that a UN mandate holder should not draw conclusions about a population of 1.4 billion people based on anonymous accounts. India called on the Special Rapporteur to verify the information and ensure greater rigour and fairness in her reporting.
 

Swarup also criticised what he described as arbitrary report-writing, saying such practices had contributed to a loss of credibility for the United Nations and its institutions.
 

India cites constitutional protections for freedoms
 

Defending the rights of young people in the country, Swarup said freedom of peaceful assembly, association, speech and expression were guaranteed under Article 19 of the Indian Constitution.
 

He said these freedoms were protected by an independent judiciary, a free press and an empowered National Human Rights Commission.
 

India also questioned the report’s reference to the satirical political movement, identified as the Cockroach Janata Party. Swarup argued that the movement’s ability to question the government, march in the national capital and engage with senior national leaders illustrated the space available for political expression.
 

“In which repressive State does a satirical youth party question the government, marches on the capital, and then sits across the table with senior national leaders,” he asked.
 

India points to engagement with young protesters
 

Swarup referred to remarks made by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights at the Human Rights Council last month, highlighting the effectiveness of dialogue with young leaders in the context of India’s youth-led movement.
 

He suggested that the Special Rapporteur may have overlooked those remarks.
 

He also cited the government’s response to student protests earlier this summer over irregularities in public examinations. According to Swarup, the government engaged constructively with the students and subsequently introduced measures to address examination fraud.
 

He said Parliament amended the Public Examinations Act within weeks, doubling the punishments for paper leaks. The government also undertook a systemic overhaul of examinations and established fast-track courts in every state to prosecute those involved in examination fraud.
 

Swarup described these steps as an example of democracy in action and said young people represented India’s strength and shared future.
 

Citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks, he said that strengthening the capabilities of young people would strengthen the country and help take India’s achievements to new heights.
 

Over five million young people joined national dialogue
 

Swarup further said that more than five million young people participated in the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue this year, contributing directly to discussions on national priorities with the Prime Minister.
 

He added that several ministers, including Modi, continued to engage with young people both directly and through social media.
 

India maintained that its approach to youth participation and dialogue demonstrated the importance it attached to young people’s role in shaping the country’s future.