UGC-NET – Paper II: Human Rights and Duties (Code: 92)
Exam Cycle: June 2026
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COURSE OVERVIEW
Subject Name: Human Rights and Duties
Subject Code: 92
Conducting Body: National Testing Agency (NTA)
Paper Type: Paper-II – Human Rights and Duties
Total Marks: 200
Total Questions: 100 MCQs
Mode: Computer Based Test (CBT)
Duration: 3 Hours (Paper I + II)
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LIST OF UNITS
Unit-I: HUMAN RIGHTS AND DUTIES: CONCEPT AND NATURE
Unit-II: ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS
Unit-III: SOCIETY, ECONOMY, POLITY, RELIGION AND CULTURE—THEIR INTERRELATIONSHIP
Unit-IV: STATE AND INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY
Unit-V: UN AND VARIOUSAGENCIES, INTERGOVERNMENTAL (IGOs) AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS (INGOs)
Unit-VI: GROWTH MODELS AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Unit-VII: DEVELOPMENT, UNDERDEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL ACTION
Unit-VIII: HUMAN RIGHTS AND INDIAN CONSTITUTION
Unit-IX: CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNANCE
Unit-X: INTERNATIONAL ENFORCEMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS
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UNIT-WISE DETAILED SYLLABUS EXTRACTION
Unit-I: HUMAN RIGHTS AND DUTIES: CONCEPT AND NATURE
Topic 1: The Basic Concepts: Individual, Group, State, Non-State Actors, Civil Society, Liberty, Freedom, Equality, Rights, Justice; Human Values: Humanity, Compassion, Virtues, Human Dignity and Human Duties
Topic 2: Human rights as universal, inherent, inalienable rightsand moral rights; Universal human rights vs. Cultural Relativism, Naturalist-Positivists Debate
Topic 3: Indian Concepts: Raj Neeti, LokNeeti, DandalNeeti, Nyaya, Dharma
Topic 4: Different Generations of Human Rights
Topic 5: Liberal Perspective: Locke, Rousseau, Thomas Paine, J.S. Mill, Classical Liberalism, Neo-liberalism
Topic 6: Marxian Perspective: Marx, Gramsci, Rosa Luxemberg
Topic 7: Gandhian Perspective (Ruskin, Thoreau, Tolstoy): State, Power, Swaraj, Rights and Duties
Topic 8: Dalit Perspective: Phule, Narayna Guru, Ambedkar
Topic 9: Religious Perspectives
Topic 10: Feminist Perspective
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Unit-II: ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS
Topic 1: Human Rights in Ancient Thoughts
Topic 2: Human Rights in Middle Ages, Magua Carta
Topic 3: Modern Movement of Human rights,Lockean Philosophy: Theory of Natural Rights,American Declaration of Independence, American Bill of Rights, The French Revolution and its goals of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity, Marxist Revolutions, Anti-Colonial Movements, Freedom Movement in India
Topic 4: International Standard Setting – UniversalDeclaration of Human Rights (1948)
- Impact of the UDHR on the Constitutions of the ‘New’ States
Topic 5: International Standards: UN Sponsored or ‘Core’International Conventions onHuman Rights: International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), Convention on the Elimination of ALL Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), Convention against Torture, Rights of Child Convention, Convention on the Rights of Migrant workers, Convention against Racial Discrimination (CRD), Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
Topic 6: State Responsibility for Protection of Human Rights: The Concept of the “Responsibility to Protect”
Topic 7: Vienna Declaration on Human Rights 1993
Topic 8: Helsinki Declaration
Topic 9: ASEAN Declaration
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Unit-III: SOCIETY, ECONOMY, POLITY, RELIGION AND CULTURE—THEIR INTERRELATIONSHIP
Topic 1: Impact ofSocial Structure on Human Behaviour; Role ofSocializations inHuman Values, Human Rights and Duties
Topic 2: Science and Technology, Modernization, Globalization and Dehumanization
Topic 3: Social Stratification: Racial andCaste Prejudice and Discrimination; Human Rights Issues of Weaker Sections andEthnic Minorities
Topic 4: Women: Gender Discrimination, Domestic Violence andOffences against Women; Gender Sensitive Laws
Topic 5: Children: Child Abuse, Child Labour, Street Children
Topic 6: Social Structure andSocial Problems: Social and Communal Conflicts andSocial Harmony
Topic 7: Rural Poverty, Unemployment, Bonded Labour, Modern Forms of Slavery
Topic 8: Urban Poverty, Slums, Lack of Basic Civil Amenities, Sex Workers
Topic 9: Rights of Refugees, Rights of Indigenous People, Aged Persons, Migrant Workers and Human Rights Violations, Human Rights of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016Rights of Displaced Persons
Topic 10: Challenges in Human Rights: Religious Fundamentalism, Terrorism, Underdevelopment, Human trafficking International Crimes,
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Unit-IV: STATE AND INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY
Topic 1: The Changing Nature ofState with Special Reference tothe Developing Countries
- Soft State, Interventionist State, Welfare State, Repressive State
Topic 2: Political Regimes andHuman Rights
Topic 3: Impact of Science and Technology on Human Rights and Duties
Topic 4: Human Rights andInternational Politics: Emergence ofa New Global Order—Tehran Conference (1968)—Vienna Conference (1993)
- International Humanitarian Law: 1949 Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols of 1977 – International Red Cross Society
- International Criminal Tribunals(Rwanda and Former Yugoslavia) and the International Criminal Court (ICC)
- International Intervention: The Question ofNation-State, Citizenship andSovereignty
- Right of Self-Determination: Autonomous Movements, Secessionist Movements
- Grassroots Movements andHuman Rights
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Unit-V: UN AND VARIOUSAGENCIES, INTERGOVERNMENTAL (IGOs) AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS (INGOs)
Topic 1: UN: Establishment, Objectives, and the Charter Provisions
Topic 2: UN Principal Organs: General Assembly, Economic and Social Council, Security Council
Topic 3: Subsidiary Organ: Human Rights Council
- The Human Rights Council Advisory Committee
Topic 4: Specialized Agencies: UNICEF, UNESCO, ILO, WHO
Topic 5: INGOs such as the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), Amnesty International (AI), Human Rights Watch, Greenpeace
Topic 6: People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), People’s Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR) and Other Civil and Democratic Rights Organizations in India.
Topic 7: UN High Commission forRefugees (UNHCR)
Topic 8: UN Commission ontheStatus ofWomen
Topic 9: UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
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Unit-VI: GROWTH MODELS AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Topic 1: Models of Development: Growth Approach, Basic Needs Approach, Sustainable Human Development, Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, 1992, Rio +20, Conservation of Natural Resources, Agenda 21, Bio-Diversity Convention 1992
Topic 2: Globalization andHuman Rights: Dynamics ofGlobalization, Emergence ofMarket Forces,Assertion ofCivil Society, Retreat ofState, Privatization, Liberalization
- Emergence of Information Age
Topic 3: Economic Growth Strategies (Developing Countries): Implications for Poverty Eradication, Employment issues, Planned Development andSocial Inequality
Topic 4: World Trade Organization: Implication for Human Rights,Impact on Developing Countries with special referencetolndia
- Intellectual Property Rights: Patents Law, Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), Trade Related Investment Measures (TRIMS),General Agreement on Trade and Services (GATS), Agreement On Agriculture (AOA)
- Transnational Corporations (TNCs) and Human Rights Situation in Developing Countries
Topic 5: Right to Development: The Third World Concerns, Working Group Recommendations, UNDP – initiatives, UN Declaration on the Right to development
Topic 6: State and Development of the Marginalized/Disadvantaged Groupsin India: The Poor, the Unemployed andthe Socially Dislocated People
- Workers’ Rights, Minimum Wages Act – Problems of Implementation, Right to Security of Food, Health, Education
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Unit-VII: DEVELOPMENT, UNDERDEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL ACTION
Topic 1: Need for Collective Action in Developing Societies and Methods of Social Action
Topic 2: Land, Water and Forest Issues with special reference to India
Topic 3: Social Movements: Political, Social and Religious Reform
Topic 4: National Commission for Women, Children, Minorities, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
Topic 5: Backward Class, Dalit and Women Movements
Topic 6: Agrarian and Peasant Movements
Topic 7: Right to a Healthy Environment
- Principle of Sustainable Development
- Ecological and Environment Movements
Topic 8: Civil Societies and NGOs, NGOs of India
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Unit-VIII: HUMAN RIGHTS AND INDIAN CONSTITUTION
Topic 1: Indian Civilization: Change and Continuity.
Topic 2: Indian Constitution: Freedom Movement
Topic 3: Indian Constitution: Sociological Foundation
Topic 4: Constitutional Vision of Role ofthe State
Topic 5: Constitutional Vision of Freedom: Fundamental Rights and the International standards
Topic 6: Constitutional Vision of Justice: Directive Principles of State Policy and international standards
Topic 7: Public Interest Litigation (PIL), Indian Judiciary and Human Rights
Topic 8: Judicial Interpretations: Landmark JudgmentsFundamental Duties
Topic 9: Constitutional Amendments
Topic 10: Fundamental Duties
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Unit-IX: CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNANCE
Topic 1: Rule of law, Good Governance
Topic 2: Constitutional Organs: Inter-and intra-Relationships/Conflict and Cooperation.
Topic 3: Fundamental Rights and Repressive Laws: Preventive Detention and Anti-Terrorist Legislations, Armed Forces Special Power Act
Topic 4: Imposition of National Emergency: The Societal Experience.
Topic 5: The Criminal Justice System: Crime, Punishment and Human Rights with Special Reference to IPC &Cr. P.C.and Indian Evidence Act
Topic 6: Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: The Directive Principles of State Policy: The Question of Effectiveness and Enforcement; their relationship with Fundamental Rights
Topic 7: Legislation forthe Weaker Sections: The Questions of Enforcement
Topic 8: Law Enforcing Agencies: Police, Military and Para-Military Forces—Emerging Experience
Topic 9: Human Rights Enforcement: The Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, NHRC, State Human Rights Commissions, Human Rights Courts
Topic 10: Human Rights Education: Problems and Prospects
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Unit-X: INTERNATIONAL ENFORCEMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS
Topic 1: Treaty Bodies under the ‘Core’ Human Rights Conventions: General Overview
- “Universal Periodic Review” and “Special Procedures”
Topic 2: Human Rights Committee (HRC)
Topic 3: Committee on Economic and Social Rights (CESCR)
Topic 4: Committee on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women(CEDAW)
Topic 5: European Court of Human Rights (ECHR)
Topic 6: Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
Topic 7: Inter-American Court of Human Rights
Topic 8: African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights
Topic 9: African Court of Justice and Human rights 2008
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EXAM STRUCTURE (Verbatim or Standard)
Paper-II: Subject Specific Examination
Total Questions: 100
Total Marks: 200
Question Type: MCQ Only
Negative Marking: No
Duration: 3 Hours (Combined)
Additional Notes:
Standard UGC-NET Paper-II Pattern applied as exam structure details were not present in the provided syllabus PDF.
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SYLLABUS SUMMARY (Auto-generated)
Total Units: 10
Total Topics: 79
Subject: Human Rights and Duties
Subject Code: 92
Exam Category: UGC-NET Paper-II
“As per latest official syllabus.”
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