Right To Development, The - a Primer

This volume is an introduction to the idea (and the political project) of the `Right to Development' (RTD). It defines the concept of RTD as it is understood internationally, and describes its practical application in an Indian setting. It begins by taking a brief look at the genesis and development of the idea of right to development, the General Assembly's proclamation of development as a human right in its 1986 Declaration on the Right to Development and the subsequent evolution of the right through the debates of the open-ended working group of the UNHRC which monitored and reviewed the progress on promotion and protection of the right to development. PART ONE of the book focuses individually on the three fundamental components of RTD: the Right to Food, the Right to Education and the Right to Health, and describes how these rights are mutually interdependent. It also devotes a separate section to Women's Rights, another key component of RTD. PART TWO of the book describes the Indian experience of RTD. It gives an overview of the legal and institutional framework for the protection of human rights including women's rights, as well as the rights to food, education and health. It also places RTD in the context of Indian policy and gives a status report on the implementation of its component rights. There is a separate chapter on Public Interest Litigation, the tool for social justice that enables RTD to be pursued as a political project. RTD is much debated but not very widely understood concept in international relations. This book is based primarily on detailed studies carried out by an independent expert on RTD. These studies were aimed at bringing theoretical clarity to the concept of RTD by integrating the disciplines of law, economics, international cooperation and philosophy. The book carries this aim forward and complements it with analyses of practical issues in the implementation of RTD in India.