United Nations, October 2026 : India has rejected a report by a United Nations human rights expert as based on “hearsay”, objecting to claims that young Indians face retaliation or stigmatisation for discussing mental health and gender justice. New Delhi urged the expert to verify allegations before drawing broad conclusions about the country.
Anuj Swarup, First Secretary at India’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, delivered the country’s statement during an interactive dialogue with Gina Romero, the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, at the 81st session of the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee.
Swarup criticised Romero’s report for relying on what he described as anonymous and unverified submissions to make sweeping assertions about India’s youth population.
“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,” he said.
He argued that a mandate holder should exercise greater caution before generalising about a country of approximately 1.4 billion people. Swarup urged the Special Rapporteur to verify information and ensure that her reports demonstrated rigour, fairness and factual accuracy.
“A mandate holder who relies on anonymous inputs to generalise for 1.4 billion people does a disservice to the very mandate she holds,” he said.
India Defends Constitutional Freedoms
Romero’s report referred to a “satirical political movement” created by young people in India, a reference to the Cockroach Janata Party. It also stated that young Indians had reported retaliation or stigmatisation for discussing mental health and gender justice.
India questioned the basis of these assertions and described the report as an example of arbitrary reporting that could undermine the credibility of UN institutions.
Swarup said freedom of speech and expression, peaceful assembly and association were guaranteed to Indian citizens under Article 19 of the Constitution. He also pointed to the role of the independent judiciary, free press and National Human Rights Commission in safeguarding rights.
Responding to the report’s reference to the satirical youth movement, he questioned whether its activities were consistent with the picture of a repressive political environment suggested by the allegations.
“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.
Government Engagement with Young Protesters
Swarup also referred to remarks made by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights at the Human Rights Council the previous month, which highlighted the value of dialogue with young leaders in the context of a youth-led movement in India.
He suggested that Romero’s report had not adequately considered such developments.
Citing student protests over irregularities in public examinations during the summer, Swarup said the government had engaged constructively with young people and taken steps to address concerns about examination integrity.
According to the Indian representative, Parliament amended the Public Examinations Act, doubling punishments for paper leaks. He also cited a wider examination-system overhaul and the establishment of fast-track courts in every state dedicated to prosecuting individuals involved in examination fraud.
Swarup presented these measures as evidence of democratic institutions responding to public concerns rather than suppressing youth participation.
“This is the true testament of democracy in action. Youth represents our strength and shared future,” he said.
Youth Participation in National Priorities
The Indian representative highlighted initiatives intended to involve young people directly in policymaking and national development.
He said more than five million young people participated in the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue this year, contributing to discussions on national priorities directly with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Swarup added that the Prime Minister and several Union ministers continued to engage with young people through direct interactions and social media.
Referring to Modi’s emphasis on youth development, he said the capabilities and achievements of young Indians would play a central role in shaping the country’s future.
India’s intervention at the UNGA Third Committee centred on its demand that allegations concerning civil liberties and youth participation be assessed through verified evidence. New Delhi maintained that broad conclusions based on anonymous submissions risked misrepresenting the experiences of India’s young population and weakening confidence in international human rights reporting.
