NHRC takes suo motu cognizance of 53 maternal deaths within a year due to lack of facilities in the Sidhi District of Madhya Pradesh

• NHRC invoked its suo motu powers over reports of 53 maternal deaths (pre/post-delivery) in Sidhi district, Madhya Pradesh between April 2025 – March 2026.
• Highlights chronic gaps in rural maternal healthcare, district-level health governance, and the statutory role of the NHRC as a Paris-Principles-aligned human-rights watchdog.
• Intersects UPSC themes: Right to Health (Art. 21), Reproductive Rights, Schedule VII federal split on health, and SDG-3.1 target on MMR.