People's Union for Civil Liberties
Also called: PUCL · Topic: Civil Society, Pressure Groups, NGOs and Self-help Groups · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 2 "Rights in the Indian Constitution"
Meaning
The People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) is a civil-liberties watchdog. Civil liberties are basic freedoms such as speech, life and personal liberty. PUCL was founded in 1976, during the Emergency, and took its present name in 1980. It watches for rights violations and goes to court through public interest litigation (PIL). A PIL is a case filed in court for the public good, not for a private interest. Its cases have shaped key rights in India.
Example
PUCL's petitions led to three important results:
- safeguards against misuse of phone-tapping (1997)
- right-to-food orders from the Supreme Court (from 2001)
- the NOTA ("None of the Above") option on voting machines (2013)
Don't confuse with
- National Human Rights Commission: the NHRC is a statutory body set up by the government. PUCL is a voluntary civil-society group, independent of the state.