India Should Be a ‘Country of Particular Concern ’: U.S. Panel 

India Should Be a ‘Country of Particular Concern ’: U.S. Panel 

Part of: GS Prelims and GS – II – International Relations; Fundamental Rights

In news

• The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), an independent bi-partisan commission, has recommended for the 2nd year in a row that the State Department put India on a list (‘Countries of Particular Concern’ or CPCs) for the worst violations of religious freedoms in 2020.

Key takeaways 

• The USCISRF recommended that the administration impose targeted sanctions on Indian individuals and entities for “severe violations of religious freedom”.
• A second recommendation was for the administration to promote inter-faith dialogue and the rights of all communities at bilateral and multilateral forums “such as the ministerial of the Quadrilateral [the Quad]”.
• Another recommendation was to raise issues in the U.S.-India bilateral space, such as by hosting hearings, writing letters and constituting Congressional delegations.

Do you know? 

• The USCIRF recommendations are non-binding. 
• The key concerns of the 2021 report include the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.