सव भव तु सिखनः ु Currently, payments were being made at the departmental level through a centralised process for Silicosis vic ms and their dependents. The Commission noted that the excuse for not issuing Silicosis cer ficates was primarily an administra ve lapse. Consequently, the Commission directed the Chief Secretary of the Government of Rajasthan and the District Magistrate of Jodhpur to provide a sum of Rs. 5 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased within four weeks. Failure to comply would result in both of them having to appear in person before the Commission. In response to this direc ve, the Addi onal Chief Vigilance Commissioner of the Home Department of the Government of Rajasthan submi ed a report indica ng that financial approval for an ex-gra a payment of Rs. 5,00,000 in favour of the deceased's next of kin had been issued to the District Collector of Jodhpur. The process of making the payment to the next of kin was underway and was expected to be completed within 15 days. The report was accompanied by a copy of the sanc on order. Taking this into account, the Commission closed the ma er on 20 July 2022, and directed the District Collector of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, to disburse the sanc oned Rs. 5 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased, at the earliest. In the event of non-payment, the District Collector was instructed to submit a compliance report along with proof of payment to the Commission within four weeks. A er the case was closed, the Commission received a le er from the District Collector of Disaster Management and Assistance in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, reques ng a review of the earlier recommenda on due to concerns about se ng a precedent. The Commission, however, declined the request, sta ng that the sanc on for the Rs. 5 lakh compensa on had already been issued in line with NHRC's recommenda on, and the State Government couldn't change its stance at this point. The Commission emphasised that the vic m's death was due to Silicosis, and the state machinery's failure to provide necessary documenta on resulted in a lack of evidence for the vic ms and their families. The Commission believed that when there was documentary evidence of Silicosis, the state should proac vely provide compensa on to the vic ms' families, given its failure to protect the workers' right to health. Referring to a 2010 Supreme Court case (People's Rights and Social Responsibility Centre (PRASAR) Chapter 7 - Thematic Areas and Ors. vs. Union of India and Anr.), the Commission stressed the need to protect workers affected by Silicosis and improve working condi ons in silica dust-prone industries. The Ministry of Health and Ministry of Labour were entrusted with assis ng NHRC in iden fying confirmed Silicosis cases and recommending medical relief and compensa on for Silicosis-related deaths. The Commission reiterated its recommenda on for the payment of Rs. 5,00,000 to the next of kin of the deceased, following the Supreme Court's direc ves, with proof of payment to be submi ed to the Commission within four weeks. Hence, the case was closed 7.3 Rights of Women 7.3.1 NHRC, taking note of the greater challenges faced by women, has been commi ed to protec ng and promo ng their rights from its incep on, giving due importance to this thema c area in its work and func oning. India is party to several major internaonal conven ons pertaining to the rights of women, the most important of which is the Convenon on the Elimina on of All Forms of Discriminaon against Women (CEDAW) of 1979. CEDAW has 189 UN member states as its signatories and was ra fied by the Government of India in 1993. Consequently, the provisions of the conven on are reflected in the policies, laws, schemes, and programmes for women being run by the Government of India. It is disheartening to note that despite the existence of conven ons, laws, and ini a ves by the Government of India as well as state governments, there s ll remains a long way to go when it comes to the rights of women in India. Recognising the cri cal need to have targeted and suitable coverage of all the major issues pertaining to the rights of women, the Commission has a Core Group on Women. 7.3.2 A mee ng of the Core Group on Women was conducted on 5 September 2022 on 'Women's Health, Survival and Nutri onal Status: Challenges and Way Forward”. The session was chaired by Jus ce Shri Arun Mishra, Chairperson, NHRC, and senior officers of the Commission; members of the Core Group on Women, as well as representa ves from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Women and Child Development, 45