सव भव तु सिखनः ु Bareilly, U ar Pradesh. He pointed out that 95 convicted prisoners eligible for release were s ll incarcerated, leading to overcrowding in the jails and causing frustraon among the prisoners. The Commission took cognizance of the ma er, recognising that such cases represented a serious viola on of human rights. Consequently, it called upon the relevant authori es to provide the necessary reports. In response, the Addi onal Chief Secretary of Prison Administra on and Correc onal Services, Government of U ar Pradesh, and the Deputy Inspector General of Prison Administraon and Correc onal Services, Government of U ar Pradesh, submi ed their respec ve reports. 7.2 Health and Mental Health 7.2.1 Every human being is en tled to enjoyment of the highest a ainable standard of health conducive to living a life of dignity. As defined by the WHO, health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. This right is indispensable for the exercise of other human rights. It is the duty of the State to promote, protect and preserve the health of all individuals. Mental health, which forms an integral part of health, is the area where the country is facing a serious predicament. According to the World Health Organiza on (WHO), mental health is “a state of well-being in which the individual realises his or her own abili es, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work produc vely and frui ully, and is able to make a contribu on to his or her community.” Upon reviewing these reports, it became evident that the government had established a Commi ee to consider the premature release of convict prisoners, and ac ons were being taken based on the Commi ee's recommenda ons. According to the provided informa on, a proposal for the premature release of 308 convict prisoners was made by Central Jail, Bareilly, on Republic Day, 2019, in accordance with the Government Order (GO) dated 01 August 2018. Between 26 January 2019 and 19 June 2019, a total of 271 inmates were released. Addi onally, 18 inmates were released following court orders or the disposal of mercy pe ons, while release orders for 18 inmates were pending. Unfortunately, one inmate passed away due to illness. 7.2.2 Since the me the NHRC came into existence in the Commission has consistently taken the view that the right to life with dignity, enshrined in the Cons tu on, must result into the strengthening of measures to ensure that all people, and par cularly those belonging to the economically disadvantaged sec ons of the society, have access to be er, affordable, accessible and more comprehensive healthcare facili es. According to the reports, a proposal for the premature release of 145 convict prisoners, including the aforemenoned 18, from Central Jail, Bareilly, was made for Republic Day, 2020. Out of these, 57 had already been released, and one had passed away. Subsequently, the revised Government Order now s pulated that convict prisoners would be released prematurely on seven occasions throughout the year. The Commission also noted that the State Government had issued Government orders for the premature release of convicts from various jails, and a Commi ee was in place to assess proposals from different correc onal facili es. In light of the pe oner's allega ons, the report contained specific figures related to Central Jail, Bareilly, which contradicted the pe oner's claims. Therefore, a copy of the report was forwarded to the pe oner, with a request for comments within a period of four weeks. However, no response was received from the pe oner. In view of the above, the case was closed on 13 April 2022. 7.2.3 The NHRC which has long monitored the country's mental health care ins tu ons decided to hold specific sessions to raise mental health awareness in the workplace. The Commission believed that since the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health concerns have received increased a en on, which may be addressed more effec vely by raising awareness and providing prompt counseling, and psychological therapy. Jus ce Shri M. M. Kumar, Member, NHRC, opened the first of a planned series of such sessions on 'Workshop on Mental Health Awareness' on 01 June 2022, in the presence other of the Secretary General and other senior officers. Ms. Mimansa, Clinical Psychologist, For s Healthcare Gurugram, conducted the session. A endees included NHRC officials as well as individuals working in nearby offices, such as the Central Vigilance Commission, Aayush Ministry, and Na onal Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission. Chapter 7 - Thematic Areas 39