patients. There had not been any case of suicide, homicide, violence and escape. There was one death of an epilepsy patient with other associated complications in 2009. The medical staff of the hospital made best efforts but could not save the life of the patient. Death audit was conducted in all cases with the help of a consultant. 2. Barest Minimum Needs of the Patients A mentally sick person has certain human rights which flow from the fundamental right to life as in Article 21 of the Constitution. These human rights are irreducible barest minimum needs which include wholesome, sumptuous and nutritive food according to certain prescribed scales; adequate quantity of portable water for drinking and water for cleaning, washing, cooking, bathing , flushing the toilet; personal hygiene and sanitation etc. The state/mental health care hospital in case of inpatients has a fundamental obligation to recognise these barest minimum needs of mentally sick patients and try to meet these needs as deprivation of any one of these amounts to violation of human rights of the person. The quality norms and standards in mental health are non-negotiable. The position as it stands in different mental hospitals has been analysed under the following heads: i) Right to food The right to food has a number of dimensions such as certification of the nutritive value of food by a dietician/nutritionist; arrangement for providing special diet to inmates suffering from communication diseases; place where food is being cooked; manner of cooking food; storage of food after it is cooked and before it is transported; method of transportation of food; manner of service of food with a human touch; upkeep and maintenance of kitchen as well as dining hall; personal hygiene of cooks; medical examination of cooks; place where food items have been stored; manner of storage of food items. Availability of wholesome, sumptuous and nutritive food according to certain prescribed scales; food served for breakfast, lunch and dinner is a balanced combination of carbohydrate, protein, oil/fat, trace minerals and vitamins; to ensure that the food is balanced and wholesome and nutritious as per the established and recommended standards the services of a dietician should be engaged to verify and attest that the food being served conforms to a minimum of 2500 kilo calories for women and 3000 kilo calories for men; the per capita allocation for food in monetary terms conforms to the above nutritive value. Food should be cooked in clean and hygienic environment in a modern kitchen having adequate space light and ventilation; adequate number of exhaust fans and chimney; tiling on the wall upto a height of one metre; platforms for washing, cutting and storing vegetables before being cooked; adequate number of taps inside the kitchen; adequate mechanisation like electric kneader and chapattimaking machine; the vegetables should not be cut on the floor and chapattis not made on the floor; flyproof wiremesh all around, flyproof automatic closing doors, floors made of an impermeable material; LPG and hotplate. 74 National Human Rights Commission