Chennai, June 6: The Tamil Nadu government will provide 50 country chickens each free of cost to 38,500 women living in places outside Chennai to raise for eggs and meat, Chief Minister K. Palaniswami said on Wednesday.

Making the announcement the measure in the state assembly, he said there is a growing demand for country chicken eggs and meat and as a result, rearing of such chicken in backyards has gained popularity.

The measure come in order to encourage this trend, he said, adding that the outlay for the scheme is about Rs 25 crore.

The government is already implementing free milch cows, goats/sheep scheme in the state.

Palaniswami also announced setting up of 30 ton per annum dairy whitener plant in Salem at an investment of Rs 100 crore apart from setting up of milk processing/ice cream plants is different places in the state involving an outlay of Rs 160 crore.

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Geneva: India’s human rights accreditation status is under scrutiny as the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) prepares to review the country’s processes this week. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) faces potential downgrading from its current “A status” due to concerns raised in 2023, including the lack of pluralism, the appointment of police officials and ruling party members to the NHRC, and the absence of gender and minority representation.

The decision on India's accreditation status will impact its ability to vote at the UN Human Rights Council and some UNGA bodies. The Sub-Committee on Accreditation (SCA) of GANHRI will conduct the review, which occurs every five years for each member of the 114-member alliance. India, which has been accredited since 1999, had its status deferred in 2016 but restored after a year.

The NHRC has defended its composition, stating that the presence of government officials, including the Secretary-General and CEO, enhances its effectiveness. However, criticisms include the involvement of police officers in investigations, lack of gender and minority representation, and political affiliations of some members with the ruling party.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has engaged with countries involved in the review process to present India's case diplomatically. Despite confidence in restoring its A status, the government emphasizes that it does not focus on "external certifications" of India's human rights record.

International civil society organizations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and CIVICUS, have raised concerns about increasing restrictions on civil society and discrimination against minorities in India. They urge GANHRI-SCA to amend the NHRC's rating to reflect its failure to comply with the Paris Principles and address the deteriorating human rights situation in India.

The Ministry of External Affairs has criticized the U.S. State Department's latest human rights report on India as biased and reflective of a poor understanding of the country. It further stated that it attaches no value to the report and urges others to do the same.