People's Vigilance Committee on Human Rights
People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR) is an Indian non-governmental, membership-based organization founded in 1996. It works to protect the basic rights of marginalized groups in Indian society—such as children, women, Dalits, and tribal communities—and to strengthen the rule of law through participatory activism. PVCHR fights extrajudicial killings, police torture, hunger, bonded labor, and injustices linked to caste and patriarchy. Its ideas are inspired by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi.
PVCHR and its founders were nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for promoting peace and challenging militarized traditions driven by masculinity. The organization was started by Dr. Lenin Raghuvanshi and Shruti Nagvanshi, with support from Vikash Maharaj, Mahendra Pratap, and Gyanendra Pati. Jan Mitra Nyas is the legal holder of PVCHR; PVCHR is a Public Charitable Trust with special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC).
In 2015, PVCHR was named a Friend of the German Parliament during a dinner with Vice President Claudia Roth, marking a milestone in its international human rights advocacy. The patron is Justice Z. M. (Zak) Yacoob, former judge of the Constitutional Court of South Africa.
Mission and approach
PVCHR aims to build a true, vibrant democracy through the idea of Jan Mitra (friendly citizens). Its goal is to ensure civil rights for all, eliminate exploitation of the vulnerable, and foster a people-friendly society through inter-institutional collaboration.
Geography and reach
PVCHR operates mainly in eastern and western Uttar Pradesh—in areas such as Varanasi, Jaunpur, Sonbhadra, Allahabad, Ambedkar Nagar, Aligarh, Moradabad, Meerut, and Badaun—and in Koderma district, Jharkhand. It networks with 99 partner organizations across 16 Indian states and works with about 72,000 people identified as neo-Dalits, including allies from upper castes, Other Backward Classes, tribal communities, and minorities.
For more information, PVCHR’s work is described on its website.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 14:50 (CET).