NHRC notice on bonded labour in Muzaffarnagar
On 2 July 2026 the National Human Rights Commission took suo motu cognizance of a report that 12 bonded labourers were assaulted and forced to work for nearly one and a half years at a paper plate factory in Muzaffarnagar. It sought a report from UP’s Chief Secretary and DGP within two weeks and ordered the labourers registered on e-Shram.
- Date
- 2 Jul 2026
- By
- National Human Rights Commission (suo motu)
- Where
- Mandi village, Muzaffarnagar, UP
- Victims
- 12 labourers, from several States and Nepal
- Report sought
- UP Chief Secretary and DGP, within two weeks
- Law
- Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976
The NHRC notice on bonded labour in Muzaffarnagar: what happened?
Bonded labour means forcing someone to work, often against a debt or a false promise, without freedom to leave. It is banned by law. The NHRC acted on a media report of 25 June 2026.
- The NHRC took suo motu cognizance of reports that 12 bonded labourers were assaulted and made to work at a paper plate factory in Mandi village, Muzaffarnagar, for nearly one and a half years. [PIB]
- It sought a report from the UP Chief Secretary and DGP within two weeks. [PIB]
What did the NHRC direct?
- Notices to the UP Chief Secretary and DGP for a detailed report within two weeks.
- The Muzaffarnagar DM to inquire as per the Labour Ministry SOP and the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976.
- Immediate registration of the labourers on the e-Shram Portal, as in NHRC Advisory 2.0 of 8 December 2021.
- The labourers were reportedly lured from stations and bus stands with promises of jobs; their phones and IDs were taken.
Which constitutional provision bans bonded labour?
- Article 23(1): traffic in human beings and begar and other similar forms of forced labour are prohibited, and any contravention is an offence punishable in accordance with law.
What can Prelims ask on the NHRC notice on bonded labour in Muzaffarnagar?
- NHRC can take suo motu cognizance of human rights violations.
- Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act: 1976.
- Article 23: prohibition of traffic in human beings and forced labour.
Read all of July 2026 in the monthly UP current affairs compilation →
How to use this in Mains
- Bonded labour cases need both release and rehabilitation, which is why the e-Shram registration order matters.
Quotable data pointThe NHRC took suo motu cognizance of reports that 12 bonded labourers were assaulted and made to work at a paper plate factory in Mandi village, Muzaffarnagar, for nearly one and a half years [PIB].
PIB: NHRC on 12 bonded labourers at a factory in Muzaffarnagar
Exam angle
GS-V: human rights and labour in UP; release and rehabilitation of bonded labourers, e-Shram registration.
Practice MCQs
Original practice questions (not PYQs).
Which Article of the Constitution prohibits begar and other forms of forced labour?
Answer (b) & explanation
Constitution, Article 23(1).
Questions students ask about this
What did the NHRC do in the Muzaffarnagar case?
It took suo motu cognizance and sought a detailed report from UP's Chief Secretary and DGP within two weeks.
Which law covers bonded labour?
The Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976.
Why register the labourers on e-Shram?
So that they are on the national database of unorganised workers, as the NHRC's Advisory 2.0 requires.
Keep studying
Official source: PIB: NHRC on 12 bonded labourers at a factory in Muzaffarnagar
facts from cited sources only; numbers machine-checked against source text; faculty review pending