1963, UNIVERSAL DECLARATION
OF HUMAN RIGHTS
Issued in 1963, this stamp commemorates the 15th anniversary of the UN General Assembly’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) – a milestone document that, for the first time, ensured the universal protection of fundamental human rights.
The stamp symbolises the connection between India and human rights by depicting Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, chairperson of the UDHR drafting committee, with a charkha (a spinning wheel). The charkha is symbolic of India’s work for freedom and dignity through its close association with Mrs. Mahatma Gandhi.
Hansa Mehta and Eleanor Roosevelt, 1949. Photo: UN
The drafting of the UDHR and the Constitution of India were almost simultaneous processes. For instance, Mrs. Mehta was a member of both the Indian Constituent Assembly and the team at the UN Commission on Human Rights that drafted the UDHR. As a result, the provisions of the Indian Constitution are deeply influenced by the text of the UDHR.
At various stages of drafting, India was represented by Mrs. Hansa Jiviraj Mehta, a staunch feminist, Mr. Minocher Rustom Masani and Mrs. Lakshmi Menon, who all made a series of substantive contributions to the numerous articles that would become the UDHR. Mrs. Mehta was, among other things, instrumental in having the Declaration’s original phrase “all men are created equal” changed to “all human beings are created equal”.
The UDHR was adopted by the UN General Assembly resolution 217A at its 3rd Session in Paris on 10th December 1948. In October 2025, India was elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for the 2026-28 term, marking the country's seventh stint in UNHRC.
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