In this textbook, the authors unravel the complex themes of human rights, gender and the environment, basing their approach on the pivotal issue of inequality. All three themes manifest unequal relationships that exist between human beings—on the basis of caste, class, gender, ethnicity, race and community—and between human beings and the environment, which most people believe exists only to be ‘exploited'.


This book is divided into three sections. The section on human rights includes discussions on the rights of citizens in general and marginalized groups in particular. It also presents a comprehensive account of the various national and international movements, laws, and institutional and policy measures in this area. The section on gender discusses the issue in contemporary India, analyses the concept of patriarchy to help better understand gender, and then places it in the context of history and culture. It also includes the institutional and legal context of women's issues. The third section discusses the impact of socio-economic development on the environment. It examines the specific issues of the environment in an international context and proceeds to present the environmental policies and movements in India.