Full Name: International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
Adopted: 16 December 1966 (entered into force 3 January 1976)
Type: Binding Treaty
Articles: 31
Monitoring Body: Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR)
India’s Status: Ratified 10 April 1979 ✓
Overview
The ICESCR protects socio-economic rights — the right to work, education, health, adequate housing, food, and social security. Unlike the ICCPR which requires immediate implementation, the ICESCR permits “progressive realization” subject to available resources.
Key Articles & Indian Parallels
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Article 6: Right to work — mirrors Article 41 (Directive Principle); read into Article 21 via Olga Tellis
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Article 7: Just and favourable conditions of work — cited in CERC v. UOI (occupational health)
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Article 11: Right to adequate standard of living, food, housing — cited in Chameli Singh (right to shelter)
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Article 12: Right to health — read into Article 21; cited in Parmanand Katara
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Article 13: Right to education — cited in Unni Krishnan; led to Article 21A
Indian Courts and Socio-Economic Rights
Indian courts have progressively read ICESCR rights into Article 21. The Directive Principles in Part IV of the Constitution largely mirror ICESCR obligations. Through expansive interpretation, the Supreme Court has made many ICESCR rights judicially enforceable — right to livelihood (Olga Tellis), right to health (Parmanand Katara), right to education (Unni Krishnan), and right to shelter (Chameli Singh).