SOCHUM - Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee
(सा मा जि क, मा नवी य एवं सां स्कृति क समि ति )

The Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee (SOCHUM) focuses on a broad spectrum of issues related to human rights, social development, and cultural affairs. SOCHUM deals with a wide spectrum of issues ranging from social justice, humanitarian crises and cultural tolerance.

Agenda: Addressing the Global Rise of Digital Authoritarianism and Protecting Human Rights in the Age of Surveillance.

The agenda focuses on the growing threat of digital authoritarianism, and its implications on human rights. In the age of surveillance, the surveillance itself turns into a topic up for debate, whereas such authoritarianism is used to suppress dissent, monitor citizens and manipulate information, which leads to exploitation of the human right to privacy and expression, it also renders importance in aspects of national security and counter terrorism, and prevention of crime and law enforcement. The agenda deliberates the impact of such mass surveillance on freedom of speech, privacy and press freedom, the responsibilities of tech companies, platforms and states in upholding digital human rights and the legal frameworks to safeguard digital freedoms.