Consider the following statements with regard to the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 :
1. It is mandatory to have at least one woman Member in the National Human Rights Commission having the knowledge of, or practical experience in, matters relating to human rights.
2. It is mandatory to have at least three Members in the National Human Rights Commission having the knowledge of, or practical experience in, matters relating to human rights.
3. The Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities is deemed to be a Member of the National Human Rights Commission for certain purposes only.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

The Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Act, 2019, introduced significant changes to the composition of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). Under the amended Section 3(2)(d), the number of members to be appointed from among persons having knowledge of, or practical experience in, human rights was increased from two to three, and it is mandatory that at least one of them must be a woman. Thus, statements 1 and 2 are correct.

Furthermore, the 2019 amendment expanded the list of ex-officio members to include the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities (along with the Chairpersons of the NCBC and NCPCR). According to Section 3(3) of the Act, these ex-officio members are deemed to be Members of the Commission specifically for the discharge of functions listed in clauses (b) to (j) of Section 12, excluding the inquiry function under clause (a). Therefore, statement 3 is correct.