NHRC takes offence to unresponsive IHBAS
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken ‘offence’ to the reluctance of the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Science (IHBAS) management to respond to its two show cause notices since September 2025 about a matter related to a woman delivering her baby in the washroom of the institute.
The NHRC had taken suo motu cognisance of the case after The Pioneer had reported on September 10, 2025, that a destitute woman, admitted to IHBAS under a court order, delivered her baby in a very unhygienic place, which resulted in the death of the infant.
It has been alleged that there was a delay and a complete absence of essential childbirth facilities at the mental health institute.
Calling the incident a serious violation of human rights if proven true, the NHRC issued a notice to the Chief Secretary of the Government of NCT of Delhi and asked for a detailed report within two weeks.
NHRC records show that despite issuing not one but two reminders, including a second and final reminder in November 2025, no detailed response has been received from the authorities concerned.
The commission has taken a strong note not only of the incident but also of the hospital’s continued silence despite repeated reminders.
Earlier, the Commission had underlined that admitting a pregnant woman to a facility without maternity services raised grave questions about institutional responsibility and medical ethics.
According to the NHRC record, the woman was admitted even though IHBAS does not have infrastructure for conducting deliveries. After the baby was born, hospital staff reportedly took a long time to arrange even a basic clamp to cut the umbilical cord. Mother and child were later shifted by ambulance to Swami Dayanand Hospital, where doctors declared the newborn dead.
When contacted, IHBAS officials claimed that a response had already been sent. Yet, when pressed for details, they failed to provide any documentation or clarity. Follow-up calls and requests for meetings were either ignored or met with evasive replies.
Upon enquiries, medical workers at IHBAS said the response from the authorities has been “highly unprofessional” and marked by an apparent attempt to avoid accountability.
“There is a clear reluctance to engage with questions about what went wrong and why a pregnant woman was kept in a facility that could not handle childbirth,” said a medico at IHBAS.
The NHRC case file notes that such non-responsiveness itself raises concerns, particularly when the matter involves the death of a newborn and alleged systemic negligence at a government -run institution.
The Commission has repeatedly stressed that mental health institutions, especially those functioning under court orders, have an added duty of care towards vulnerable patients. Admitting a pregnant woman without ensuring access to emergency obstetric care and the subsequent delay in providing basic post-delivery assistance point to serious administrative lapses.
With the NHRC still awaiting a formal reply, the case has become emblematic of a larger issue: gaps in coordination between courts, health departments and specialised institutions, and the absence of accountability when those gaps prove fatal.
Health officials of the IHBAS did not respond to queries on why a woman close to delivery was admitted to the facility or why there was no immediate transfer to a maternity-equipped hospital.
