A/HRC/WG.6/1/IND/4 page 14 66. Slovenia thanked India for the comprehensive national report and asked questions on (i) steps being taken to address the lack of national laws prohibiting corporal punishment in schools, alternative care settings and the home (ii) measures taken to integrate a gender perspective into the UPR exercise and the ensuing consultation and follow-up process (iii) the civil Special Marriage Act and the failure to amend the Act to give women equal rights to property accumulated during marriage. In the latter regard, and by way of recommendation, Slovenia asked whether India was planning to follow the recommendations made by CEDAW to amend the Act accordingly. 67. Sweden raised two questions, which it stated could also be seen as recommendations. India has ratified or acceded to several instruments of international law relating to human rights but there are also a number of instruments to which it is not a party, notably the Convention against Torture, the refugee convention and ILO Conventions Nos. 138 and 182 relating to child labour. Sweden noted with interest India’s intention to ratify the Convention against Torture and encouraged the Government to do so. It requested the Indian Government to elaborate on its efforts to ratify other instruments of international law relating to human rights, in particular ILO Conventions Nos. 138 and 182 relating to child labour. Secondly, it stated that homosexual conduct is prohibited by the Indian Penal Code and that civil society organizations have reported discrimination of homosexual, lesbian, bi-sexual, transgender and transsexual persons both by agents of the State and on a general societal level. Sweden asked the Indian Government about the measures it is taking to ensure full equality before the law regardless of a person’s sexual orientation. 68. Tunisia commended India on its report, also as an example of the degree of pluralism and respect for diversity which pervades in the political and social life of the country. Tunisia noted India’s engagement to further advance the rights of women and vulnerable groups. It encouraged India to continue its efforts to allow for a harmonious life in a multi-religious, multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-lingual society and to guarantee a society constituting one fifth of the world’s population to be well fed, well housed, well cared for and well educated. 69. Israel highlighted the importance of institutionalizing principles like freedom of expression in the world’s most populous democracy and took note of the information provided by the state report in this regard. It mentioned that India was one of the first countries to ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. In view of a 2004 recommendation of the Committee on the Rights of the Child addressing the limited facilities and services existing in India for children with disabilities as well as the limited number of trained teachers working with disabled children, Israel asked how India envisaged using the Convention to implement this particular recommendation. It also asked whether this Convention will serve as a national action plan to better integrate disabled persons into Indian society. 70. Qatar expressed its appreciation of the measures taken by India to meet its challenges without prejudice to human rights and in accordance with the Constitution that guarantees to all citizens, without any discrimination, the right to enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms. Qatar spoke about India as the home for almost all religions of the world where all sects enjoy the right to establish institutions for religious and educational purposes. Reference was made to the significant role of the National Human Rights Commission of India in laying down a national plan of action for human rights that covers issues like the rights to health, education, food, security, housing and justice. Qatar also mentioned other examples of India’s commitment to human rights, including the adoption of a National Plan for human rights education especially in schools, colleges and universities, the work of thousands of NGOs in India and India’s ratification of international human rights instruments and cooperation with international organizations.