A/HRC/36/10 121. Bangladesh praised India for its socioeconomic development, including its measures for poverty eradication, improving nutrition, removing the urban-rural divide and addressing the sanitation and safe drinking water needs of its people. 122. Belarus welcomed the cooperation of India with international human rights mechanisms, including recent visits by Special Rapporteurs. 123. Belgium, while welcoming efforts to address violence and discrimination against women, stated that further progress could be achieved in that area. 124. Bhutan appreciated measures such as the Stand-Up India scheme, reforms to reduce delays in the judicial system and the steps taken to enhance the equality and empowerment of women. 125. The Plurinational State of Bolivia highlighted policies to improve living conditions in rural areas, especially with regard to water and sanitation. 126. Botswana noted that the socioeconomic development agenda of India was aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals and welcomed the focus on poverty eradication. 127. Brazil welcomed the commitment of India to poverty eradication and its initiatives in the field of health. 128. Brunei Darussalam noted that the Constitution of India guaranteed an individual’s right to a clean environment. 129. Bulgaria noted the importance of the National Human Rights Commission and called for the extension of its mandate. 130. The delegation of India stated that the Government had mapped out all the central ministries, national missions and centrally supported development programmes regarding each specific Sustainable Development Goal, and national consultations on all the goals had been held, with broad participation of various stakeholders. 131. In order to address the agrarian crisis, India planned to develop a sense of income security by aiming for optimal utilization of water resources, conservation of soil fertility with balanced use of fertilizers and provision of connectivity between farms and markets. 132. The Government was committed to ensuring a safe working environment for all, including those engaged in promoting and protecting human rights, while stressing that human rights defenders’ activities should comply with the domestic legal framework. 133. The right to housing remained a priority for the Government. It had launched the Housing for All by 2022 programme to provide better and affordable housing facilities to the rural poor, urban slum dwellers and other economically weaker sections of the society, including minorities. 134. The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 had vested the forest rights and occupation of forest land to Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers. 135. India was committed to eradicating child labour. It had addressed the phenomenon through a multipronged strategy, which included the enactment of the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2016, prohibiting the employment of children below 14 years of age in any occupation, except after school work and when assisting in family enterprises. 136. Several legislative and policy measures had been taken to promote social, economic and emotional security for the elderly. In 2017, the Government had launched the Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana, a scheme for providing physical aids and assisted-living devices for senior citizens. 137. Burkina Faso requested further information on the establishment of the crisis centres providing victims of sexual violence with legal aid. 138. Canada welcomed efforts to strengthen justice for victims of sexual assault, and commended the Supreme Court of India for its recognition of transgender persons. 9