The Right to Development (RTD), a concept that emerged in the 1970s, is one of the most debated and contentious issues in international relations. RTD builds on the rights based approach to development, seeking to integrate the norms and principles of human rights with policies and plans to promote development. Despite its importance for the world's poor and dispossessed, a great deal of definitional confusion still surrounds the concept.

This primer introduces the concept of RTD as well as discusses its practical application in the Indian setting. It is divided accordingly into two sections, the first of which traces the origins and the evolution of the idea of RTD. This section identifies the defining parameters and content of RTD and focuses especially on the three rights—the rights to food, education and health—that have been identified as a 'good starting point' for the implementation of RTD. The last chapter in this section underscores the importance of women's rights in order to emphasise the need to focus on safeguarding and promoting the human rights of vulnerable groups.

Part II covers substantially the Indian situation relating to RTD. The first chapter in this section provides an overview of the legal and institutional mechanism in India for the protection of human rights in general and women's rights in particular. The next chapter examines the implementation of the rights to food, health and education. The last chapter in this section details the functioning of Public Interest Litigation (PIL) —which has emerged in recent years as an important mechanism for securing social justice—and the challenges and limitations of this mechanism.