Odisha Human Rights commission was constituted on 27th January,2000 and started functioning w.e.f. 11.07.2003, when Sri Justice D.P. Mohapatra joined as its first Hon’ble chairperson.
The Commission mainly enquires into violation of Human Rights by a public authority, namely; rights relating to life, liberty, equality and dignity of the individual guaranteed by the Constitution or embodied in the International Covenants and enforceable by Courts in India, and issues appropriate direction necessary for the protection of such rights.
The constitution of India 1950 was inspired by the aspiration goals set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948. The preamble to the Constitution of India 1950 underlines the need to secure to all citizens justice, liberty, equality and also dignity of the individual as important values.
A number of civil and political rights including the right to equality, freedom of speech, right to life and personal liberty, prohibition of traffic in human beings and forced labour, freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion have been enshrined in the provisions of the Constitution of India dealing with fundamental rights

In case of infringement of any fundamental right, the right to move the Supreme Court for issuing appropriate directions or orders or writs is also a fundamental right. Number of economic, social and cultural rights like the right to education, health and work have been provided under the provisions of the constitution of India that relate to the Directive Principles of State Policy.
The principles laid down in the Directive Principles of State Policy are fundamental in the governance of the country. The legislature is expected to keep in view these principles while making laws because the objective of the directive principles is to embody the concept of a welfare state.
The Parliament has enacted various legislations which seek to protect and promote the rights of the vulnerable sections of the society like the disabled, the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, women and children. In so far as women are concerned, the legislations cover issues such as dowry harassment, immoral traffic, prevention of sati and misuse of prenatal diagnostics to cause female foeticide. The Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, provides for the constitution of i) National Human Rights Commission (ii) State Human Rights Commissions (iii) Human Rights Courts.