Q.On what grounds are some rights considered to be universal in nature? Identify three rights which you consider universal. Give reasons.

A right is treated as universal when it protects something every human being needs — for dignity/self-respect or for well-being — regardless of nationality or community.

The two grounds on which rights are claimed are that something is necessary for a life of dignity and self-respect, and that something is necessary for a person's well-being and development. A right is called universal specifically when the interest it protects on either of these grounds is not tied to any particular nationality, community, or status — it is something every human being needs, purely by virtue of being human.

Three rights fit this test clearly. First, the right to livelihood is universal because having a means of livelihood gives any person, anywhere, the economic independence that underlies their dignity and their freedom to pursue their own talents and interests. Second, the right to freedom of expression is universal because every human being, in any society, needs the ability to think, create, and voice beliefs and opinions for themselves — and because free expression is also essential to keeping any democratic government accountable. Third, the right to education is universal because it develops the basic human capacity to reason, provides useful skills, and enables informed choices in life — capacities every person needs for their own well-being, regardless of where they are born.