Why in news?

• USCIRF has designated India as a “Country of Particular Concern (CPC)” for third consecutive year.
  • Designation is reserved for worst violators of religious freedom.
  • Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, North Korea and Russia are also designated as CPCs.
• USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan U.S. federal government agency created by 1998 International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA).
• An advisory or a consultative body to US Congress on issues pertaining to international religious freedom.
• It uses international standards, such as Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to monitor violations of religious freedom or belief abroad.