In which year was the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India formally established under the Protection of Human Rights Act?

Introduction / Context:
Human rights protection is a central concern for any modern democracy, and India created the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) as a statutory body to look into violations and promote awareness. This question checks whether you know the exact year in which the NHRC was formally set up under the Protection of Human Rights Act, which is important factual knowledge for civics and general studies exams.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- The question relates to the year of establishment of the National Human Rights Commission in India.
- The Commission was created under a specific Act of Parliament known as the Protection of Human Rights Act.
- Four consecutive years in the early 1990s are given as options, so the difference of one year matters.

Concept / Approach:
The key concept here is to link the Protection of Human Rights Act with the creation of an independent commission. The Act was passed in 1993 and provided the legal framework for constituting the NHRC at the central level and State Human Rights Commissions in states. The central NHRC began functioning in 1993, making that the correct answer.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the Protection of Human Rights Act was enacted in the early 1990s to address human rights concerns and to create institutional mechanisms. Step 2: The Act itself is commonly described as the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, which signals the year of its enactment. Step 3: The NHRC of India was constituted under this Act and started functioning in the same year. Step 4: Therefore, among the options 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1994, the year 1993 correctly matches the formal establishment of NHRC.

Verification / Alternative check:
An alternative way to remember is to connect NHRC with the broader wave of liberalisation and legal reforms that took place around 1991 to 1993 in India. While economic reforms started around 1991, human rights institutionalisation through the Protection of Human Rights Act happened slightly later, in 1993. Textbooks and official NHRC documents also state that the Commission was established in 1993.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
- 1991: Too early; economic reforms began then, but NHRC had not yet been set up.
- 1992: The process was under discussion, but the Protection of Human Rights Act was not yet in force.
- 1994: Too late, because by then the NHRC had already started functioning under the 1993 Act.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes confuse the year of the Act with later amendments or events related to human rights. Another pitfall is to guess 1992 or 1994 due to not recalling the exact date. Building a mental timeline of key Indian institutions and the Acts that created them, such as NHRC in 1993, Election Commission independence, and other bodies, helps avoid such confusion.

Final Answer:
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India was formally established in 1993 under the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993.