NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, INDIA NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION From the Secretary General’s Desk Shri Jaideep Govind, IAS Secretary General, NHRC It is my immense pleasure to present the National Human Rights Commission’s (NHRC) Annual Report for the year 2019-2020 which enumerates the Commission’s initiatives to create a robust regime of human rights in India. 2. NHRC, which is an embodiment of India’s concern for human rights, was established to promote, protect and defend human rights of all. Since its inception in 1993, the Commission has been working on the issues of extrajudicial killings, prison conditions, bonded and child labour, and the protection of vulnerable groups, including women, children, persons with disabilities, senior citizens, LGBTI, among others. In this regard, it examines and reviews the safeguards provided by the various legislations for the protection of human rights and recommends measures for their effective implementation; inquires into violations of human rights and recommends initiation of remedial proceedings; studies treaties and international instruments, periodically reviews existing policies, programmes and makes recommendations for their effective implementation; undertakes and promotes research in the field of human rights; spreads human rights literacy and creates awareness of the safeguards available for protection of these rights through publications, media, seminars and other available means. 3. This issue of the Annual Report, containing twenty chapters, gives an account of the Commission’s initiatives and achievements on a range of human rights issues including individual complaints, research studies and deliberations on incidents of contemporary relevance. The report also focuses on NHRC India’s cooperation at the international level with the Human Rights Council, Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions and Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions. 4. As the Annual Report is a product of coordinated efforts of all the Divisions of the Commission, I would like to sincerely commend everyone who has been involved in the preparation of this Report. 5. It is the Commission’s sincere hope that the Annual Report will serve as a beneficial resource to anybody who wants to gain a holistic understanding of the human rights situation of our country and the important initiatives undertaken by the Commission. (Jaideep Govind) ANNUAL REPORT 2019-20 iii