Annual Report 2009-2010 1.6 The protection of civil liberties continued to be the central preoccupation of the Commission during the period under review. This entailed the Commission to ensure the implementation of its Statute in true spirit. The Statute, in essence, requires the Commission to function on two tracks simultaneously : one, fast, so as to protect and provide immediate relief to the victims or their kith and kin for wrongs commi�ed on them; the other, more measured, so as to strive for the development of a culture of human rights over the length and breadth of the country. The experience of the last sixteen years has brought to the fore another home truth for the Commission. And, that is, it is the calibre and integrity of the Chairperson and Members, and their determination to promote and protect human rights with independence and without fear, which in a way, also determines the credibility, effectiveness and reach of the Commission. Fundamental to this has been the determination of the Commission to strengthen the pillars of autonomy and transparency on which its performance and integrity must rest. The past year has seen these pillars being reinforced, through the stand it took on ma�ers relating to civil and political rights, including the protection of human rights in areas affected by terrorism and militancy, and custodial violence and torture. 1.7 At the same time, it took important decisions relating to economic, social and cultural rights, which incorporated among others the right to health, the right to food, the right to education, the rights of women and children, the rights of other vulnerable groups, human rights education and awareness, and facilitating assessment and enforcement of human rights programme in selected 28 districts of India. The current Annual Report gives a description of all these efforts of the Commission. In addition, as per the mandate conferred on it by the PHRA, the Annual Report covers human rights violation cases dealt by the Commission during the year under review, abstracts being provided on some of the major cases handled by it. Other than this, it provides information relating to action taken on cases reported in its earlier Annual Reports, thereby fulfilling and assuring ‘be�er protection and promotion’ of human rights in the country. (K. G. Balakrishnan) Chairperson (G.P. Mathur) Member 11 March 2011 New Delhi 2 NHRC (B.C. Patel) Member (Satyabrata Pal) Member (P.C.Sharma) Member