NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMlSSlON ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR 1998-99 INTRODUCTION This report of h e National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) covers the period 1 April 1998 to 31 March 1999. It is the sixth such report of the Commission. The preceding report, dealing with the period 1 April 1997 to 31 March 1998 was, k r the reasons set out in that report, submitted tn the Central Government on 8 March 1999. 1.1 1.2 Under the terms of Section 2062) of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 the Central Government 'shall cause the amual report of the Commission to be laid before each House of Parliament along with a memorandum of action taken or proposed to be taken on the recommendations of the Commission and for the non-acceptance of the recommendations, if any." While the first thme annual reports of the Commission were laid before each House of Parliament,along with the memoranda 01action taken, in the course of the Session immediately following the submisslon of the report to Government, there was a delay of 9 months in the tabling of the annual report for 1996-97. The annual report for 1997-98 has yet to be tabled before Parliament, in part because of the dissolution of the Lok Sabha. Because of that, and the lack thus far of a memorandum of action taken on that report, the present report is - in order to be self-contained reiterating certain of the key observations and recommendations of the preceding report. - As the annual reports of the Commission are essential sources of information on the 1.3 human rights situation h the country, the Commission is of the view that they should normally be placed before Parliament, together with the requked adon taken memoranda, not later than the Session immediately following submission of the report. The Commission was privileged to continue to have Justice Shri M.N.Venkatachaliah 1.4 as its Chairperson and Justlce Shri V.S.Malimath as a Member. Shri Sudarshan Agarwal and Dr. Justice K.Ramaswarny jolned the Commission as Members on 30 October and 16 November 1998 respectively. On the latter date Shri Virendra Dayal, whose 5-year term as a Member had expired in October 1898, was re-appointed to another such term. Thus, after a gap of nearly two years, the Commirrslon regained its full strength. In accordance with Section 3(3) of the Statute of the Commission, Prof. pr.)Tahir Mahmood continued to serve as a Member of the Commission in his capacity as Chairperson of the National Commission for Minorities. Shri Dileep Singh Bhurm and Smt. Vibha Parthasarathy, who assumed office as Chairpersons