Introduction CHAPTER 1 1.1 This report of the National Human Rights Commission covers the period 1April 2000 to 31 March 2001. It is the eighth such report of the Commission. The seventh report, dealing with the period 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2000, was submitted to the Central Government on 29 March 2001. 1.2 As of the time of writing the present report, the seventh report had not been laid before each House of Parliament, along with the Memorandum of Action Taken, as envisaged under Section 20(2) of the Protection of Human Rights Act 1993. The Commission is constrained to observe, once again, that such delays in tabling consecutive Annual Reports disrupt the preparation and presentation of the reports of the Commission. Further, in the absence of a Memorandum of Action Thken, it becomes impossible for the Commission to know what steps, if any, are being taken by the Cent^ Government to implement the recommendations of the Commission, or to gauge the reasons for the non-acceptance of one or the other of its recommendations. Such a situation is hardly conducive to the 'better protection of human rights' in the coimtry, the avowed purpose of Parliament of adopting the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993. 1.3 In such circumstances, the Commission sees no alternative but to append to the present report the entire set of Recommendations and Observations of its preceding report (Annexure 1). It will be seen that the very first of those recommendations urged the Central Government to place the Annual Reports of the Commission promptly before Parliament, together with the Memorandum of Action Taken. The recommendation added that this should normally be done not later than the Session NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION