NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION 1.6 The Annual Reports of the Commission not only provides a description about the overall activities undertaken by it each year but also serve as a principal source of information on the human rights situation in the country. During 2016-2017, the Commission focussed its attention on a wide range of activities in accord with the various functions prescribed under Section 12 of the PHRA. It took suo motu cognizance of media reports as well as on the basis of complaints about occurrences hinting towards use of excessive force by police personnel in different parts of the country resulting in loss of many lives; rape and death in police and judicial custody; violation of human rights of prisoners in jails; illegal detention and torture; deaths in encounter; deaths due to electrocution; delay in payment of pension to retired employees; lack of educational facilities and basic amenities like drinking water, toilet, safe building and infrastructure in schools; children falling ill after consuming mid-day meals in schools; dubious functioning of IVF clinics; sexual assault, rape and trafficking of children and women; killing of persons on allegations of practicing witchcraft; suicide by farmers; enticing children for begging; stray dog menace; pesticides in vegetables and fruits; botched up cataract surgery; separate anganwadis for children of dalits; poor facilities in Primary Health Centres resulting in death of new born babies; increasing incidents of missing children; and atrocities against vulnerable sections like the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Minorities, Other Backward Classes, children, women, disabled and the elderly. In all these, apart from making important interventions by way of issuing directives to the concerned State Governments and sending its own teams from the Investigation Division for conducting spot inquiries, the Commission also recommended payment of monetary relief to the victims whose rights were violated or their next-of-kin along with furnishing of proof of payments it recommended. 1.7 The Commission has always been sensitive to the concerns of vulnerable sections of society, particularly scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. In its endeavour to implement the recommendations made by Shri K.B. Saxena, IAS (Retd.) in his report submitted by him after carrying out a study about the atrocities against persons belonging to Scheduled Castes, on the request of the Commission, Camp Sittings and Open Hearings of the Commission are being held in different States and Union Territories of the country. During the period under review, the Commission, held Camp Sittings/Open Hearings in the States of Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha and Union Territories of Puducherry and Andaman & Nicobar Islands. 1.8 This Annual Report deals with the issues pertaining to civil and political rights including deaths in police/judicial custody, illegal detention, high handedness of police, death in police encounters etc. The Report also deals with economic and social rights, such as rights relating to health care including mental health care and leprosy, right to food, right to education, rights of vulnerable groups including women, children, disabled and elderly persons, rescue, release and rehabilitation of bonded and child labourers. The Commission also explored areas of cooperation 2 ANNUAL REPORT 2016-2017