NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, INDIA society, media, concerned citizens, expert advisers etc. Furthermore, the Commission strives for comprehensive partnerships with key stakeholders such as, the judiciary, police personnel, media, representatives of NGOs and civil society organizations, industry and academia (including students). It functions most notably through sponsoring research, conducting consultations, seminars, workshops, internships, training programmes and publications. 5. To keep pace with the advent of advanced technology in communication, the Commission is proud to announce the start of its Twitter account @India_NHRC in an effort to voice the human rights issues it is deeply concerned with. With concerted efforts, the NHRC has been playing a pivotal role in protection and promotion of Human Rights, therefore, other Human Rights Institutions are bound to follow. Also, in order to handle complaints more effectively within the Commission, the upgraded Complaint Management System (CMS) software is being used for a more advanced internal system. 6. In this Annual Report, the important activities of the Commission and its numerous initiatives undertaken are being described at length. The consequent chapters deal with a range of issues concerning civil liberties, terrorism and militancy, custodial violence and torture. It also details the measures taken after the Supreme Court of India, in 1997, vested the Commission with the responsibility of monitoring and implementation of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976. Pursuant to the Apex Court directives, a separate unit designated as Bonded Labour Cell was created in the Commission. Also, the summaries of some of principal cases handled during the period under report are illustrated here. These involve cases related to the systemic reforms of the prisons and criminal justice system, cases that primarily deal with the laws and International instruments relevant to the protection of human rights. The Commission is committed to not only protect the human rights of Indian citizens but also the rights of Refugees. 7. It is an ardent hope that this Annual Report for the period 2019-2020, will not only serve to inform its readers about the important initiatives undertaken by the Commission, but also encourage meaningful participation of both the government and the civil society. So that we as citizens stand together as a Nation and strengthen our commitment to protect and promote human rights and it is this commitment which will act as a force for protecting respect and dignity of all. (Justice H.L. Dattu) (Former Chief Justice of India) ii ANNUAL REPORT 2019-20