...... 1 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 This is the eleventh annual report of the National Human Rights Commission. It covers the period 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2004. 1.2 The tenth annual report of the Commission, for the period from 1 April 2002 to 31 March 2003, was forwarded to the Central Government for placing the same before the Parliament, on 14 November 2003. As at the time of writing the present annual report, the tenth annual report together with the Memorandum of Action Taken had not been placed before each House of Parliament, in accordance with the procedure envisaged under section 20(2) of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993. 1.3 The ninth annual report of the Commission, for the period 1 April 2001 to 31 March 2002 was forwarded to the Central Government on 3 July 2002. It was tabled in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha together with the Memorandum of Action Taken on 16.12.2003 and 17.12.2003 respectively. 1.4 The Commission would like to emphasise, once again that any delay in placing the annual report before the Parliament, not only deprives the Commission from getting a feedback about the action taken by the Government, but also the Members of Parliament and the citizens an opportunity to discuss its contents at the earliest and most appropriate time. The Commission has urged the Central Government to expeditiously place the annual report before Parliament, together with Memorandum of Action Taken, so that information about the initiatives and activities of the Commission for the preceding year could be made available to the public without undue delay. 1.5 The Commission had also forwarded copies of the ninth annual report to all the State Governments/Union Territories as envisaged under Section 20(2) of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, for tabling the report in the State Legislature, along with a Memorandum of Action Taken or proposed to be taken on the recommendations of the Commission and the reasons for non-acceptance of the recommendations, if any. The Action Taken Report has only been received from the States of Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Tripura, ANNUAL REPORT 2003-04