Annual Report
2013-14
methods for sharing its information on activities conducted by it, interventions made and
recommendations forwarded to different stakeholders. These include press releases, select
media briefings, press conferences, and interviews of Chairperson and Members. Media
persons are also invited to NHRC seminars, conferences, workshops and other events.
2.17 During the period under review, 196 press releases/statements were issued by the
Commission on various activities undertaken by it and interventions made. Special efforts
were made to organize press conferences and day to day media briefings as well as coverage
of all the camp sittings and open hearings organized by the NHRC in different parts of the
country. Besides, 13 press conferences and 11 interviews of Chairperson and Members were
organized in the All India Radio and Doordarshan for listening and viewing of the general
public.
Number and Nature of Complaints
2.18 As in the past, the Commission continued to receive complaints from different
parts of the country on a wide range of issues where rights of the people had been violated
or negligence was shown by a public servant in the prevention of such violations. These
complaints included cases alleging custodial deaths, torture, fake encounters, police
high-handedness, violations committed by security forces, conditions relating to prisons,
atrocities committed on women and children and other vulnerable sections, communal
violence, bonded and child labour, non-payment of retiral benefits, negligence by public
authorities, etc. The Commission also took cognizance of the intimations received regarding
deaths in police encounters and police custody, judicial custody and in the custody of
defence/para military forces. Suo motu cognizance of many incidents based on reports in
print and electronic media was taken including those cases which came to the notice of
Chairperson, Members, Special Rapporteurs and senior officers of the Commission during
their visits to different parts of the country.
Human Rights Violation Cases
2.19 A total of 98,136 cases were registered in the Commission (Annexure-1) during
2013-2014. It disposed of 92,292 cases which included cases of previous years as well.
Of the total number of cases disposed of by the Commission during the year under review,
49,776 were dismissed ‘in limine’ while 26,964 were disposed of with directions to the
appropriate authorities for remedial measures. A total of 5,787 cases were transferred
to the State Human Rights Commissions for disposal in accordance with the provisions
of the PHRA. For details of State/Union Territory-wise cases disposed of by the NHRC
during 2013-2014 see (Annexure-2). At the end of the reporting period, i.e. on 31 March
2014, the total number of cases pending with the Commission was 28,886. These covered
2,316 cases awaiting preliminary consideration and 26,570 cases of previous years in
respect of which reports were either awaited from the authorities concerned or the reports
6 | NHRC