NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, INDIA CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 This report of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) covers the period from 1 April, 2018 to 31 March, 2019. It is the twenty-sixth Annual Report of the Commission. 1.2 The twenty-fifth Annual Report of the Commission, covering the period from 1 April, 2017 to 31 March, 2018, was submitted to the Central Government on 28 December, 2018 for preparing the Memorandum of Action Taken and placing the same before each House of Parliament in accordance with the procedure laid down under Section 20 of the “Protection of Human Rights Act (PHRA), 1993” and its amendment thereby in September, 2006. 1.3 During the period under review, Justice Shri H.L. Dattu (former Chief Justice of India) continued to serve as Chairperson in the Commission. Shri S.C. Sinha (former Director General, NIA) and Justice Shri D. Murugesan (former Chief Justice of High Court of Delhi) demitted the office of Member, NHRC on 07.04.2018 and 20.09.2018 respectively. Justice Shri P.C. Ghose (former Judge Supreme Court of India) demitted the office of Member, NHRC on 22.03.3019. Smt. Jyotika Kalra (Advocate on record, Supreme Court of India) continued to serve as Member in the Commission. 1.4 Shri Jaideep Govind, IAS (1984: Madhya Pradesh) joined the National Human Rights Commission, on the 14 January, 2019 and has taken over as Secretary General and also the Chief Executive Officer of NHRC as Shri Ambuj Sharma, IAS (Tamil Nadu: 1983) superannuated on 31 December, 2018 from the Commission. He was the 15th Secretary General of the Commission. Shri Prabhat Singh, IPS (1985: AGMUT) took over as Director General (Investigation) on 23 January, 2019, as Shri Gurbachan Singh, Director General (Investigation) superannuated from the NHRC on 31 December, 2018. Dr. Ranjit Singh continued to be the Joint Secretary (Programme & Research). Shri Dilip Kumar IAS, (1995: Punjab) took over as the Joint Secretary (Training & Research) on 16 May, 2018. 1.5 As provided in Section 3 (3) of the PHRA (1993), Prof. (Dr.) Ram Shankar Katheria, the Chairperson of the National Commission for the Scheduled Castes, Shri Nand Kumar Sai, the Chairperson of the National Commission for the Scheduled Tribes, Shri Syed Ghayorul Hasan Rizvi, the Chairperson of the National Commission for Minorities and Smt. Rekha Sharma, Chairperson of the National Commission for Women continued to be deemed Members of the NHRC for the discharge of functions specified in clauses (b) to (j) of Section 12 of the PHR Act, 1993. 1.6 The Annual Report 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 the year 2018-19, the Commission focused its attention on a wide range of activities in accord with the various functions as prescribed under Section (12) of the PHR Act, 1993. It took suo motu cognizance of media reports as well as on the basis of complaints about occurrences that hint towards the use of excessive force by police personnel ANNUAL REPORT 2018-19 1