Om Introduction 1.1 This is the seventh such Report ofthe Commission,covering the period 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2000.The preceding report dealing with the period 1 April 1998 to 31 March 1999 was submitted to the Central Government on 9 November 1999.It was placed before Parliament on 20 December 2000 along with the Action Taken Report. The Fifth Annual Report of the Commission dealing with the period 1 April 1997 to 31 March 1998 was submitted to the Central Government on 8 March 1999. It was placed on the table of the Rajya Sabha on 1 March 2000, and of the Lok Sabha on 8 March 2000, by the Central Government together wth the Action Taken Report. 1.2 Section 20(2) of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, specifies that the Central Government 'shall cause the annual report of the Commission to be laid before each House ofParliament along with the Memorandum ofAction Taken or proposed to be taken on the recommendations ofthe Commission and for the non-acceptance ofthe recommendations,if any'.The delay in tabling consecutive annualreports sets back the schedulefor the preparation and presentation ofthe reports ofthe Commission.The Commission therefore, has perforce, to reiterate its recommendation that its annualreports be placed promptly before I^liament, togetherwith the required Action Taken Memoranda.This should normally be done notlater, than the Session immediately following submission, of its Report. / 1.3 The year under review witnessed change at the helm of the Commission. Its second Chairperson,Shrijustice Manepalli Narayanarao Venkatachaliali,retired on 24October 1999 upon attaining the age of 70 years, as envisaged in Section 6(2) of the Statute of the Commission.ShriJusticeJagdish SharanVerma,who assumed the office ofChairperson on 4 November 1999, succeeded him.The Statute of the Commission, under Section 3(2)(a), requires that the Chairperson should have been a Chiefjustice ofthe Supreme CourtofIndia. ShriJusticeVerma served in thatillustrious capacityfrom 25 March 1997 to 18January 1998. The year also witnessed the departure of Shri Justice VS. Malimath, Member of the Commission, on 11 June 1999. While the Commission was privileged to continue to have Justice Dr.K.Ramaswamy,Shri Sudarshan Agarwal and Shri Vlrendra Dayal as members of the Commission, it welcomed as a new member Smt Justice Sujata Vasant Manohar, who assumed charge ofoffice on 21 February 2000. With herjoining, tlie Commission has once again attained its full strength.As regards those deemed to be Members ofthe Commission