6 ... ... ... ... .. INTRODUCTION Introduction CHAPTER 1 1.1 This is the tenth annual report of the National Human Rights Commission. It covers the period 1 April 2002 to 31 March 2003. 1.2 The ninth such report, which covers the period 1 April 2001 to 31 March 2002, has not been placed before Parliament as of the time of writing the present report, even though that report was sent to the Central Government on 3 July 2002. The delay in the tabling of the ninth report, together with the required Memorandum of Action Taken, has resulted in a corresponding delay in releasing its contents to the public. In the process, both the elected representatives of the people of India and the people of India themselves have, once again, been denied timely and comprehensive information on the work and concerns of the Commission. The delay has also meant that the present report has been written without Parliament, the public and this Commission being informed of the action, if any, taken on the observations and recommendations contained in the preceding report. 1.3 The eighth annual report of the Commission, for the period 1 April 2000 to 31 March 2001, was submitted to the Central Government on 31 December 2001. It was tabled in both Houses of Parliament in December 2002, together with a Memorandum of Action Taken, in accordance with the procedure envisaged under Section 20 (2) of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993. As a result, the Commission was able to release that report to the public only in December 2002, a full year after it was submitted. N AT I O N A L H U M A N R I G H T S C O M M I S S I O N