24 i CIVIL LIBERTIES improvement of the human rights situation in the country requires far-reaching systemic reforms of the police. Regrettably, a situation has developed in which those who should be the protectors of such rights are, too often, the predators. The vast munber of complaints received by the Commission each year alleging the violation of human rights by police personnel provides melancholy testimony to this. Earlier Annual Reports of the Commission have therefore commented at length on this subject and the report for 1997-98 contained an armexure providing in full the detailed recommendations that the Commission made in a proceeding before the Supreme Court in the matter of Prakash Singh vs Union of India, which relates to the question of police reform. 3.42 In addition to the recommendations of the Commission, the Supreme Court has also received the views and recommendations of the Ribeiro Committee, which was set up on its directive. The views of the Padmanabiah Committee on Police Reforms, which was subsequendy constituted by the Ministry of Home Affairs, are also now available. 3.43 In the course of the year under review, the Commission continued to follow the proceedings before the Supreme Court. The Commission remains of the view that reform of the police is of critical importance to the protection and promotion of human rights in the country. The present situation which has, too often, permitted extraneous influences to affect police work adversely, must not be allowed to continue if the country is to repose the faith that it should in its police. Reforms, therefore, along the lines of the submissions made by the Commission and by others before the Supreme Court, remain absolutely essential if the quality of policing is to be improved and human rights better protected. The Commission urges the Central and State Governments to show the necessary political will to reform the police along the lines of the recommendations that have been made. Failure to do so is diminishing faith in the impartiality and integrity of the police and corroding the national polity. 2) Establishment of Human Rights Cells in State Police Headquarters 3.44 Upon the su^estion of the Commission that the police in each State should establish an in-house mechanism to deal with the increasing number of complaints of human rights violations by members of the police force, each State Governments has NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION