Annual Report 1999-2000 12.28 The monthly newsletter of the Commission continued to provide a steady flow of information relating to the work, programmes, major decisions and concerns of the Commission. These are now available on the Commission's web page along with back issues. The demand for newsletters continued to rise, a number of requests being received from individuals and organizations to be included in the mailing list. The Commission mails more than 4000 newsletters to places within and outside India every month. 12.29 Twenty newspapers are scanned daily in the Commission and all news items relating to human rights are clipped and filed in a computerised database, facilitating retrieval of important clippings topic-wise, date-wise and newspaper-wise. The clippings serve as an important source of information to the Commission for taking suo motu action. The clipping service is also of immense use to researchers, students and media persons working on human rights related issues. They are provided easy access to these clippings. 12.30 The print and visual media continued to be of great value to the Commission in its work of protecting human rights and creating awareness amongst the general public. In addition to providing the basis for much of the suo motu action taken by the Commission, the media readily carried the views of the Commission through coverage of its daily activities and through intisrviews of the Chairperson and members. The press releases and the press briefings of the Commission were also widely used, not least in respect of the decisions of the Commission in respect of individual complaints. Indeed, the Commission is indebted to the media for helping it come closer to the people of India in all parts of the country. This has been an inestimable contribution to the cause of human rights. 12.31 The Commission also worked with a nuntber of film and television serial makers by providing them with case studies, on the basis ofwhich they have made their films. RESEARCH PROGRAMMES AND PROjECTS 12.32 The Commission continued to pursue a variety of programmes and projects in pursuance of its statutory responsibility to undertake and promote research in the field of human rights. Issues relating, inter alia, to the elimination ofbonded and child labour, the prevalence of iron deficiency and its deleterious consequences on women and children, especially girls, child prostitution and quality assurance in mental hospitals were regularly discussed in the Commission's weekly programme agenda and in meetings of the Full Commission, held every quarter, at which were also present the Chairpersons of the National Commission for Minorities, the National Commission for SCs and STs, and the National Commission for Women. 80