Introduction CHAPTER 1 1.1 This is the ninth annual report of the National Human Rights Commission. It covers the period 1^ril 2001 to 31 March 2002. 1.2 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. As of the time of writing the present annual report, the eighth such report had not been placed before each House of Parliament, 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. 1.3 The seventh annual report of the Commission, for the period 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2000, was submitted to the Central Government on 29 March 2001. It was tabled before the Lok Sabha, together with the Memorandum of Action Taken, on 23 April 2002 and before the Rajya Sabha, together with that Memorandum, on 24 April 2002 — over a year after the report was submitted to the Government. The cycle of delay has thus, once again, been repeated. Worse still, the delay in tabling the annual report before Parliament 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, in effect, been denied timely and comprehensive information on the work and concerns of the Commission. 1.4 During the period under review, Shri Justice Jagdish Sharan Verma continued to serve as Chairperson of the Commission, with Dr Justice K. Ramaswamy, Smt. Justice Sujata V Manohar and Shri Virendra Dayal serving as its Members. The term of Shri NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION