Annual Report 2008-2009 1.11 As in the past, during the year 2008-2009, the NHRC continued to work for civil and political rights, on the one hand, and economic, social and cultural rights, on the other. On all of these matters, the views and actions of the Commission are recounted in detail in the chapters that follow. These chapters deal, inter alia, with a range of civil liberties, including the protection of human rights in areas affected by terrorism and militancy; custodial violence and torture; conditions in prisons and analysis of prison population; systemic reforms of the police and criminal justice system; they deal with the laws and international instruments relevant to the protection of human rights; the right to health, food and education; the rights of women and children; the rights of vulnerable sections of society, including child and bonded labour; the efforts to spread human rights education and awareness; to undertake research projects and programmes; and to encourage the efforts of non-governmental organizations. In addition, the Annual Report deals with the efforts of the NHRC to ensure appropriate action on the complaints addressed to it, summaries being provided of some of the principal cases handled during the year under review. 1.12 The NHRC presents this Annual Report to the Central Government to place it before each House of Parliament, in accordance with Section 20 of the Act. (K.G. Balakrishnan) Chairperson (G.P. Mathur) Member (B.C. Patel) Member (Satyabrata Pal) Member (P.C.Sharma) Member 9 September 2010 New Delhi 11