Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning | A Guide for NHRIs in the Asia Pacific National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRC): Issue, Input, Activity, Output and Outcome Human Rights Issue The Supreme Court of India entrusted the NHRC with the responsibility of monitoring and overseeing the implementation of its directions and provisions of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act (BLSAA), 1976 in all States/Union Territories (UTs). Forced or bonded labour is one of the worst forms of cruelty, indignity and deprivation. The Commission regularly receives complaints regarding forced or bonded labour such as: • exploitation and harassment of persons who have been victims of bonded labour system (adults, adolescents and children included), • indecent behaviour with women accompanying the interstate migrant workmen working and living under bonded and slave-like conditions; outraging the modesty of such women, • non-payment of wages or payment of wages lower than notified minimum wages or market wages. Further, the Commission, through its Members and Special Rapporteurs/Monitors, records and assesses the performance of major bonded labour prone States/UTs with regards to pace and progress of implementation of BLSAA-1976 and Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS). Inputs The NHRC has the following inputs to help address this issue: • monitoring complaints and incidents of the issues through processes such as online and postal complaint handling, • designated Helpline and Focal Points within the NHRC, • members and Special Rapporteurs to monitor and record performance of the implementation of the BLSAA act, • mandate of the Law and Investigation division. • program of work with the Policy Research, Projects and Programmes Division (PRP&P). Activities The NHRC conducts the following activities to help address this issue: • program of complaints registration in the Law Division, • program of spot inquiries, fact finding and speedy redressal of the complaint through the Investigation Division, • research on the issue using data from the complaints handling mechanism to identify trends, • national seminars and regional workshops on matters related to bonded labour in various parts of the country. Output The following outputs are a result of the above activities: • bonded Labourers are identified, • a case is registered against the employer of the Bonded Labour with the relevant authorities, • research and policy reviews of the issue that include national and international human rights context to inform approaches, 86