NHRC, India CHAPTER - 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 This report covers the period from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022. It is the twenty-ninth Annual Report of the Commission. This report presents comprehensive details of the initiatives/activities undertaken by the Commission to ensure better protection and promotion of human rights. 1.2 The twenty-eighth Annual Report of the Commission, covering the period from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021 was submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs for preparing the Memorandum of Action Taken and placing the same before each House of Parliament in accordance with the procedure laid down under Section 20 of the “Protection of Human Rights Act (PHRA), 1993” and its subsequent amendment in September, 2006 and July, 2019. 1.3 During the period under review, Justice Shri Arun Kumar Mishra (Former Judge of Supreme Court) assumed charge as the Chairperson in the Commission on 02.06.2021. Justice Shri P.C. Pant (Former Judge of the Supreme Court) was holding the office of Member in the Commission and demitted the office on 11.09.2021; Smt. Jyotika Kalra (Advocate on Record, Supreme Court of India), was holding the office of Member in the Commission and demitted the office on 04.04.2022; Justice Shri M.M. Kumar (Former Chief Justice of Jammu & Kashmir High Court) assumed charge as Member of the Commission on 02.06.2021;Dr. D.M. Mulay (Former Secretary, Indian Foreign Service) continued to serve as Member of the Commission; and Shri Rajiv Jain (Former Director, Intelligence Bureau) assumed charge as Member of the Commission on 02.06.2021. 1.4 Shri Bimbadhar Pradhan demitted the office of Secretary General on 31.03.2022 on superannuation. Shri Santosh Mehra, IPS, demitted the office of Director General (Investigation) on 12.07.2022 on transfer to his parent cadre and Shri Manoj Yadava, IPS, assumed charge as Director General (Investigation) of NHRC on 12.07.2022. Shri R.K. Khandelwal, IAS (BH: 1989), was holding the post as Additional Secretary in the Commission and demitted the office of Additional Secretary on 18.08.2021. Smt. Anita Sinha, IRS (1990), continued to serve as JS (Programme & Training) in the Commission. Shri Harish Chandra Chaudhary, IFoS (1992), assumed charge as Joint Secretary of NHRC on 08.11.2021. 1.5 As provided in Section3(3) of the PHRA (1993), Smt. Rekha Sharma, Chairperson of the National Commission for Women, Dr. Bhagwan Lal Sahni, Chairperson of the National Commission for Backward Classes, Shri Priyank Kanoongo, Chairperson of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Dr Kamlesh Kumar Pandey, Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Shri Vijay Sampla, Chairperson of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, Shri Harsh Chouhan, Chairperson of the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, and Shri ANNUAL REPORT 1 2021-22