The Delhi High Court recently took a firm stance, demanding an explanation from the Union government regarding the numerous long-standing vacancies within the National Commission for Minorities (NCM). This critical development occurred on Wednesday, October 15, 2025.
During the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Mujahid Nafees, who serves as the convener of the Minority Coordination Committee, a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela highlighted a crucial point: the commission cannot be allowed to operate without its leadership for such an extended period.
Granting the Central government’s legal counsel time to gather necessary instructions on the matter, the court underscored the significant importance of the issues raised in the petition.
In a direct admonition, the court stated, “Do not wait for the next date of hearing. Please ensure that things start moving.”
The petition specifically pointed out that key positions, including the chairperson, vice-chairperson, and several members of the NCM, have been vacant since April of this year, following the completion of the last NCM chairman Iqbal Singh Lalpura’s tenure.
Operating under the Ministry of Minority Affairs, the NCM possesses essential quasi-judicial powers and is designed to have seven members: a Chairperson, a Vice-Chairperson, and five other members. The National Commission for Minorities Act of 1992 specifically mandates that one member be appointed from each of India’s six notified minority communities: Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Parsi, and Jain.
The plea argued that the Centre’s failure to appoint these vital leaders and members has led to a “complete and systematic incapacitation” of the NCM. This governmental neglect, it claimed, has rendered a crucial statutory body—established by an Act of Parliament to protect and promote the welfare of India’s minority communities—entirely ineffective and without its necessary leadership.
Furthermore, the petition emphasized that this inaction by the government is particularly concerning as it goes against a previous High Court order. In that earlier directive, the court had expressed its disapproval of such delays and explicitly instructed that all vacancies be filled promptly within a specified timeframe.