The Delhi High Court has sought a detailed response from the Central government over the continued absence of a Chairperson and members in the National Commission for Minorities (NCM). Calling the issue “very important,” the court questioned when and how the vacant posts would be filled.
The bench of Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela directed the Centre’s counsel to take prompt action and not wait for the next date of hearing. The matter will now be heard on November 14.
The petition was filed by Mujahid Nafees, convenor of the Minority Coordination Committee (MCC), which works for the welfare of minorities across India. Nafees said the Commission has been completely non-functional since April 2025, when its last Chairperson, S. Iqbal Singh Lalpura, completed his term.
According to the plea, several members had already vacated their positions between November and December 2024, and with the Chairperson’s exit in April, all seven posts, including those of the Vice-Chairperson and five members, have remained vacant.
The petitioner argued that the government’s failure to make timely appointments has rendered a statutory body, created under the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992, completely defunct. The Commission, which functions under the Ministry of Minority Affairs, plays a crucial role in safeguarding the rights of India’s six notified minority communities, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis, and Jains.
During the hearing, the government’s lawyer said she could not make any statement without instructions and sought more time. However, Justice Gedela urged the Centre to act swiftly, remarking, “Please start working on this. Don’t wait for the next date. This is a very important issue.”
In his petition, Nafees said he had earlier sent a formal representation to the Ministry of Minority Affairs on August 20, 2025, seeking immediate appointments to restore the functioning of the Commission, but received no response.
The plea seeks a writ of mandamus directing the Union of India to fill all vacancies in the NCM and restore the statutory institution that safeguards the rights and welfare of minority communities in the country.
