National Commission for Minorities (NCM)
- Context: Harjit Singh Grewal has been appointed as the Chairperson of the National Commission for Minorities (NCM).
About National Commission for Minorities (NCM)
- The National Commission for Minorities (NCM) is a statutory body created under the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992.
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- Its main aim is to protect the rights and interests of minority communities in India.
- The first statutory NCM was established on 17 May 1993.
Genesis
- The Minorities Commission (MC) was first set up in 1978 through a Ministry of Home Affairs Resolution.
- In 1984, it was transferred to the Ministry of Welfare.
- In 1988, the Ministry of Welfare removed linguistic minorities from the Commission’s responsibility.
Composition
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- The Commission consists of:
- One Chairperson, One Vice-Chairperson, Five Members
- All members are appointed by the Central Government.
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- Delays in appointing the full Commission have raised concerns about its effective functioning.
- Every member must belong to one of the six notified minority communities:
- Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis (Zoroastrians),Jains
Powers and Tenure
- The NCM has quasi-judicial powers, which means it has powers similar to a civil court in certain matters.
- The Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, and Members serve a three-year term from the date they take office.
Removal of Members
- The Central Government can remove the Chairperson or any Member if they:
- Are declared insolvent (bankrupt).
- Accept paid employment outside their official duties.
- Refuse to work or become unable to perform their duties.
- Are declared of unsound mind by a court.
- Misuse their position or office.
Minorities in India and Constitutional Safeguards
About Minorities
- The Constitution of India does not define the term “minority.”
- However, it recognizes religious minorities and linguistic minorities.
- Recognised Minority Communities
- In 1993, the Government of India recognized the following five religious minorities: Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis (Zoroastrians)
- In 2014, Jains were also declared a minority community.
- At present, there are six notified minority communities in India.
Constitutional Safeguards for Minorities
- Article 29: Gives every section of citizens the right to protect and preserve their own language, script, and culture.
- Article 30: Gives minorities the right to establish and manage educational institutions of their choice.
- Article 347: Allows the President to recognize a language spoken by a section of the population of a State for official purposes, if there is sufficient demand.
- Article 350A: Directs States to provide primary education in the mother tongue for children belonging to linguistic minorities.
- Article 350B : Provides for a Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities to protect their rights and report to the President.
Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026
- Context: The Union Cabinet has approved the ‘Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026’ to increase the sanctioned strength of Supreme Court judges—including the Chief Justice of India—from 34 to 38.
- This change will be implemented by amending the ‘Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956’, following a gap of six years since the last revision in 2019.
- The expansion is being undertaken in light of the backlog of 92,385 cases and the increased workload resulting from the rise in e-filings during the post-pandemic period.
Details regarding the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026:
- Constitutional Basis: Under Article 124(1) of the Constitution of India, the Supreme Court initially comprised a Chief Justice and seven other judges. However, the Constitution explicitly empowers Parliament to increase this number through legislation.
- Unlike High Courts—where the number of judges can be increased by the President through executive orders based on workload—the sanctioned strength of Supreme Court judges can only be altered through an Act of Parliament.
- Legislative Process: The following procedures are generally followed to increase the number of judges:
- Initiative by the Chief Justice: Typically, the Chief Justice of India (CJI) sends a proposal to the Union Ministry of Law and Justice, citing reasons such as an increase in the backlog of cases or the need for additional Constitution Benches.
- Cabinet Approval: The Ministry of Law submits the draft bill to the Union Cabinet after consulting the Ministry of Finance regarding financial implications.
- Introduction of the Amendment Bill: Once the Cabinet approves, the government introduces the ‘Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill’ in Parliament.
- Parliamentary Approval: The bill must be passed by a simple majority in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
- Presidential Assent: After being passed by both Houses, the bill is sent to the President for assent; upon receiving assent, the bill becomes law, and the sanctioned strength of judges is officially increased.
- Implementation: Subsequently, the President may appoint additional judges (based on the recommendation of the Collegium) up to the new sanctioned limit.
- Evolution: To meet India’s growing legal requirements, the Court’s composition—initially set at 1+7 judges—has been gradually expanded (e.g., to 10 in 1956, 13 in 1960, 17 in 1977, and 25 in 1986).
