National Commission for Minorities

Context: The National Commission for Minorities recently held a meeting with the Sikh Intelligentsia for inviting suggestions and advice to make the commemoration of the Veer Bal Diwas more meaningful.

• Earlier Prime Minister of India has announced that 26 December will be observed as Veer Bal Diwas to mark the martyrdom of Sahibzada Zorawar Singh Ji (7 years old) and Sahibzada Fateh Singh Ji (5 years old), who were martyred in Sarhand by prisoning them alive by bricking them in the walls on 26th December, 1704.
• Thereafter, the Government of India has decided to commemorate December 26 as Veer Bal Diwas.

About National Commission for Minorities:

• The Union Government set up the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) under the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992.
• Six religious communities, viz; Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Zoroastrians (Parsis) and Jains have been notified in Gazette of India as minority communities by the Union Government all over India.
• Original notification of 1993 was for five religious communities; Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis, Christians and Muslims, later in 2014, Jains community was also added.
• As per Census 2001, these six communities consists of 18.8% of the country’s population.
• The NCM adheres to the United Nations Declaration of 18 December 1992.

Composition:

The act states that the Commission shall consist of:

• a Chairperson,
• a Vice Chairperson and
• Five Members to be nominated by the Central Government from amongst persons of eminence, ability and integrity;
• The five members including the Chairperson shall be from amongst the minority communities.

Powers:

• Summoning and enforcing the attendance of any person from any part of India and examining him on oath.
• Requiring the discovery and production of any document.
• Receiving evidence on affidavit.
• Requisitioning any public record or copy thereof from any court or office.
• Issuing commissions for the examination of witnesses and documents.

Source: NewsOnAir