The Government has enacted the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992 to constitute a National Commission for Minorities and to provide for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. Accordingly, the first Statutory NCM was set up on 17th May 1993. Section 2 (c) of NCM Act, 1992 stipulates that ‘Minority’ for the purposes of the Act, means a community notified as such by the Central Government. The functions of the Commission as laid down in Section 9(1) of the Act are related to the six notified minority communities i.e. Jain, Parsi, Sikh, Christian, Buddhist and Muslim. The functions of NCM broadly include (a) evaluate the progress of the development of minorities under the Union and States; (b) monitor the working of the safeguards provided in the Constitution and in laws enacted by Parliament and the State Legislatures; (c) make recommendations for the effective implementation of safeguards for the protection of the interests of minorities by the Central Government or the State Governments; (d) look into specific complaints regarding deprivation of rights and safeguards of the minorities and take up such matters with the appropriate authorities; (e) cause studies to be undertaken into problems arising out of any discrimination against minorities and recommend measures for their removal; (f) conduct studies, research and analysis on the issues relating to socio-economic and educational development of minorities; (g) suggest appropriate measures in respect of any minority to be undertaken by the Central Government or the State Governments; (h) make periodical or special reports to the Central Government on any matter pertaining to minorities and in particular difficulties confronted by them; and (i) any other matter which may be referred to it by the Central Government.
The NCM receives petitions/grievances from the aggrieved persons and the said petitions/grievances being received by Commission are dealt with by calling for reports from the concerned authorities under the Union and State Governments. On receipt of the reports, the Commission makes appropriate recommendations to the respective authorities for redressal of the grievances.
The National Commission for Minorities (NCM) has informed that the erstwhile Minority Commission in its Annual Reports for the period 01.01.1981 to 31.03.1982 and 01.04.1982 to 31.03.1983, had recommended for setting up of a Committee to consider the need for considering and, if necessary, to formulate a scheme to establish a National Integration-cum-Human Rights Commission for promotion of secular traditions and national integration.
Categories: POINT IAS