Minorities panel to get 5 new members

Activist Sunil Singhi from Gujarat has been selected as the first Jain member of the National Commission for Minorities. The community was given minority status in January 2014, by amending section 2(c) of the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992.

Singhi has earlier served as the Organising Secretary and also serves as the director at Ahmedabad’s Rajastha Hospital. 

The Commission, after being headless and without members for months, has finally appointed five members in the panel. Reports say that Uttar Pradesh social activist Gayar Ul Hasan will head the Commission.

Some of the other members from the panel include BJP leader from Kerala, George Kurien, from the Christian community, former state minister from Maharashtra Sulekha Kumbhare as a Hindu member, and Vada Dasturji Khurshed, chief priest of the Udvada Athornan Anjuman who will serve as the Parsi member.

Two more members  from the Sikh and Buddhist communities  will be announced in a few days. Each of the seven members, including the chairperson and the vice-chairperson, have a tenure of three years.