SC adjourns district-wise identification of minorities case for March

The AG requested more time as six States have not responded yet

The Supreme Court on January 17 adjourned the hearing of the petitions seeking district-wise identification of minorities for March 21, after the advocate Attorney General of India R. Venkatramani told the court that six States have not submitted the report yet.

The court said this is the last opportunity for the Central Government to take their response failing which the court will presume the States have nothing to say.

A series of petitions are in the court seeking the identification of minority communities district-wise, saying the recognition of Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Parsis nationally by the Centre as ‘minorities’ ignore the fact that ‘majority’ religious communities like Hindus are actually “socially, economically, politically non-dominant and numerically inferior” in several States.

The petitioners have also challenged Section 2(f) and Section 2(c) of the National Commission for Minorities Educational Institutions Act, 2004, and the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992, respectively, passed by Parliament. These Sections specifically empower the Centre to notify a minority community.

The court had asked the Centre to clarify its stand on the petitions. The government had previously sought time for consultations with States and other stakeholders. In its latest status report, the AG for the Centre said six States have not given their comments on the issue. The court adjourned the case for March 21 after the government sought more time.