Allahabad High Court Questions 2-Year Delay in Filling UP Minorities Commission Posts

The Allahabad High Court has given the Uttar Pradesh government one final opportunity to complete the process of filling vacancies in the Minorities Commission, saying its assurance made at the previous hearing that necessary action would be taken had not been fulfilled. Court noted the posts had been lying vacant since June 12, 2024.

The division bench of Chief Justice Arun Bhansali and Justice Jaspreet Singh, while giving the state government one more opportunity to act, said it was not convinced by the latest assurance that the necessary steps would be taken. Court also noted that the matter had been pending before it for over one and a half years.

"The submission essentially is an attempt to defend the delay despite not doing the needful as assured," the bench opined.

Court was dealing with a public interest litigation filed by Shams Tabrez.

Minorities Commission delay

Court had already raised the issue with the government on July 20, when the Principal Secretary, Minorities Welfare and Waqf Department, was personally present before it.

At that hearing, the high court had specifically observed that there was “no justification available in the affidavit” for the delay in the nomination or appointment to the Minorities Commission. It noted that the vacancies had continued for more than two years.

Based on an assurance given by the Additional Advocate General, court had then granted the state four weeks to take the necessary action.

However, when the matter came up again on August 18, the government did not inform the court that the process had been completed.

UP government's submissions

The Additional Advocate General told the court that the competent authority wanted all pending applications to be considered together. Since January 2026, 12 more applications had been received, he said, and these would also be taken into consideration.

The government sought another four weeks and again assured the court that the necessary action would be taken.

The bench, however, was not persuaded by this explanation.

“The submission essentially is an attempt to defend the delay despite not doing the needful as assured before the Court on 20.07.2026,” the high court said.

What did the high court say about the latest assurance?

Court said that, considering the manner in which the proceedings had continued for more than one and a half years, it did not find the government's assurance “convincing enough".

Despite its reservations, the bench decided to give the government one more opportunity to complete the necessary process.

“Looking to the manner in which the matter has proceeded for over one and a half years before this Court, though we do not find the assurance convincing enough, still by way of one more opportunity, time is granted till the next date to do the needful,” court ordered.

The PIL has now been listed as a fresh matter on September 21, 2026.

Case Title: Shams Tabrez vs. State Of U.P. Thru. Addl. Chief Secy. Minorities Welfare Deptt. Lko. And Another

Order Date: August 18, 2026

Bench: Chief Justice Arun Bhansali and Justice Jaspreet Singh