The Allahabad High Court on Monday issued a summons to the Additional Chief Secretary of the Minorities Welfare Department, Uttar Pradesh, directing the official to appear before the Court on 20 July 2026 to furnish a formal explanation for the State's failure to fill the vacant positions of Chairman and Members of the Uttar Pradesh Commission for Minorities. The Court observed that the previous tenure of the Commission concluded in 2024 and that no appointments have been made since then.
The matter arises from a Public Interest Litigation filed in 2025 by Shams Tabrez, seeking directions to the respondents to take effective steps to appoint the Chairman and Members of the Commission. During the hearing on 6 July, the State Counsel informed the Court that there were only oral indications that the process of nominating the Chairman and Members was still underway. The Bench, comprising Justice Rajan Roy and Justice Manjive Shukla, took strong exception to the absence of any written instructions from the State despite the passage of time.
Referring to an earlier order passed by a co-ordinate bench headed by Chief Justice Arun Bhansali on 24 April 2026, the Bench remarked that the State's approach was highly disrespectful to that order. In the April order, the co-ordinate bench had noted the apparent inaction of the respondents despite the fact that the tenure of the previous Commission had ended in 2024. The Bench stated that the State had been granted time in April to provide appropriate instructions regarding the present status of the proceedings, yet no written instructions had been furnished to the State Counsel.
The Bench observed: “This is highly disrespectful of the order passed by the Co-ordinate Bench on 24.04.2026. Till date no written instructions have been provided what to say of nomination of Chairman and Members. This is inspite of the strong observations made in the aforesaid order.” Consequently, the Court has directed the Additional Chief Secretary to appear and explain why the nominations have not been made and why no written instructions were provided. In the event that the Additional Chief Secretary is unavailable, the Principal Secretary shall appear in his stead.
The matter has been listed for fresh hearing on 20 July 2026. Advocate Shamsher Yadav Jagrana appeared on behalf of the petitioner. The case is titled Shams Tabrez vs State of U.P. Thru. Addl. Chief Secy. Minorities Welfare Deptt. Lko. and another.
The Bench’s observations underscore the judicial expectation that State authorities comply with prior directions and maintain proper documentation when entrusted with statutory responsibilities. The summoning of a senior official reflects the Court’s insistence on accountability and adherence to procedural mandates concerning the functioning of the Minorities Commission.