Nirmal Jain Becomes First Non-Muslim Chief of Delhi Minorities Commission

The Delhi government has reconstituted the Delhi Minorities Commission (DMC), appointing former East Delhi mayor Nirmal Jain as its chairperson, making him the first non-Muslim to head the statutory body since its formation in 2000.

The appointment comes after the commission remained without a chairperson for nearly three years following the resignation of Zakir Khan in 2023. The government also reconstituted the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW), naming Lata Gupta as its new chairperson, according to an official statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office.

A 70-year-old veteran BJP leader, Jain has had a long association with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) spanning five decades. His profile states that he served as an RSS volunteer for nearly 50 years and was also associated with the Jana Sangh, the BJP's predecessor, where he worked as treasurer of its Shahdara district unit.

In 1977, Jain served as an RSS Vistarak in Jammu and was actively involved in student politics through the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) while studying at Delhi University. Since the BJP's formation in 1980, he has held several organisational responsibilities, including serving as president of the party's Shahdara district unit.

Jain entered electoral politics in 2007 after winning the municipal election from Shahdara ward in the erstwhile East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC). He later served as Leader of the House between 2018 and 2020 before becoming Mayor of East Delhi in 2021.

Established under the Delhi Minorities Commission Act, 1999, the commission safeguards the rights and interests of notified minority communities in the national capital. These include Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis, and the Jain community, which was notified as a minority in Delhi in 2008.

The reconstituted commission will also include Kuldeep Singh and Mohammad Harron as members, nominated by the Delhi government.