Overview

• On June 13, the Assembly passed the West Bengal Minorities’ Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2025, authorizing two vice-chairpersons instead of one
• Finance minister Chandrima Bhattacharya said the extra vice-chair will help the panel more effectively monitor welfare schemes for six religious and seven linguistic minorities
• A Trinamool source indicated the new post is likely to go to a non-Muslim leader from North Bengal as part of the party’s regional outreach strategy
• BJP and Indian Secular Front MLAs challenged the amendment’s impact, questioning its ability to improve minority development and decrying its political overtones
• The commission will continue to have one chairperson, one member secretary and nine members serving three-year terms under the revised structure