Harjeet Grewal: Who Is He? The explanation of the new chairman of the National Minorities Commission

The Central Government has appointed Harjit (Harjeet) Singh Grewal as the new Chairperson of the National Commission for Minorities (NCM). His appointment fills the top post in the Commission, which had been vacant since the completion of former chairman Iqbal Singh Lalpura's tenure. Grewal will serve a three-year term from the date he assumes office, or until further orders. Along with him, Munawari Begum has been appointed as Vice-Chairperson and Glenn E. Souza Ticlo as a Member of the Commission. Harjeet Grewal is a senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader from Punjab and a long-time party organiser. He joined the BJP in the 1980s after working with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Over the years, he has held several important organisational positions, including roles in the BJP Kisan Morcha and the party's national executive. He became well known during the 2020–21 farmers' protest as one of the BJP's prominent Sikh leaders. The National Commission for Minorities (NCM) is a statutory body established under the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992. Its main responsibility is to safeguard the rights and interests of India's notified minority communities, monitor the implementation of constitutional and legal safeguards, investigate complaints, and advise the Central Government on minority welfare policies. Grewal's appointment is considered significant because it restores full leadership to the Commission after a prolonged vacancy. It also marks the third time a Sikh leader has headed the National Commission for Minorities, reflecting the government's effort to strengthen the functioning of the statutory body responsible for protecting minority rights in India.