The Joint Committee’s report on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, will be presented in the Lok Sabha on Monday, February 3, 2025. According to the List of Business, Jagdambika Pal, Chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Bill, along with BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal, will present both Hindi and English versions of the report, along with a record of evidence provided before the Committee.
The final report was submitted to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on January 30, 2025. On the same day, Pal met with the Speaker in Parliament to hand over the report.
The JPC adopted the draft report and the revised Waqf Bill on January 29, following a majority vote on amendments to 14 clauses out of the 44 clauses under consideration. Opposition leaders, however, issued dissent notes regarding the report.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, aims to address long-standing issues with the Waqf Act of 1995, including mismanagement, corruption, and encroachments on Waqf properties. Key reforms in the bill include digitisation of Waqf records, enhanced audits, improved transparency, and legal provisions to reclaim illegally occupied properties.
Jagdambika Pal highlighted that for the first time, the bill includes a section mandating that the benefits of Waqf properties should primarily support marginalized groups, including the poor, women, and orphans.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is also scheduled to introduce a bill on February 3 to establish the Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA) as a university, known as “Tribhuvan Sahkari University.” The bill aims to promote cooperative education and research in the country, aligning with the vision of “Sahkar Se Samriddhi” (Prosperity through Cooperation).
The Budget session of Parliament began on January 31 and will continue until April 4, 2025.
