Chandigarh (Haryana) [India], July 29 : Haryana Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Tuesday, approved the Haryana State Commission for Minorities Bill, 2026.
The proposed legislation seeks to establish a statutory Haryana State Commission for Minorities to safeguard the rights and interests of minority communities, monitor the implementation of constitutional and legal safeguards, and promote their social, educational, economic and cultural development in the State.
The Commission will comprise a Chairperson, five non-official Members and a Secretary appointed by the Government. The Chairperson and Members will hold office for a term of three years, with provisions relating to resignation, removal and filling up of vacancies incorporated in the legislation.
The Commission will examine the implementation of constitutional and statutory safeguards available to minority communities and recommend measures for their effective enforcement. It will monitor Government policies, welfare schemes and programmes relating to minorities, conduct studies and research, assess the representation of minorities in Government services, recommend measures for their welfare and development, and promote communal harmony and national integration in the State. The Commission will also inquire into complaints regarding deprivation of rights and safeguards of minority communities and take up such matters with the appropriate authorities.
To ensure effective discharge of its statutory functions, the Commission will be vested with powers of a Civil Court while conducting inquiries, a release said. These powers will include summoning and enforcing the attendance of witnesses, requiring the production of documents, receiving evidence on affidavits, requisitioning public records and issuing commissions for the examination of witnesses and documents.
The Bill also provides for the appointment of a Secretary and supporting staff, preparation of the Commission's annual budget, Government grants, maintenance and audit of accounts, submission of annual and special reports to the Government and laying of such reports before the State Legislature. It further empowers the Government to establish a Library, Information Cell, Research Cell and other specialized cells on the recommendation of the Commission to strengthen its functioning.
In another decision, the Haryana cabinet on Tuesday approved a rebate in motor vehicle tax for non-transport vehicles purchased and registered in the name of women in the State with an ex-showroom price of up to Rs 20 lakh.
As per the decision, an exemption equivalent to 1 percent of the ex-showroom price of the vehicle will be granted in the case of new registrations of non-transport vehicles in the name of women in the State.
The decision is aimed at promoting self-reliance among women. Providing a tax rebate will serve as an incentive for women to register vehicles in their own name, thereby encouraging their independence and greater participation in economic activities.
The State Government, in exercise of the powers conferred under Section 3 of the Motor Vehicles Taxation Act, 2016, specifies the rates of motor vehicles tax levied on all categories of vehicles registered and operated in the State of Haryana.
At present, motor vehicles tax on vehicles used for personal purposes is levied on the cost of the vehicle, i.e. its ex-showroom price.
As announced by the Chief Minister in the Budget Speech for the year 2026-27, a rebate of 1 percent in motor vehicle tax is to be granted on non-transport vehicles purchased and registered in the name of women in the State, over and above the existing motor vehicle tax. However, the State Government has now decided that this rebate will be available only for vehicles with an ex-showroom price of up to Rs. 20 lakh.
The Chief Minister, who addressed a press conference, gave details about the State Commission for Minorities Bill.
"State Cabinet has cleared Haryana State Commission for Minorities Bill, 2026. Under this, Haryana State Commission for Minorities will be formed. The Commission will have a chairperson, a vice chairperson, five non-government members and a secretary with a proposed tenure of three years. The Commission will have Civil Court-like powers," he said.
The Chief Minister slammed the Congress party for its stance on Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026.
"Congress has made a lot of efforts to oppose it... PM Modi does good work, but Congress opposes that too. Congress has no issues. Congress has become issueless," he alleged.
The Haryana CM also targeted AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, accusing them of misleading the public regarding the education system.
"Kejriwal raised a slogan in Punjab saying he is brutally honest... Little did we know he would do worse than Congress... Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann betrayed the youth... Kejriwal used to say that the education system is bad. He used to say on stage that he will improve it... I want to ask Kejriwal how many children have you made doctors and engineers in 15 years?... Misleading people by telling lies isn't the way to go," he said.
He said many students who cleared NEET-UG exam are from rural background.