Kerala High Court orders state to fill Waqf Board vacancies within six weeks

The Kerala High Court has given the state government a six-week deadline to report on measures being taken to fill vacancies in the State Waqf Board, according to court proceedings. The directive comes as the state administration confirmed that the Chief Executive Officer of the State Waqf Board has been instructed to undertake a detailed determination of the number of positions to be allocated to different segments of the Muslim community.

The state informed the court that it is conducting an assessment to determine appropriate representation for Shia, Sunni, Bohra, Aghakhani and other backward classes within the Muslim community. This enumeration exercise is intended to guide further administrative action in filling the board positions.

The High Court's intervention underscores the importance of ensuring adequate representation across diverse Muslim community groups in the Waqf Board's functioning. Waqf Boards play a crucial role in managing and administering religious endowments and charitable trusts in Muslim communities across India.

With the six-week timeline set, the state government is expected to present a comprehensive action plan detailing how vacancies will be addressed while maintaining equitable representation across the different Muslim community segments identified in the assessment.