Delhi HC raps DCPCR for vacancies despite assurances

In April last year, the court had raised similar concerns and in July, the government was given six months to complete the selection process.

The Delhi High Court on Friday pulled up the government over vacancies in Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR), pointing out that the commission has remained non-functional since July 2023 due to the vacant positions.

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A bench of chief justice DK Upadhyaya and justice Tejas Karia said that the government has failed to fill the vacancies despite previous assurances. In April last year, the court had raised similar concerns and in July, the government was given six months to complete the selection process. Subsequently, in November, the government informed the court that the Scrutiny Committee, chaired by the chief minister, had reviewed the applications which were filed after an advertisement and that the next panel meeting was likely on November 18, 2025.

“Since July 2023, the commission is non-functional, despite the court’s extension, your assurances twice, thrice, you haven’t been able to fill the vacancies? If it is taking time, make an assessment of the time taken. Can one officer in your government justify this delay? …,” the court said.

It added, “Why do you make statements? These are the areas where your attention does not go...the difficulty is lack of will.”

The remarks were made after the Delhi government’s lawyer requested additional time to fill the vacancies.

The court then asked the government to file an affidavit indicating the timeline for filling the vacancies and set February 16 as the next date of hearing.

The same bench, while hearing a separate petition filed by Mujahid Nafees, also expressed displeasure over the Centre’s failure to file a proper affidavit specifying the timeline for filling vacancies in the National Commission for Minorities. The court described the affidavit as “bald” and “vague” and directed the Centre to file a more detailed report specifying when the ministry initiated the appointment process, the various stages involved, and the extent to which the process has progressed since its initiation.