Delhi Govt Appoints Lata Gupta as DCW Chief, Nirmal Jain as DMC Head
The Delhi government on Sunday appointed senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders Lata Gupta and Nirmal Jain—both former leaders in Shahdara—as the new chairpersons of the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) and the Delhi Minorities Commission (DMC), respectively. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta cleared the appointments to fill key panel positions that had been lying vacant in the capital for over two years.
Lata Gupta, currently serving as Delhi BJP vice president, will head the DCW. Five other members were also appointed to the commission: Shyam Bala, Malti Verma, Lata Sodhi, Sanrika Sharma Jha, and Renu Bhalla. The chairperson position at the DCW had remained vacant since January 2024, when Swati Maliwal resigned following her nomination to the Rajya Sabha. Women and Child Development secretary Rashmi Singh had been holding interim charge of the commission.
Nirmal Jain was appointed to lead the DMC, alongside newly named members Kuldeep Singh and Mohammad Haroon. The chairperson post at the minorities commission had been vacant since August 2023, when Zakir Khan's tenure ended. Earlier this year, the Delhi High Court had questioned the government over the unfilled posts across both statutory bodies.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta stated in an official release that the appointments would strengthen public trust and provide an effective platform to address issues concerning women and minority communities. She said the DCW would play an active role in protecting women's rights, ensuring speedy redressal of grievances, and helping women secure justice, while the DMC would safeguard minority interests and promote inclusive development.
Both appointees bring prior municipal experience in Delhi. Lata Gupta previously served as municipal councillor from Shakarpur between 2007 and 2012 and Pandav Nagar from 2012 to 2017, becoming the first woman to chair the Standing Committee of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. She has also served as general secretary of the Delhi BJP Mahila Morcha and district president of the Shahdara unit. Nirmal Jain, who served as mayor of the East Delhi Municipal Corporation during 2020-21, has been associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh for nearly five decades and previously served as municipal councillor, mandal president, and Shahdara district president.
