Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952

• Ministry of Home Affairs has notified a 3-member Commission of Inquiry under Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952, to inquire into incidents of violence in Manipur.
• The Commission of Inquiry aims to thoroughly examine the incidents of violence in Manipur and shed light on their underlying causes.
• It consists of Justice Ajai Lamba, former Chief Justice of Guwahati High Court, Himanshu Shekhar Das (IAS Retd.), and Aloka Prabhakar (IPS Retd.)

ABOUT COMMISSIONS OF INQUIRY ACT, 1952

• It authorises central and state governments to appoint inquiry commissions to make inquiries in definite matters of public importance.
• The commissions of inquiry act gives powers to the central government to appoint a commission of inquiry, to make inquiry into any matter relatable to any of the entries enumerated in List I and III.
• The Act empowers the state governments to appoint inquiry commissions, to make inquiry into any other matter relatable to any of the entries enumerated in List II or III of Schedule VII.
  • The Central government can appoint a commission of inquiry to inquire into a matter falling within the purview of a state government if it falls within its plenary legislative power, but a state government cannot appoint a commission of inquiry, to inquire into matters falling within the purview of the central government.
• A Commission set up by the government shall have the powers of a civil court, while trying a suit under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908.