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Arunachal Pradesh Govt. Sets Up High-Powered Panel to Review Freedom of Religion Rules

  • By Thetripurapost Desk, Itanagar
  • Nov 14, 2025
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In a significant move aimed at ensuring constitutional compliance and community consensus, the Government of Arunachal Pradesh has constituted a High Powered Committee (HPC) to examine the draft rules framed under the Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 1978. The order, issued by the Department of Indigenous Affairs, supersedes the earlier notification dated August 14, 2025, signalling a reset in the state’s approach to the sensitive subject of religious freedom.

The newly formed HPC will be chaired by retired Justice Brojendra Prasad Katakey, a respected legal luminary often entrusted with high-profile inquiries in the Northeast. The committee brings together a broad spectrum of voices, including top government officials, ministers, and representatives from key religious and indigenous bodies such as the Arunachal Christian Forum, Indigenous Faith and Cultural Society of Arunachal Pradesh, Monpa Mimang Tsogpa, Tai Khamti Development Society, Arunachal Vikas Parishad, and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Arunachal Pradesh.

This diverse composition reflects the government’s intention to ensure that the rules—drafted nearly five decades after the original Act was enacted—are shaped by consultation rather than contention.

Under its mandate, the HPC will:
• Scrutinize the draft rules through the lens of constitutional safeguards and the Arunachal Pradesh High Court’s directions.
• Recommend modifications where necessary to ensure legal robustness.
• Consult experts and relevant departments, incorporating community perspectives.
• Submit a comprehensive report to the state government within the deadline set by the High Court.

Officials say the panel’s formation signals a deliberate attempt to balance judicial guidance, constitutional rights, and the cultural sensitivities of Arunachal Pradesh—a state with remarkable ethnic and religious diversity.

Observers note that the HPC's work will be pivotal in determining how the 1978 Act is operationalized in contemporary times, especially amid ongoing national debates around religious freedom and anti-conversion laws.

With the clock ticking on the Court’s timeline, all eyes will now be on the committee’s recommendations—expected to shape not only the legal framework but also the broader discourse on inter-faith harmony in the frontier state.