The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has extended the deadline for the three-member Commission of Inquiry probing the ethnic violence in Manipur, requiring the panel to submit its report to the Central government as soon as possible but not later than May 20, 2026. This latest extension, notified on December 16, 2025, follows a previous deadline of November 20, 2025, and reflects the ongoing complexity of investigating the protracted conflict that began in May 2023.

The commission, chaired by retired Gauhati High Court Chief Justice Ajai Lamba and including retired IAS officer Himanshu Shekhar Das and retired IPS officer Aloka Prabhakar, was established on June 4, 2023, under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952. Its mandate includes examining the causes and spread of violence targeting different communities, the sequence of events, any administrative lapses, and the adequacy of measures taken to prevent or address the unrest.

The ethnic clashes erupted on May 3, 2023, during protests by Kuki-Zo tribal groups against a Manipur High Court recommendation to grant Scheduled Tribe status to the majority Meitei community. The violence rapidly escalated between Meiteis in the Imphal Valley and Kuki-Zo groups in the hills, leading to widespread destruction, arson, and segregation along ethnic lines.

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Over two years later, the conflict has resulted in more than 260 deaths and displaced around 60,000 people, with communities living in near-complete separation buffered by central security forces. Manipur has been under President's Rule since February 13, 2025, following the resignation of then-Chief Minister N. Biren Singh amid mounting criticism and a no-confidence threat.

The commission has received thousands of affidavits, including around 11,000 reported earlier, from affected individuals and groups, highlighting allegations of state complicity, vigilante involvement, and systemic failures. Multiple extensions—previously to November 2024, May 2025, and November 2025—underscore the challenges in compiling evidence amid persistent tensions and polarized narratives.

As sporadic incidents continue despite heavy deployments of central forces, the extended timeline aims to facilitate a thorough probe, potentially informing future measures for reconciliation, accountability, and restoration of normalcy in the northeastern state.

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