NEW DELHI : The Centre has extended the tenure of the Commission of Inquiry probing the 2023 ethnic violence in Manipur by another six months, setting a new deadline of November 20, 2026, for submission of its report.

A notification issued on May 14 said the three-member panel, headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Balbir Singh Chauhan, has been directed to complete the inquiry and submit its findings “as soon as possible but not later than the 20th November, 2026.”

The commission was constituted on June 4, 2023, shortly after large-scale ethnic violence erupted across Manipur following a “Tribal Solidarity March” organised in the hill districts on May 3 that year. The march was held in protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status.

The clashes triggered one of the worst episodes of ethnic unrest in the state’s recent history, leaving more than 260 people dead and displacing thousands. Widespread arson and violence destroyed homes, shops and public infrastructure, while tensions between the Meitei and Kuki communities continued to simmer long after the initial outbreak.

The latest extension is the fifth granted to the inquiry panel. Earlier extensions were issued in September and December 2024, followed by two more in May and December 2025. The commission’s previous deadline was May 20, 2026.

The inquiry panel was initially chaired by former Gauhati High Court Chief Justice Ajai Lamba, who stepped down from the post with effect from February 28 this year. Justice Chauhan took over as chairperson on March 1.

According to its terms of reference, the commission is examining the sequence of events that led to the violence and whether there were lapses or dereliction of duty by authorities or individuals responsible for maintaining law and order.

The panel is also tasked with assessing whether adequate administrative and security measures were taken to prevent the violence and contain the situation after clashes broke out. Complaints and representations submitted by individuals and organisations are also being reviewed as part of the inquiry process.

Tensions in Manipur had been escalating even before the May 2023 violence, particularly over eviction drives targeting villages located in reserved forest areas. The drives had sparked protests in several districts and deepened existing ethnic fault lines in the state.

While announcing the inquiry in 2023, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs had described the situation as a matter of “public importance”, citing the scale of the violence, loss of life and destruction witnessed across Manipur.