New Delhi, April 3 -- Originally presented in August last year, the Waqf (Amendment) Bill was reviewed by a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) led by BJP MP Jagdambika Pal.

The proposed changes aim to streamline the administration and management of Waqf properties, address loopholes in the 1995 Act and improve technology-driven governance. Here are the key changes:

Board membership

Before: Only Muslim members could be part of the Waqf Board.

Now: The new Bill mandates that 2 women and 2 non-Muslims must be included in the Board.

Property claims

Before: The Waqf Board could claim any property as its own.

Now: Before claiming any property, the Board must verify that the property belongs to the Waqf Board.

Government property status...