New Delhi, Jan. 29 -- The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) meeting convened to scrutinize the contentious Waqf Amendment Bill concluded on Wednesday, with the panel adopting the Bill by a vote margin of 14 in favor and 11 against. Opposition members have until 4 p.m. today to register their dissent.

On Monday, the JPC approved 14 amendments proposed by the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), rejecting all 44 changes submitted by Opposition MPs, which sparked outrage from political parties.

One key amendment empowers state governments to appoint an officer to determine whether a property is Waqf, replacing the District Collector who initially had absolute authority. Under the Waqf Act of 1995, this power was vested in survey c...