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Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee(SGPC)

An organization in India, statutory body comprising elected representatives of the Sikhs responsible for the upkeep of gurdwaras, Sikh places of worship in three states of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh and union territory of Chandigarh. These committees have officials picked through regular elections in which all Sikhs can participate. SGPC has a chairman, treasurer and general secretary. SGPC maintains all the Physical, Financial, religious aspects of Gurdwaras and keep archeologically precious and sacred things belonging to the Sikh Gurus, which include weapons, clothes, books, writings of Sikh Gurus. It originated with the Gurdwara Reform or Akali movement of the early 1920’s. The present composition of the Board is 140 elected members, 5 head ministers and 15 coopted members. 20 are reserved for scheduled caste Sikhs. The tenure of the Board, originally 3 years, is now 5 years or until the composition of a new Board. The tenure of the executive, however, is only one year. Delimitation of constituencies and the conduct of quinquennial elections is the responsibility of the state government. Every Sikh, male or female, who is more than 21 years of age has the right to be registered as a voter provided he does not trim or shave his beard or hair (Sahajdhari Sikhs exempted). The first meeting of a newly elected committee must be held not later than one month after the government notification regarding its constitution, and thereafter a general meeting must be held at least once in a year. The quorum will consist of 31 members. The executive to be elected in general meeting every year, consists of the President, 2 Vice Presidents (one senior and one junior) and a General Secretary (all these to be known as office-bearers), and between 5 and 11 members. To adjudicate on any disputes regarding recognition of any shrines as being a Sikh gurdwara under the Act or on complaints with respect to the SGPC or its committees or against any of its office holder or member past or present, a Judicial Commission consisting of three members is constituted under the Act. Its members must be Sikh lawyers or ex-judges of not fewer than 10 years standing. Cases before it are regarded as complaints and not as suits. It is permanently situated in a building owned by the SGPC, close to district courts in Amritsar.

Expanded Mission of the Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee


Although constituted as a purely religious body for the management of gurdwaras, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee with its annual budget now being around a thousand million rupees, performs multifarious functions. Besides propagation of religion including running of free kitchens, it runs a large number of schools and colleges, manages agricultural farms on gurdwara lands, encourages researchprinting and publication of works on Sikh religion and history, and helps victims of political repression as well as of natural calamities. It arranges visits of Sikh pilgrims to gurdwaras left in Pakistan and maintains liaison with Sikh organizations in other Indian states and abroad. It takes up with the government matters of Sikh interests or grievances. In this it collaborates with the Shiromani Akali Dal, a political party representing the Sikh masses.


The List of the Current Office Bearers:-
1.   Jathedar Avtar Singh Ji, President, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Sri Amritsar.
2.   Dr. Roop Singh Ji, Secretary (Administration) 
3.   S. Manjit Singh Ji, Secretary 
4.   S. Avtar Singh Ji, Chandigarh, Secretary 
5.   S. Balwinder Singh Ji, Addl. Secretary (Dharam Parchar Committee)






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