Bills on minority edu, religious conversion & UCC tabled in House
The Minority Educational Institutions Bill replaces the Uttarakhand Madrassa Board with the newly formed Uttarakhand State Minority Education Authority (USMEA), which will oversee recognition and standards for minority institutions. The legislation will also replace the Uttarakhand Madrassa Education Board Act, 2016, and the Uttarakhand Non-Governmental Arabic and Persian Madrassa Recognition Rules, 2019, which are to be repealed, effective July 1, 2026.
All madrassas would be required to obtain affiliation from Uttarakhand Board of School Education (UBSE) and apply to USMEA for minority status effective July 1 next year. The bill also extends minority educational benefits beyond Muslim institutions to Sikhs, Jains, Christians, Buddhists and Parsis.
An 11-member authority representing all six minorities has been established as well. The body will be headed by a person having at least 15 years' experience in teaching.
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Key provisions of the bill include mandatory registration under the Society, Trust or Company Acts, protection from interference and revocation of recognition for financial irregularities or activities "against religious and social harmony.
" The authority will ensure education quality "as per standards set by UBSE."
The Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Bill introduces harsher penalties for forced religious conversions, raising the maximum jail term from 10 years to 14 to 20 years, and in some cases, life imprisonment.
The fine has been increased from Rs 50,000 to Rs 10 lakh. The bill states, "Whoever receives funds from foreign or other entities concerning unlawful religious conversion shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment for a term not less than seven years… and a fine not less than Rs 10 lakh.
" It further adds that those who use force, coercion, or trafficking in conversion cases "shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment… which may extend to life imprisonment."
Additionally, the govt tabled the Uniform Civil Code (Amendment) Bill, 2025, to extend procedural timelines, clarify provisions on marriage, divorce, live-in relationships, and succession and impose stricter penalties for offences such as "misrepresentation, concealment of serious criminal convictions, and obtaining consent through force or fraud." The amendments aim to "make the code more practical, equitable, and effective" to protect societal interests while streamlining legal processes.
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