Uttarakhand Assembly Passes Minority Education Bill, To Replace Madrasa Education Board Act
The Uttarakhand chief minister said that with the bill's implementation, the Madrasa Education Board Act 2016 will expire on July 1, 2026.
The Uttarakhand Assembly passed the Minority Education Bill, 2025, on Wednesday, allowing institutions run by Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Christian, and Parsi communities, in addition to Muslims, to receive minority status benefits.
Once enacted, the Uttarakhand Madrasa Education Board Act, 2016, and the Uttarakhand Non-Government Arabic and Persian Madrasa Recognition Rules, 2019, will be repealed, effective July 1, 2026.
In a social media post, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami stated, 'Today (on Wednesday), the 'Uttarakhand Minority Education Bill-2025′ was passed in the Assembly. Till now, the recognition of minority institutions was limited only to the Muslim community." He mentioned that issues such as irregularities in distributing central scholarships and mid-day meals, along with a lack of transparency in management, had been prevalent in the Madrasa education system for years.
The chief minister said that with the bill's implementation, the Madrasa Education Board Act 2016 and the Non-Government Arabic and Persian Madrasa Recognition Rules 2019 will expire on July 1, 2026.
He added that now all minority community educational institutions will receive transparent recognition, which will not only enhance the quality of education but also protect the students' interests.
Dhami noted that the government would gain the right to effectively monitor minority educational institutions' operations and issue necessary instructions.
The bill establishes an authority from which educational institutions set up by minority communities must seek recognition.
This authority will work to facilitate and promote educational excellence in these institutions, ensuring children from minority communities receive quality education and support for their academic development.
The authority will ensure that education in these institutions meets the standards set by the Uttarakhand Board of School Education, and that student evaluations are fair and transparent.
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