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Indian Express
16 minutes ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
What Uttarakhand's Bill to govern minority educational institution says
Amid loud protests from opposition MLAs, the Uttarakhand State Authority for Minority Education (USAME) Bill, 2025 was passed in the Assembly on Wednesday. The Bill, which comes on the heels of a crackdown on hundreds of 'illegal' madrasas in the state, does away with the Madrasa Board, and brings madrasas, as well as education institutions run by Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians, under the newly established USAME. According to the Census of 2011, slightly more than 17% of the state's population of 1.01 crore were non-Hindus (this includes those who did not state their religion). Muslims comprised 13.94% of the total population and Sikhs 2.35%. Other minorities, put together, made up less than 1% of the Uttarakhand's population. The USAME will comprise 12 members. 🔴 A chairperson, who is an academician from one of the six minority communities mentioned in the Bill with a teaching experience of 15 years as a professor at a higher education institution; 🔴 Six academicians — one from each minority community — with a teaching experience of at least ten years in a subject relating to their religion; 🔴 One retired civil servant of secretary rank or above, and one social worker with ten years of experience in school education; and 🔴 Three ex-officio members including the director general of school education, the director of the State Council of Educational Research and Training, and the director of the Minority Welfare department. The USAME will meet at least once every quarter and its decisions will be made by voting. In case of a tie, the senior-most ex-officio member will make the final call. Moreover, the state government has an overriding power over the Authority. It can take immediate action without consulting the USAME, and modify or rescind any action taken by it. The Madrasa Board comprised 13 members, nine of whom were Muslims, or belonged to Muslim institutions. Any educational institution run by a minority community and imparting religious education will have to be recognised by the USAME. Recognition will be granted for three academic sessions at a time. The Bill, under Section 14, lays down a list of conditions that minority institutions must meet to be recognised by the USAME. Clauses (a) to (g) of Section 14 mandate affiliation to the state's Board of School Education, require that a minority institution be run by a society, trust, or a non-profit with the clearly specified objective of 'serving the interest of the minority community to which it belongs', and state that all financial transactions take place through a bank account opened in the name of that institution in a commercial bank. Clause (h) states that 'the minority educational institution shall not compel its students or employees to take part in any of its religious activities'. Clause (i) mandates that the minority institution appoint teachers as per qualifications laid down by the Board, and clause (j) states that the rules of the Board and the USAME will be applicable to the institutions 'in all academic, administrative, and financial matters'. Clause (k) states that 'the minority educational institution shall not do anything which may come in the way of communal and social harmony'. Clause (l) says that 'not more than fifteen percent students from non-minority community shall be enrolled in minority educational institution'. According to a communication from the BJP, Kashipur MLA Trilok Singh Cheema dissented to clause (l) which was subsequently deleted from the final draft of the Bill. Section 15 of the Bill empowers the USAME to 'examine the application for recognition as a minority educational institution… and if required, get the educational institution inspected'. Previously, Uttarakhand recognised only madrasas as minority institutions under the Madrasa Education Board Act, 2016, and the Uttarakhand, Non-Government Arabic and Persian Madrasa Recognition Rules, 2019. All 452 madrasas currently recognised by the Madrasa Board will now have to be re-recognised by the 2025-26 academic session. The USAME can also cancel recognition if it finds misutilisation of funds or 'violation' of any stipulation contained in Section 14. Apart from subjects permitted and prescribed by the Board of School Education, the Bill says that minority institutions can teach additional subjects specific to their religion, provided they 'conform to the standards, quality and content laid down by the Authority'. Within 30 days from the date of its constitution, the USME will form sub-committees among its members to develop curricula for minority institutions within the next six months. This curricula will be further vetted by the Board of School Education. Previously, the curricula for madrasas were set by the Madrasa Board. The USAME is also meant to provide assistance to the Board of School Education in extending 'modern educational opportunities' to the students of minority communities and 'facilitating excellence of education' to ensure 'welfare of students'.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
New Uttarakhand Bill to do away with Madrasa Board, extend minority education benefits beyond Muslims
The Uttarakhand Cabinet has approved a decision to introduce the Uttarakhand Minority Educational Institutions Bill, 2025, which, among other aspects, will repeal the Madrasa Board and the rules governing the minority-run institutions in the state. According to an official communication, the proposed Bill aims to extend the benefits of Minority Educational Institutions status to the minority communities other than Muslims. This has sparked concern among Muslim groups that the proposed law might result in erosion of their rights under Articles 26 and 30 of the Constitution that provide rights to run educational institutions and manage religious affairs. The proposed Bill, if enacted, will also permit the study of Gurmukhi and Pali in recognised minority educational institutions from July 1 next year and will also lead to the dissolution of the Uttarakhand Madrasa Education Board Act, 2016, and the Uttarakhand Non-Government Arabic and Persian Madrasa Recognition Rules, 2019. The rules empower the Madrasa Board to chart the syllabus, set guidelines, conduct examinations, and inspect madrasas to ensure they fulfil eligibility criteria. At present, the board has a Recognition Committee that deals with granting recognition to madrasas. 'The committee shall have a member nominated by the 13-member board, an 'academician-rank' member, the deputy registrar, and a 'headmaster-rank' member,' the rules of the board state. The proposed Bill is likely to make recognition of the institution null and void as it allows Sikhs, Jains, Christians, Buddhists and Parsis to run minority educational institutions as against the current provision only for Muslims. At present, 452 'recognised' madrasas operate across the state. It also mandates educational institutions to obtain recognition from the 'concerned authority' to qualify as minority educational institutions. It also requires the educational institution to be registered under the Societies Act, Trust Act, or Companies Act while ownership of land, bank accounts and other assets to be in the institution's name. 'Recognition can be withdrawn in cases of financial mismanagement, lack of transparency, or activities against religious and social harmony,' the communication read. The Dhami government's move to introduce the Bill comes six months after it started a madrasa-sealing drive to shut institutions not recognised by the board or the education department. The Recognition Committee, which had not met since 2020, convened a meeting on February 27, a day before the drive began, leading to 'unrecognised' madrasas being shut. Expressing concern, Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind's state secretary Khurshid Ahmed said, 'Initially, the Uniform Civil Code curbed the right to practice the religion, the anti-conversion Act will further depreciate the situation. With the madrasa board being nullified, religious education will be hampered. The (Pushkar Singh Dhami) government has been implementing policies to erode the rights that the Constitution guarantees under Articles 25 to 30. We will analyse the Bill once it is introduced and assess if it needs to be legally challenged.' The state government, however, claims that the Bill is aimed at 'establishing a transparent process for granting recognition to educational institutions set up by minority communities in the state, while ensuring quality and excellence in education'. State BJP chief Mahendra Bhatt said the legislation mirrors the BJP's motto of 'sabka saath, sabka vikas (everyone together, development for all)' and will 'safeguard the Constitutional rights of minorities'. 'Until now, only Muslims reaped the benefits of minority educational institutions. The proposed Bill will ensure that other minority communities also benefit. The Bill is important as several irregularities and scams with regard to educational institutions have come to light in the recent past,' he said. Terming the move 'unfortunate' and 'politically motivated', former Uttarakhand CM and senior Congress leader Harish Rawat called for modernisation of the madrasa board. 'Madrasas are supplementary to our education system. Just like Sanskrit schools, where scholars are made, madrasas give birth to scholars of religious philosophy. If the board has shortcomings, rectify it. The Bill is being tabled as the BJP is upset with its performance in the recent panchayat polls,' he said.
Hindustan Times
20-06-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
International Yoga Day today: Madrasas, Sarvodaya Schools across UP to mark day
The International Yoga Day will be marked across the state with participation from all the Madrasa Board affiliated Madrasas across the state on Saturday. Sarvodaya schools run by the Social Welfare Department from Class 6 to 12 will also hold Yoga Day celebrations on the theme of 'Yoga for One Earth, One Health'. For representation only (HT File Photo) On this occasion, group yoga sessions will be organised in all the schools with the participation of students, teachers and staff, in which pranayama and various yogasanas will be done under the guidance of yoga teachers. Along with this, awareness will also be created on the benefits of yoga and its importance in life, which will help the students a lot in reducing stress and increasing concentration. Uttar Pradesh MoS minority welfare, Muslim waqf and haj, Danish Azad Ansari will be participating in Yoga Day Celebrations at Warsia Madrasa in Gomti Nagar. The UP BJP minority morcha chief Kunwar Basit Ali will also participate in Yoga Day celebrations at Warsia Madrasa. Ansari said, 'Yoga is performed with the aim to keep the mind and body fit and healthy. Yoga Day will be celebrated across all the Madrasa Board-affiliated madrasas across the state in an attempt to spread the message of physical and mental fitness.' Ali said, 'We are going to organise Yoga Day celebrations across the state. Yoga is meant for all and we all know that our PM Narendra Modi got international recognition for Yoga, and today the entire world knows the importance of Yoga.' On the other hand, special programmes will be organised on Saturday in Jai Prakash Narayan Sarvodaya schools run by the social welfare department. This year's theme is 'Yoga for One Earth, One Health', which reflects the global spirit of keeping oneself and the whole society healthy. The UP social welfare department is running 100 Sarvodaya schools with residential facilities from Class 6 to 12 for the students of economically weaker families across the state. Along with quality education in these schools, the facility of free coaching for competitive exams like JEE and NEET is also being provided.
Indian Express
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
UP CM calls for madrasa reform: ‘Should not be limited to religious teachings'
Calling for reform of madrasas, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday highlighted the need for strict compliance with infrastructural standards before granting official recognition to any madrasa in the state. Chairing a meeting to review the current state of madrasa education in the state, Adityanath underlined the importance of ensuring that madrasas do not remain limited to religious teachings alone. Highlighting the government's vision, the CM said, 'Students studying in madrasas should have access to the full spectrum of modern education.' The CM further said that the objective of the government is to bring reforms and to bring madrasa education into the mainstream through innovation and inclusiveness, so that every section of the society can get equal opportunities and quality education. He emphasized the need to make madrasa education transparent, quality-driven, and employment-focused. 'The government gives priority to ensuring that every student has access to a bright and promising future,' it said. He then pointed out the challenges that have emerged following the Supreme Court's declaration of the Kamil (graduate) and Fazil (postgraduate) degrees of the Madrasa Board as unconstitutional. He further stressed the importance of aligning the recognition standards and requirements of madrasas with those of regular schools managed by the Education Department. 'There's a need to bring changes in the madrasa curriculum in line with the New Education Policy 2020. It is also necessary to update the eligibility criteria for teachers and non-teaching staff in accordance with the curriculum. The teacher selection process must be made fair and transparent. The current system of appointing teachers in madrasas also needs to be reviewed,' he added. The CM proposed forming a committee under the chairmanship of the Director of Minority Welfare. The committee will include special secretaries from the Basic Education, Secondary Education, Finance, Law, and Minority Welfare departments. The proposed committee will recommend necessary reforms for the smooth functioning of madrasas, job security for teachers, and a better future for the students. Earlier in the meeting, the Minority Welfare and Waqf Department gave a detailed presentation about madrasas, the main challenges they face, and future plans. The CM was told that there are currently 13,329 recognised madrasas in the state, where 12,35,400 students are studying. Out of these, 9,979 madrasas are at the primary and upper primary levels (classes 1 to 8), and 3,350 are at the secondary and higher secondary levels (classes 9 to 12). Among them, 561 madrasas receive government grants, and they have a total of 2,31,806 registered students. These grant-aided madrasas have 9,889 teachers and 8,367 non-teaching staff, all of whom have been receiving salaries and allowances as per the 7th Pay Commission 's recommendations since January 1, 2016. The CM was informed that the Madrasa Portal was launched in August 2017, which made all the functions of the Madrasa Education Council online. A total of 19,123 madrasas registered on the portal, out of which 13,329 have been verified and locked. Through this portal, systems like online exams, certificates, verification, and integration with the U-DISE code have been implemented, ensuring transparency and accountability. However, the number of students appearing in board exams has steadily declined over the years. In 2016, 4,22,627 students appeared, but by 2025, this number dropped to only 88,082. The CM called it a serious concern and said that there is a need for improvement.
Hindustan Times
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Yogi Adityanath proposes committee for madrasa education reform
In a strong push for reforms in Uttar Pradesh's madrasa education system, chief minister Yogi Adityanath highlighted the need for strict compliance with infrastructural standards before granting official recognition to any madrasa in the state. He also proposed forming a committee under the chairmanship of the director of minority welfare, Uttar Pradesh, to recommend necessary reforms for the smooth functioning of madrasas, job security for teachers, and a better future for the students. Chairing a high-level meeting on Friday to review the current state of madrasa education, the chief minister underlined the importance of ensuring that madrasas do not remain limited to religious teachings alone. 'Students studying in madrasas should have access to the full spectrum of modern education,' Yogi Adityanath said. 'There's a need to bring changes in the madrasa curriculum in line with the New Education Policy 2020. It is also necessary to update the eligibility criteria for teachers and non-teaching staff in accordance with the curriculum. The teacher selection process must be made fair and transparent. The current system of appointing teachers in madrasas also needs to be reviewed,' he added. In this regard, the chief minister proposed a committee which will include special secretaries from the basic education, secondary education, finance, law, and minority welfare departments. He pointed out the challenges that have emerged following the Supreme Court's declaration of the Kamil (graduate) and Fazil (postgraduate) degrees of the Madrasa Board as unconstitutional. He stressed on aligning the recognition standards and requirements of madrasas with those of regular schools managed by the education department. Earlier in the meeting, the minority welfare and waqf department gave a detailed presentation about the current status of madrasas, the main challenges they face and their plans. The chief minister was informed that there are currently 13,329 recognised madrasas in the state, where 12,35,400 students are studying. Out of these, 9,979 madrasas are at the primary and upper primary levels (Classes 1 to 8), and 3,350 are at the secondary and higher secondary levels (Classes 9 to 12). Among them, 561 madrasas receive government grants and they have 2,31,806 registered students. These grant-aided madrasas have 9,889 teachers and 8,367 non-teaching staff, all of whom have been receiving salaries and allowances as per the Seventh Pay Commission's recommendations since January 1, 2016. The chief minister was informed that the Madrasa Portal was launched in August 2017, which made all the functions of the Madrasa Education Council online. A total of 19,123 madrasas registered on the portal, out of which 13,329 have been verified and locked. Through this portal, systems like online exams, certificates, verification, and integration with the U-DISE code have been implemented, ensuring transparency and accountability. However, the number of students appearing in board exams has steadily declined over the years. In 2016, 4,22,627 students appeared, but by 2025, this number dropped to only 88,082. The chief minister called this a serious concern and said that there is a need for improvement. Officials also said that the Madrasa Education Council now conducts exams only at the Maulvi/Munshi (secondary) and Alim (senior secondary) levels. To improve the quality of education, the SCERT curriculum has been implemented and fully enforced from the academic year 2025–26. Efforts are also underway to align the curriculum for Classes 9 to 12 with the State Secondary Education Council. The curriculum now includes not only religious subjects like theology, Arabic, and Persian, but also modern subjects such as mathematics, science, social science, Hindi and English.
