Uttar Pradesh Proposes Radical Overhaul in Madrasa Education

Uttar Pradesh Minority Welfare Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar has announced plans to open two universities in the state, aiming to affiliate all madrassas to these institutions. This move seeks to standardize madrasa education and address current recognition disputes. However, stakeholders stress the need to protect minority rights and ensure inclusive discussions.

In a bid to reform madrasa education in Uttar Pradesh, Minority Welfare Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar has announced the opening of two new universities to which all madrassas in the state will be affiliated.

'Our effort is to open two universities,' Rajbhar told PTI Videos. 'We want to attach the Uttar Pradesh Board of Madrasa Education with the university so that all madrassas receive uniform recognition, minimizing future disputes.'

Currently, the state's madrassas are recognized by the Uttar Pradesh Board of Madrasa Education. Rajbhar believes this new affiliation will replicate the successful model seen with other universities like Lucknow University and Purvanchal University.

In response to a National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) directive, Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Durga Shankar Mishra issued instructions requiring non-Muslim students in government-funded madrassas to transfer to Basic Education Council schools for formal education.

Uttar Pradesh houses around 25,000 madrassas, of which 16,500 are government-recognized, and 560 receive government aid. The other 8,500 remain unrecognized by the state's Madrasa Education Board.

However, Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind’s legal advisor Maulana Kaab Rashidi emphasizes the necessity for inclusive dialogue with key stakeholders to safeguard minority rights. Rashidi argues that under the Constitution, minorities have the right to establish and run their own educational institutions.

Furthermore, Iftikhar Ahmed Javed, Chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Board of Madrasa Education, expressed concern over the lack of communication from the government. He stated that affiliating an education board to a university is unprecedented and urged the government to recognize unregistered madrassas before forcing students to transfer to state-run schools.