Allahabad High Court Rules: Unrecognised Madrassa Can Operate in Shravasti

The Allahabad High Court has ruled that an unrecognised madrassa in Uttar Pradesh's Shravasti district cannot be shut down under current state regulations. The court quashed the notice issued by the district minority welfare officer and clarified that the madrassa cannot receive state grants until it gains recognition.

The Allahabad High Court has determined that an unrecognised madrassa in Shravasti district, Uttar Pradesh, is not subject to closure under existing state regulations. The decision, made public by a Lucknow bench of Justice Subhash Vidyarthi, overturned a May 2025 show-cause notice issued by the district minority welfare officer.

The judgment referenced provisions in the Uttar Pradesh non-governmental Arabic and Persian Madrassa Recognition, Administration and Services Regulation, 2016, which state that unrecognised madrassas are ineligible for state grants. Justice Vidyarthi clarified that, while these institutions cannot claim state aid, their closure is deemed unlawful.

Moreover, the ruling established that students from the unrecognised Madrassa Ahle Sunnat Imam Ahmad Raza are not entitled to participate in Madrassa Education Board examinations or use qualifications gained there to benefit from state government services, reaffirming the constitutional protection for minority educational institutions that seek neither state aid nor recognition.

(With inputs from agencies.)