Uttarakhand has ushered in a major overhaul of its madarsa education system from Wednesday (July 1) with the formal abolition of the Uttarakhand Madarsa Education Board. According to a government order, all recognised madarsas in the state will now come under the State Minority Educational Institution Authority, which will oversee their recognition, curriculum, administration and regulatory framework.
The move makes Uttarakhand the first state in the country to dismantle its Madarsa Education Board and integrate recognised madarsas into a school-like regulatory system. The state government has maintained that religious education alone is no longer sufficient and that madarsas must align with mainstream education standards to equip students with modern academic skills.
What will change under the new order?
According to the new order, the school curriculum will now be taught in all registered madarsas across the state. Furthermore, all rules and standards applicable to schools will now apply to these madarsas as well. Madarsas will be required to align themselves with this new system. They must adopt an NCERT-based curriculum that meets national educational standards and provide instruction in modern subjects as well.
There are around 500 unrecognised madarsas in Uttarakhand where Islamic education has been imparted for years, and these institutions are now set to face crisis. According to estimates, approximately 60,000 to 70,000 students study in the madrasas of Uttarakhand.
Key Points:
- In addition to traditional religious education, an NCERT-based school curriculum aligned with national educational standards will now be taught in madarsas.
- Students will also receive instruction in modern subjects such as science, mathematics, and computer studies.
- The government will adopt a strict stance against madrasas that fail to meet the authority's rules and standards, and such institutions will be shut down.
- All these recognised madarsas in the state will now be required to align themselves with the new regulations.
- There are also around 500 madarsas in Uttarakhand that have been operating without recognition for years. With the implementation of the new system, these illegal or unregistered madrasas now face a serious threat of closure.
What will happen to non-recognised madarsas?
The policy is expected to have a significant impact on hundreds of unrecognised madarsas operating in the state. According to government estimates, nearly 500 madarsas in Uttarakhand have been functioning without official recognition for several years while imparting Islamic education. With the new regulatory regime now in place, these institutions face increased scrutiny. The government has indicated that madarsas failing to meet the prescribed norms and regulatory requirements could face closure.
(Written by Jitisha Parihar. She is an intern with IndiaTV Digital.)
ALSO READ: Govt Committed to make Uttarakhand a global capital of Yoga and wellness: CM Pushkar Singh Dhami
