Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday (September 2) presented recognition certificates to 26 madrasas that have adopted and taught the syllabus prescribed under the state government's new policy. With these 26 institutions, a total of 33 madrasas in Uttarakhand have now received recognition under the new policy.
As the certificate distribution ceremony was a government event, the national anthem and the full version of Vande Mataram were played. Madrasa operators attending the programme also stood and joined in singing the national song.
Teaching science, technology in madrasas also Important: CM Dhami
Speaking at a certificate distribution programme for the recognition of minority educational institutions at Dehradun, CM Dhami said that teaching science and technology in madrasas has become a necessity, as students could otherwise be left behind in a rapidly changing world.
The Chief Minister also accused some opposition parties of spreading misinformation about his government and portraying it as anti-Muslim. "The government takes action against those who engage in illegal activities, not against those who follow the law," he said.
The Uttarakhand government had, on July 1 this year, dissolved the Madrasa Education Board and established the Minority Education Authority. Under the new system, registration of madrasas in the state has been made mandatory.
The authority has also introduced a new curriculum based on the NCERT syllabus, making subjects such as Science, Mathematics, Social Science and English compulsory for madrasa students.
'All children should receive good and modern education'
The Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar emphasised the state's commitment to providing quality, modern, and career-oriented education to all children regardless of their social background.
"All children, regardless of which section or background they belong to, should receive good education, modern education, and the kind of education that builds their career, develops their personality, and enables them to work for the nation and contribute to building the nation. A historic beginning towards this has taken place here in Uttarakhand today," he said.
The Chief Minister noted that granting official recognition to 26 operational madrasas represents a foundational step toward establishing a structured educational framework across the state. "The recognition certificates have been granted here to 26 madrasas that are operational across different areas. This is a new beginning toward establishing a structured system. Those who have come forward to establish this system are certainly worthy of congratulations. The government will provide full cooperation to all of them. The authority established for minority education will continue to drive reforms and innovations in these departments," he said.
What did the madrasa operators say?
The madrasa operators who received the certificates from the government welcomed the move, saying that Chief Minister Dhami's policies and intentions were clear.
They said providing children with quality education would help secure their future and argued that there was nothing wrong with introducing modern subjects in madrasas. "If children receive a good education, their future will be better; what's wrong with that?" they said.
The madrasa operators described the government’s decision as a positive step for education, saying students were now receiving equal educational opportunities and benefiting from government facilities. "Everyone is receiving equal education and benefiting from government facilities. Those who oppose this have their own personal issues," they added.
When will the registration take place?
The registration of madrasas in Uttarakhand will take place until September 30. When the Madrasa Board was in operation, there were 452 registered madrasas, but in the last two months, only 33 madrasas have been registered under the new system. Many madrasa operators are still opposing the new system. They say that the madrasas' role is to impart religious education. The government is gradually trying to weaken them by changing the madrasa syllabus.
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