12 Aug. 24: The Uttar Pradesh government has unveiled plans to affiliate all madrasas in the state with two newly proposed universities, a move that has sparked significant concerns among Muslim leaders and educators. The announcement was made by the state’s Minority Welfare Minister, Om Prakash Rajbhar, who emphasized the government’s aim to bring all madrasas under a unified university framework, reported The Times of India.
“Our effort is to open two universities to which the Uttar Pradesh Board of Madrasa Education will be attached. We want all madrasas to be recognized by these universities to avoid any future disputes,” Rajbhar stated. He suggested that aligning madrasas with universities would result in a more streamlined and standardized education system for madrasa students.
Currently, the state is home to approximately 25,000 madrasas, out of which 16,500 are recognized by the Uttar Pradesh Board of Madrasa Education. Notably, 560 of these receive government aid. However, around 8,500 madrasas remain unrecognized by the state’s madrasa board.
The proposal has not been received well by all. Maulana Kaab Rashidi, legal advisor to Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, urged the government to engage in consultations with prominent Muslim organizations such as Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, Nadwatul Ulama, and Darul Uloom Deoband before implementing any changes. Rashidi highlighted that the Indian Constitution grants minorities the right to establish and run their educational institutions, a right that should be preserved.
Iftikhar Ahmed Javed, Chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Board of Madrasa Education, expressed surprise at the government’s plan, noting that it is unprecedented for an education board to be affiliated with a university. While acknowledging the government’s authority to introduce reforms, he argued that recognizing unrecognized madrasas should have been prioritized before issuing such directives.
This proposal comes on the heels of a directive from the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), which recommended that non-Muslim students in government-funded madrasas be transferred to Basic Education Council schools for formal education. Additionally, the NCPCR suggested that children in unrecognized madrasas should be moved to state-run schools.
As the debate over the proposed affiliation continues, stakeholders in the Muslim community are calling for a more inclusive approach, emphasizing the need to protect the educational rights of minorities in accordance with the Constitution.
