Dehradun: The Uttarakhand cabinet has approved the Uttarakhand Minority Educational Institutions Bill, 2025 for the monsoon session of the state assembly.
The bill aims to extend minority status in education to Sikh, Jain, Christian, Buddhist, and Parsi-run institutions. Until now, only Muslim educational institutions had this recognition in the state.
If passed, Uttarakhand will become the first state in India to create a structured process for granting minority status in education. The bill also introduces mechanisms for accountability, academic quality, and transparency.
A key provision is the creation of the Uttarakhand State Minority Education Authority. This will be the nodal body for reviewing applications, granting recognition, and monitoring guidelines set by the Uttarakhand Board of School Education.
The authority will ensure fairness, good governance, and protection of constitutional rights of minority communities.
“All eligible institutions must now seek formal recognition and comply with transparency standards,” a senior official told Hindustan Times.
Institutions must be registered under relevant acts. They must also maintain property and financial records in the institution’s name.
The bill brings clarity and uniformity to a process that previously lacked standard rules. Institutional autonomy will remain, but the government will retain powers to intervene if required.
The bill also proposes repeal of the Uttarakhand Madrasa Education Board Act, 2016 and its rules by July 1, 2026. Oversight of all minority education will be consolidated under the new law.
Officials say the move will raise educational standards and improve access, recognition, and quality of education for minority communities across the state.
