The Uttar Pradesh government is set to bring major changes to the state’s madrasa education system by ending the Kamil and Fazil degree programmes. A proposal is expected to be placed before the cabinet headed by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday.
If approved, madrasas governed by the Uttar Pradesh Madrasa Education Board will be limited to offering education up to Class 12. The move follows a Supreme Court judgment on madrasa education delivered in November 2024.
Supreme Court ruling prompted the move
In its November 5, 2024 judgment in the Anjum Qadri and Others vs Union of India case, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutional validity of the Uttar Pradesh Madrasa Education Board Act, 2004, while ruling that madrasas cannot award higher education degrees such as Kamil and Fazil unless they comply with the regulations of the University Grants Commission (UGC).
The court observed that higher education degree programmes cannot be run by madrasas outside the UGC’s regulatory framework, although it overturned an earlier Allahabad High Court ruling that had declared the 2004 Act unconstitutional.
What are Kamil and Fazil courses?
Kamil and Fazil are traditional higher-level programmes in the madrasa education system.
The Kamil course is a three-year programme covering subjects such as Arabic, Persian and Islamic Studies. It had been recognised by the Uttar Pradesh Madrasa Education Board as equivalent to a bachelor’s degree.
Students who complete Kamil can pursue Fazil, a two-year advanced programme in Islamic and related studies that has traditionally been treated as equivalent to a master’s degree within the madrasa education system.
Political row over Deputy CM’s remarks
The issue has also triggered political controversy ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya sparked criticism after reportedly saying, “Wherever there is a madrassa, terrorism flourishes.”
