In a bid to reform the madrasa education system, Uttar Pradesh Minority Welfare Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar has announced the state’s plan to establish two new universities that will be affiliated with all madrassas.
According to Rajbhar, “Our aim is to open two universities. We want to affiliate the State Madrassa Education Board with the university and all the madrassas will be recognized there (from the university), so that there is no dispute in future.”
Giving examples, he said, “Lucknow University, Purvanchal University, Shakuntala University are in front of you, from where many schools are run. If Madrassas were run from the universities like this, then this misery would not have happened today. Neither SP could do it, neither Congress nor BSP could do it.” He believes that if madrassas operate under universities, the situation will improve.
Currently, madrassas in Uttar Pradesh are recognized by the Uttar Pradesh Board of Madrasa Education. However, this new proposal aims to affiliate them with the proposed universities.
Uttar Pradesh is home to approximately 25,000 madrassas, out of which 16,500 are government-recognized, including 560 that receive government aid. However, around 8,500 madrassas remain unrecognized by the state’s madrasa board.
Various stakeholders have raised concerns regarding this move. Maulana Kaab Rashidi, legal advisor to Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind, has urged the government to hold discussions with key organizations such as Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind, Nadwatul Ulama, and Darul Uloom Deoband before implementing any changes. He said the Constitution has given the right to minorities to establish and run their educational institutions. In the system the state government is going to make, special care should be taken to ensure that the constitutional rights of minorities are protected.
Currently, the state’s madrassas are recognized by the Uttar Pradesh Board of Madrasa Education. Rajbhar believes that this new affiliation will replicate the successful model seen with other universities like Lucknow University and Purvanchal University.
Iftikhar Ahmed Javed, Chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Board of Madrasa Education, expressed surprise at the government’s plan, stating, “It is unprecedented for an education board to be affiliated with a university.” He acknowledges that while the government has the authority to introduce significant changes, it should have considered recognizing unregistered madrassas before instructing their students to enroll in state-run schools.
Furthermore, Iftikha Ahmed Javed, expressed concern about the lack of communication from the government.
The proposal follows a directive from the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) that non-Muslim students studying in government-funded madrassas be admitted to Basic Education Council schools for formal education. The NCPCR also suggested that children in unrecognized madrassas should be moved to state-run schools.
