New Delhi: The Uttarakhand Waqf Board has decided that all madrasas registered with it will now adopt the state Education Council curriculum, with officials saying the aim is to connect their students with the mainstream education.
An order issued on 15 April by the Uttarakhand Waqf Board said, “It has been resolved to develop all the madrasas registered with the Uttarakhand Waqf Board as modern madrasas. For this purpose, it is mandatory to obtain recognition from the Uttarakhand Education Council.”
The directive includes a warning that failure by any madrasa management to comply will result in action being taken against them as per existing rules and regulations. The letter does not specify the action proposed to be taken.
The letter further requests the Dehradun-based Uttarakhand Elementary Education Director General to instruct all district Chief Education Officers to extend necessary cooperation.
Shadab Shams said this support is aimed at facilitating the introduction of the Uttarakhand Education Council’s curriculum across all madrasas operating on Waqf Board properties.
The move follows the Uttarakhand government’s decision to seal more than 170 madrasas across the state due to their failure to register with either the Madrasa Board or the state’s education department.
Earlier, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had stated that institutions promoting “radical ideologies” under the guise of education would not be tolerated in the state under any circumstances.
Uttarakhand Waqf Board Chairman Shams told ThePrint the managers, administrators, mutawallis (custodians), and management committees of madrasas have been instructed to coordinate with their respective district’s Chief Education Officer to secure recognition from the Uttarakhand Education Council.
“We want our children studying in madrasas to have the same opportunities as any other student. It has been decided that between 8 am and 1 pm, they will study the same subjects as other students in Uttarakhand including Science, Hindi, English, Mathematics—and even Sanskrit. They will learn stories of Ram, Krishna, Buddha, and Prophet Mohammed as well,” he said.
He added, “Whatever is included in the syllabus will be taught and since Sanskrit is mandatory in Uttarakhand schools, it will be a part of the curriculum. After 2 pm, students will continue their religious studies, learning the Quran, Arabic, and Urdu. This structure will apply right from the nursery level.”
Shams also said the state has already established Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Modern Madrasas which will follow the state curriculum. “These 117 madrasas will adopt the same model. We have received positive responses from the management of these institutions and are hopeful about implementing it soon,” he said.
The Waqf Board has additionally requested Chief Minister Dhami to support the running of approximately 50 of these modern madrasas along the lines of the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Modern Madrasas, which are expected to become operational later this year.
While there are currently around 1,000 madrasas—both registered and unregistered—across Uttarakhand, Shams said the Waqf Board is aiming to increase the number of madrasas operating under it to between 250 and 300.
(Edited by Radifah Kabir)
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