Survey of madrasas in UP: Board to restart giving recognition to unregistered Islamic seminaries

Madrasa Board Chairman Iftikhar Ahmad Javed told that the process of giving recognition to 8,500 unaffiliated madrasas would be resumed with the permission of the state government.

Lucknow:After receiving the survey reports of private madrasas in the state, the Uttar Pradesh Madrasa Education Board chief has said the process of giving recognition to the unregistered Islamic seminaries would start again. Madrasa Board Chairman Iftikhar Ahmad Javed told PTI that the process of giving recognition to 8,500 unaffiliated madrasas would be resumed with the permission of the state government.

"Those who want to get recognition from the Madrasa Board will be able to apply for it," he said. Javed said getting the recognition would benefit the madrasas as well as the students because they will get degrees from the Madrasa Board, which are widely acknowledged. Diwan Saheb Zaman Khan, the general secretary of the Teachers' Association Madaris Arabiya, Uttar Pradesh, said the Madrasa Education Board was dissolved after the formation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state in 2017.

Since then the committee tasked with giving affiliation was not formed for a long time. "This is the reason why the work of giving recognition to new madrasas was stalled. If the board intends to start the process, it would be a welcome step," Khan said. A meeting is likely to be held by the end of the month to discuss what other steps the government will take in the wake of the madrasa survey reports.

After detailed field work, the reports have been submitted by the districts to the government through the district magistrates. Minister of State for Minority Welfare Danish Azad Ansari said a meeting of the department will be held by the end of the month to discuss the steps the government will take following the survey of the madrasas.

"Whatever decision is taken will be in the best interest of the madrasas," he asserted. It may be noted that a survey was conducted by the Uttar Pradesh government from September 10 to November 15 to get information about the basic facilities for students in private madrasas, the courses taught to them, the sources of income of the madrasas, along with other basic information.

The survey had found that 8,500 madrasas without recognition are being run in Uttar Pradesh. Asked about the funding of the madrasas, the board chairman said all the establishments covered by the survey have declared "zakat" (payment made under Islamic laws for charitable and religious purposes) and donations as their source of income.

Talking about the basic facilities and other arrangements in the madrasas, he said the survey found the arrangements in most of the madrasas to be satisfactory. He reiterated that the survey of the madrasas was conducted only to collect information, its purpose was to know about the condition of the basic facilities there and make improvements, if needed.

Javed said the process of assessing the reports received after the survey is still on. Meanwhile, according to sources, it is also being considered to make the eligibility test necessary for the appointment of teachers in madrasas. However, according to Ansari, no proposal for TET (Teacher Eligibility Test) for madrasas is being prepared currently.

Similarly, in view of the necessity of teaching the NCERT syllabus in madrasas, the need is being felt to have the same qualification system for teacher recruitment in these institutes as in basic schools, the minister said. According to the data of the latest survey, about 25,000 madrasas are being operated in Uttar Pradesh and only 560 of those get grants from the government.

Opposition parties had attacked the state government over the survey of the madrasas, alleging that it was targeted against the minority community. BJP leaders had retorted the charge, saying the survey was conducted so that the madrasas broad-base their curriculum by including knowledge of computers and science. (PTI)