Yogi govt revokes licenses for 16000 Madrasas in UP, mandates transfer to govt schools
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Lucknow, April 5: The Yogi Adityanath-led government in Uttar Pradesh has revoked the licences of all 16,000 Madrasas across the state. This decision will make it compulsory for Madrasa students to seek admission to government schools.
This development come as the Allahabad High Court declared the 'UP Board of Madarsa Education Act 2004' as unconstitutional, citing "a breach of the principle of Secularism" on March 22. It also directed the Uttar Pradesh government to frame a plan to integrate students currently enrolled in Madrasas into the formal education system.
Now, on Thursday, Chief Secretary Durga Shankar Mishra instructed the District Magistrates to follow this order.
According to the directives of the Uttar Pradesh state government, Madrasas failing to meet the prescribed standards will not receive recognition from any educational board, resulting in the cessation of their operations. Children enrolled in these madarsas will be transferred to government primary schools or middle schools for their education.
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The Yogi Adityanath Govt has cancelled the recognition of 16000 madrassas in UP, now students will be admitted in govt schools, instructions issued.
This follows after the Allahabad HC has declared the 'UP Board of Madarsa Education Act 2004' unconstitutional pic.twitter.com/T2mCznroS4
Allahabad HC strikes down 'UP Board of Madarsa Education Act 2004', calls it 'unconstitutional'
The state government initiated a survey of Islamic educational institutions and formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) in October 2023 to investigate funds received by madrassas from abroad.
Notably, a writ petition lodged by Anshuman Singh Rathore had challenged the legitimacy of the UP Madarsa Board and contested the administration of Madarsas by the Minority Welfare Department, both at the Union and State levels, along with other related issues.
In December 2023, the division bench raised its concerns regarding potential arbitrariness and the need for transparency in the administration of educational institutions, highlighting the broader question of whether such measures align with principles of equal opportunity and secular governance.
Notably, in October 2019, the High Court referred certain critical questions concerning the functioning and structure of the Madrasa board to a Larger Bench (Writ Petition No.29324 (S/S) of 2019: Mohammad Javed Vs. State of U.P. and others).