UP Madrasa Board proposes de-affiliation of 513 madrasas
Uttar Pradesh plans to de-affiliate 513 madrasas for failing to register online. New affiliations and exam schedules are being discussed amid teacher salary issues.
Almost two years after the Uttar Pradesh government ordered a survey of unrecognised madrasas across the state, the Uttar Pradesh Board of Madrasa Education recommended de-affiliation of around 513 madrasas in its meeting here on Tuesday.
Most of these madrasas have failed to upload their details on the Board’s portal, while the remaining ones want disaffiliation due to various reasons. As per a rough estimate, their are around 25,000 madrasas in the state out of which around 16,500 are affiliated to the Uttar Pradesh Board of Madrasa Education.
Speaking to HT after the meeting, Madrasa Board chairman Iftikhar Ahmed Javed said, “The first proposal that was put up in the meeting today (Tuesday) was to upload marksheets from 2018 to 2024. Later, old marksheets will also be uploaded on the portal. Also, there was a discussion regarding giving affiliation to new madrasas as this has been pending for quite some time. New applications for affiliations will be accepted now through a portal. The exams for 2025 were also discussed in today’s meeting. We are trying to conduct exams in February next year.”
“There were many applications from various districts in which they themselves asked for disaffiliation from the board. These people will be contacted by the Board as per the norms to know about the reasons for their asking so. Even if they want to get disaffiliated then also, it will be done as per the prescribed norms of the Board. One main reason could be the shortage of teachers for modern subjects in these madrasas as they haven’t received their salary for last seven years,” Javed added.
After the Board approved the proposal for surrender and cancellation of recognition of around 513 madrasas received from various districts, the registrar was authorised to take further action as per the Regulations 2016.
Speaking on the issue of giving affiliation to new madrasas through online process, the Board’s chairman said, “Ever since I became the chairman of the Board, we have been working towards giving affiliation to madrasas as much as we can. Proposals have also been sent around eight times in the last three years but then things get stuck for one reason or the other. Now an online system will be introduced for the madrasas seeking affiliation from the board.”
Besides, a model administration plan was also approved for the existing 560 state-aided madrasas in Uttar Pradesh. On this basis, the Board agreed to take further action for obtaining and approving the administrative plan as per Regulations 2016.
The Board agreed to send a proposal to the government for permission to add madrasas to the portal after getting the updated status report on those madrasas which could not be registered on the portal due to some reasons and their information was sent by the district minority welfare officer.
Reacting to the proposal of the UP Madrasa Board, Muslim cleric and member of All India Muslim Personal Law Board, Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali said, “De-affiliation doesn’t mean the end of road for madrasas. They will still have the option to continue running the institution under the aegis of a society or a trust like many other madrasas. Also, they will be free to take affiliation from other boards or institutions like Nadwatul Ulama.”
“The only problem would be that they won’t be able to offer degrees or marksheets to the students. Also, earlier the affiliated madrasas used to get salary of modern subject teachers which they will not get after de-affiliation. However, salary of these teachers has not been disbursed for many years. I would like to request to the government to release their pending salary at the earliest.”