After receiving the survey reports of private madrasas in the state, the Uttar Pradesh Madrasa Education Board chief has said the process of𝐆 giving recognition to the unregistered Islamic seminaries would start aga🌟in.
Madrasa Board Chairman Iftikhar Ahmad Javed told PTI that the process of giving recognition to 8,500 unaffiliated madrasas would be resumed with th♛e 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 g♒etting the recognition would benefit the madrasas as well as the students because they𒆙 will get degrees from the Madrasa Board, which are widely acknowledged.
Madrasa Education Board dissolved after 2017, recognition stalled
Diwan Saheb Zaman Khan, the general secretary of the Teachers' As𝕴sociation 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 st꧅ep," 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.
UP Madrasa survey
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 maౠdrasas, along with other basic information. The survey had found that 8,500 madrasas without recognition are being run 🍌in Uttar Pradesh.
As♑ked 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 in🌄come.
Talking about the basic facilities and other arrangements in the madrasas, he said the survey found the arrangements in mostꦑ of the madrasas to be satisfactory.
He reiterated that the survey of the madrasas was conducted only to collect information, its purpose was to kn🦩ow about the condition of the basic facilities there and make improvements, if needed.
Monitoring the appointment of Madrasa teachers
Javed said the process of assessing the r꧑eports received after the survey is still on. Meanwhile, according to sources, it is als🃏o 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 iꦜnstಌitutes as in basic schools, the minister said.
According to the data of the latest survey, ab🍷out 25,000 madrasas are being operated in Uttar Pradesh and only 560 of thos𓃲e 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 inclu💜ding knowledge of computers and science.
(With inputs from PTI)
