Hyderabad, December 8, 2025, In a significant clarification on the implementation of Section 3-B(1) of the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, 1995, the Telangana State Waqf Tribunal has ruled that the six-month period for uploading Waqf property details on the UMEED Portal will commence only from the date the corresponding Rules were officially notified.
The Tribunal held that since the Rules, detailing the prescribed formats and required information, were notified by the Government of India on 3 July 2025, the statutory six-month period must be calculated from that date. Consequently, the Tribunal declared the petition seeking an extension of time premature, as the six months had not yet elapsed.
The petition, filed by the Association of T.S. Sajjadanasheen Mutawalli and Khildmatguzaran of Waqfs, sought an additional six months to upload property and institutional data. The Tribunal noted that although the amended Section 3-B(1) came into force on 8 April 2025 and the UMEED Portal was inaugurated on 6 June 2025, Mutawallis could not be expected to comply before the official guidelines were published.
The Bench further observed that under the law, it is the Mutawalli of each Waqf institution, not associations, who is authorized to seek extension, and any such application must be supported with reasons and a detailed schedule of the properties. Since these requirements were not met, the petition was returned.
In Gujarat, Adv. Tahir Hakim of the Gujarat High Court was the first to raise this legal interpretation and had already incorporated this argument in his petition before the Gujarat State Waqf Tribunal. His early intervention has been noted within legal circles as an important contribution in shaping the nationwide understanding of the statutory timeline.
The Tribunal also acknowledged the efforts of the counsel who argued the matter in Telangana, crediting him for effectively presenting the issue and assisting the Bench in arriving at a clear interpretation.
The order is expected to provide relief and clarity to Mutawallis across the state/country, many of whom were uncertain about deadlines due to the staggered rollout of the portal and the late publication of procedural rules.
