Minority-run educational institutions in BJP-ruled Uttarakhand, including madrasas, will be required to register with a newly constituted state body if they wish to continue functioning from the 2026–27 academic session.
The Pushkar Singh Dhami government on Wednesday passed a proposal in the Assembly to establish the Uttarakhand State Minority Educational Authority, which will replace the Uttarakhand Madarsa Education Board formed under the Congress government in 2016.
The new authority will comprise 12 members, headed by a president from any minority community Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, or Jain with a minimum of 15 years of teaching experience, including five as a university professor. Other members will include representatives of minority groups and a retired government officer of secretary rank, all nominated by the state government.
As per the draft, institutions will be granted registration for three years at a time, subject to renewal. To qualify, schools must own land, conduct transactions through bank accounts, and ensure that neither students nor teachers are compelled to participate in religious activities.
The Dhami administration has frequently accused madrasas of irregularities, including illegal foreign funding, encroachment on public land, and spreading communal hatred. Over the past few years, more than 50 madrasas have been shut down, with properties seized and some Islamic schools and shrines demolished. The government has set July 1, 2026, as the deadline for submitting applications for registration. Currently, 452 madrasas are registered under the existing board.
The move has drawn criticism from opposition leaders. Former chief minister Harish Rawat denounced the decision, remarking, “I don’t know why Dhami hates madrasas. He should remember that madrasas played an important role in the freedom struggle.
