The chairman of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), Priyank Kanoongo, has raised alarm over what he termed a "radical" curriculum in government-funded madrasas in Bihar.
Expressing grave concerns on Sunday, he also questioned the enrolment of Hindu children in these religious schools.
Kanoongo, in a series of posts on social media platform X, called for an investigation by the United Nations into the curriculum being used in these institutions.
He particularly took issue with the involvement of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in designing the curriculum for the Bihar Madrasa Board, describing it as the "height of appeasement" by both UNICEF and the board.
The NCPCR chief pointed out that textbooks like Talimul Islam are reportedly in use within these madrasas, which label non-Islamic individuals as "kafir" (infidels).
Kanoongo expressed concern that Hindu children are also being enrolled in these institutions, although the Bihar government has yet to disclose official data on the matter.
Kanoongo’s criticism extended to the Bihar Madrasa Board, which reportedly stated that UNICEF India had prepared the curriculum.
He condemned this involvement, stating that "it is not UNICEF's job to create a radical curriculum using money received as donations and grants from governments, under the guise of child protection."
In his posts, Kanoongo specifically pointed out that madrasas are not appropriate places for providing basic education to children and insisted that all children, particularly Hindu children, should be attending regular schools.
He also highlighted the use of funds for activities that fall outside the scope of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, calling it a violation of both the Indian Constitution and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
Kanoongo demanded that the Bihar Madrasa Board be dissolved and that a UN-led investigation be launched to probe these activities in India.
He also noted that many books included in the madrasa curriculum are published in Pakistan, with ongoing research into their content.
A response from UNICEF on the matter is still awaited.
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