Former Uttarakhand chief minister and senior Congress leader Harish Rawat on Wednesday expressed concern over the new Uttarakhand Minority Education Bill 2025. He said the bill could halt the pace of modernisation in madrasa education.
Harish Rawat said, "During the government of Shri Narayan Datt Tiwari, some steps were taken to bring madrasas into the mainstream of inclusive education, which all subsequent governments have continued to work on further."
He added that “The impact and side effects of this new step will be known in the future. However, I am concerned that this may halt the pace of modernisation in madrasa education. As a result of inclusive education in madrasas, people from different castes and religions were now receiving education, and the burden on the state was also being reduced. The more you isolate a community, the more fanaticism will increase, tensions will rise, and social hatred will increase."
Earlier, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami thanked Governor Lieutenant General Gurmit Singh (Retd.) for approving the Minority Education Bill-2025. The bill is designed to bring reforms in the state’s education system, making it more uniform, inclusive, and modern.
In a post on X, Dhami said, " Heartfelt thanks to the Honorable Governor @LtGenGurmit ji (Retd.) for granting approval to the Minority Education Bill-2025!"
Under this law, madrasas will need to register with the Uttarakhand Board and get recognition from the Uttarakhand Minority Education Authority.
"With the approval of the Honorable Governor, the path for this bill to become law has now been paved," Dhami said. Schools will also have to affiliate with the Uttarakhand School Education Board, ensuring standardised education.
Dhami added, "An authority will be established for the education system of minority communities, which will handle the task of granting recognition to minority educational institutions. Additionally, after the implementation of this bill, minority educational institutions such as madrasas will be required to obtain recognition from the Uttarakhand Education Board."
The curriculum will now include science, mathematics, social sciences, as well as modern technical education and vocational training. From the academic session of July 2026, minority schools will follow the national curriculum and the New Education Policy (NEP 2020).
CM Dhami said this law will make the state’s education system more transparent, accountable, and high-quality. He called the decision a historic step towards a uniform and modern education system.
With this move, Uttarakhand will become the first state in India to dissolve its Madrasa Board and fully bring minority educational institutions into the mainstream education framework.
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