The Madrasa Board will be scrapped, and a single law will now regulate all minority educational institutions in Uttarakhand. Governor Lt Gen Gurmeet Singh (Retd.) has given his assent to the Uttarakhand Minority Education Bill, 2025, according to an official statement.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said on Monday, “With the Governor's approval, the path for this bill to become law has been paved.” He added that under the new law, an authority will be set up for education system of minority communities, which will grant recognition to minority educational institutions.
The Chief Minister also said “This law will certainly help make the education system in the state more transparent, accountable and quality-oriented.”
Once the Bill comes into effect, the Madrasa Education Board Act, 2016, and the Non-Government Arabic and Persian Madrasa Recognition Rules, 2019, will be scrapped. Both will expire on July 1, 2026, the statement noted.
The Bill was approved by the state cabinet in August this year and later passed in the monsoon session of the Assembly, held in Gairsain — the summer capital of Uttarakhand.
The new law also covers other minority communities besides Muslims. Schools and colleges run by Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Christians, and Parsis will also get recognition as minority educational institutions in the state, along with those belonging to the Muslim community, the statement said. So far, recognition was limited to institutions run only by the Muslim community, it added.
The Bill provides for setting up a dedicated authority. This body will oversee the recognition process and ensure that minority institutions follow the standards of the Uttarakhand Board of School Education. It will also make sure that students’ exams and evaluations are fair and transparent.
The Chief Minister had earlier pointed out that the madrasa education system had been facing serious issues for years. These included irregularities in the central scholarship scheme, problems in the mid-day meal programme, and lack of transparency in management.
He said “This Bill would empower the government to effectively monitor the operation of minority educational institutions and issue necessary directives, thereby further strengthening educational excellence and social harmony in the state."
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