**Dehradun, Uttarakhand:** Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister and Senior Congress leader Harish Rawat expressed concerns on Wednesday regarding the new Uttarakhand Minority Education Bill 2025, stating that it may impede the pace of modernisation in madrasa education.
Speaking with ANI, Harish Rawat recalled, “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, “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.”
Rawat emphasized the benefits of inclusive education in madrasas, stating, “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, describing it as a revolutionary step towards making the state’s education system 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!”
Notably, under this new bill, madrasas will be required to register with the Uttarakhand Board and obtain recognition from the Uttarakhand Minority Education Authority. Minority educational institutions will need to affiliate with the Uttarakhand School Education Board to ensure standardized education across the state.
“With the approval of the Honorable Governor, the path for this bill to become law has now been paved,” the Chief Minister stated.
The bill also mandates the establishment of an authority responsible for managing the education system of minority communities, tasked with granting recognition to minority educational institutions. Following implementation, madrasas and other minority institutions must obtain recognition from the Uttarakhand Education Board.
The curriculum will include core subjects such as science, mathematics, and social sciences, alongside modern technical education and vocational training. From the academic session starting July 2026, minority schools will adopt the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) and follow the New Education Policy (NEP 2020).
Chief Minister Dhami expressed confidence in the new law, stating, “Undoubtedly, this law will prove helpful in making the education system in the state more transparent, accountable, and qualitative.”
He described the decision as a historic step toward creating a uniform and modern education system in Uttarakhand. With this move, the state will become the first in the country to dissolve its Madrasa Board and integrate minority educational institutions into the mainstream education framework.
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https://www.freepressjournal.in/education/uttarakhand-minority-education-bill-2025-sparks-debate-over-madrasa-modernisation
