Uttarakhand Governor approves minority education bill, Madrasa Board Act to be abolished

DEHRUDUN: The Madrasa Board will be abolished and a uniform law will govern all minority educational institutions as Uttarakhand Governor Lt. Gen. Gurmeet Singh (Retd.) has given his assent to the Uttarakhand Minority Education Bill, 2025, a statement here said.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, on Monday, said, "With the Governor's approval, the path for this bill to become law has been paved." "Under this law, an authority will be established for the education system of minority communities, which will grant recognition to minority educational institutions," he said on X. "This law will certainly help make the education system in the state more transparent, accountable and quality-oriented," the CM asserted.

With the implementation of this Bill, the Madrasa Education Board Act, 2016, and the Non-Government Arabic and Persian Madrasa Recognition Rules, 2019, will expire on July 1, 2026, the statement read.

After receiving approval from the state cabinet in August this year, the Bill was passed during the monsoon session of the Assembly held in Gairsain — the summer capital of Uttarakhand.

Under the Bill, educational institutions belonging to other minority communities, such as Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Christian and Parsi, will also receive minority educational institution status in the state, along with those belonging to the Muslim community, the statement said.

Also read Uttarakhand Assembly clears Minority Education Bill 2025 extending status to 5 more communities

Until now, recognition of minority institutions has been limited to the Muslim community only, it added. The Bill provides for the establishment of an authority that will mandate recognition for educational institutions established by all minority communities, the statement said. The authority will also ensure that education in these institutions is imparted in accordance with the standards set by the Uttarakhand Board of School Education and that students' evaluations are fair and transparent, it added.

The CM had previously stated that "The Madrasa education system had been facing serious problems for years, including irregularities in central scholarship distribution, irregularities in mid-day meal scheme and a lack of transparency in management."

He stated that 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."