E-Paper
Ease passport verification for students: U.P. Madrasa Board writes to MEA
According to board chief Dr Iftekhar Ahmad, around 35 to 40 applications from the passport department seeking to verify marksheets issued by the board are received daily
In a fresh move apparently aimed at connecting with the Muslim community, the Uttar Pradesh Madrasa Education Board has written to the ministry of external affairs (MEA) to ease passport verification process for madrasa students enrolled with the board.
Currently a little over 16,000 madrasas across the state are enrolled with the board. According to board chief Dr Iftekhar Ahmad, around 35 to 40 applications from the passport department seeking to verify marksheets issued by the board are received daily.
“There are around 56 Islamic countries where madrasa students visit for employment opportunities. Since 2018 onwards, the results of exams conducted by Madrasa Board for munshi/moulvi and courses equivalent to high school are uploaded on our website madrasaboard.upsdc.gov.in,” said Ahmad.
“So, we have written to the MEA that instead of sending the marksheets of madrasa students to us for verification, the same can be done by tallying it with the results we have uploaded on the portal. Instead of doing that, the madrasa students are ill-treated by the passport department staff and even told that their marksheets appear fake,” he added.
“If required, we will meet MEA officials in Delhi to sort out the issue,” Ahmad said. The U.P. government had undertaken a survey of madrasas last year that had created much debate. The findings of the survey have been shared with the government, which however, is yet to clear its plan for such madrasas that aren’t enrolled with the board.
