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UMEED Portal uploads: Mutawallis can seek extension from Waqf tribunal on valid grounds: UP minister
Speaking to HT over phone from Delhi, Uttar Pradesh minister of state for minority welfare, Muslim Waqf and Haj Danish Azad Ansari said: “We had a meeting with Union minister Kiren Rijiju ji in this regard and in light of the Supreme Court’s November 1 order, Mutawallis can now approach the Waqf tribunal to seek a six-month extension on valid grounds.”
Assuaging the concerns of Mutawallis (caretakers), Uttar Pradesh minister of state for minority welfare, Muslim Waqf and Haj Danish Azad Ansari has said that those unable to upload documents and details of their establishments on the UMEED portal by December 5, 2025, can seek a maximum six-month extension from the Waqf tribunal by furnishing valid reasons.
Earlier on Monday, the Supreme Court refused to extend the deadline for uploading Waqf documents on the UMEED portal and asked the parties concerned to approach their respective tribunals. The All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) had approached the apex court seeking an extension of the deadline.
Speaking to HT over phone from Delhi, Ansari said, “We had a meeting with Union minister Kiren Rijiju ji in this regard and in light of the Supreme Court’s November 1 order, Mutawallis can now approach the Waqf tribunal to seek a six-month extension on valid grounds.”
The Waqf tribunal in UP is currently not judicially functional due to the delay in the appointment of one of its three required members. Advocate Syed Shahab Haider Zaidi, a member of the tribunal, retired on September 26, 2025, and a replacement has not yet been appointed by the state government.
“If the tribunal is not judicially functional due to the retirement of a member, we will ensure that the appointment is made soon. We hope the Mutawallis will upload the documents after getting the extension from the tribunal,” Ansari said.
Meanwhile, AIMPLB executive member and chairman of the Islamic Centre of India, Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali, said that a legal team was being constituted to help Mutawallis move the tribunal.
“Documents of around one lakh Waqf establishments are yet to be uploaded on the UMEED portal. However, it is a matter of concern how the tribunal will hear thousands of pleas and grant extensions on such a large scale. We urge the government to intervene and issue an order, if possible,” he said.
“At the same time, while the Waqf (Amendment) Act was passed on April 8, 2025, the UMEED portal was launched only on June 6, 2025, the Rules were notified on July 3, 2025, and clarity regarding the operation of the Act emerged only after the Hon’ble Supreme Court delivered its interim order on September 15, 2025. Under these circumstances, the statutory period of six months was never fully available; instead, a truncated time was given, which was unintended by the statute itself,” Farangi Mahali said.
The UMEED portal aims to create a digital inventory of all Waqf properties, streamline management, and ensure real-time data collection and transparency. The last date to register Waqf properties on the portal is December 5.
Of the 1.26 lakh Waqf institutions registered with the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board, only around 29,350 have successfully uploaded their documents as of December 1, 2025, according to the board’s chairman, Zufar Ahmad Faruqi.
“So far, 29,350 applications from UP have been successfully submitted, and we are hopeful that by December 5, a few thousand more will be uploaded. The portal has been facing technical glitches for the past few days due to increased load. We hope this will be resolved soon,” Faruqi said.
Meanwhile, Mutawallis who have completed the uploading work have begun displaying signboards outside mosques with their registration numbers.
Firaq Hussain, the Mutawalli of Waqf Shahi Masjid Roshan Takiya in the Ghasiyari Mandi area of Qaiserbagh in Lucknow, has put up a display board outside the mosque. “Initially, we faced issues uploading documents on the portal, but we reached out to Shia Waqf Board chairman Ali Zaidi, who helped us complete the process. Though many like us have finished their work, many others are still struggling,” he said.
The Mutawalli of Masjid Waqf Dilawar Ali Compound, also in Ghasiyari Mandi, said he was still unable to upload documents due to persistent technical glitches. “The portal keeps crashing again and again. For the past many days, hardly anyone has been able to complete the process,” he said.
