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Uttar Pradesh govt team surveys 125-year-old Nadwa seminary in Lucknow
Carried out for the first time, the survey of Nadwa is in consonance with an order by the minority welfare and waqf department, directing the U.P. Board of Madrasa Education and district magistrates across the state to carry out a survey of all unaffiliated madrasas.
A three-member state government team completed a survey of the 125- year-old madrasa (Islamic seminary) Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama (popularly known as Nadwa) in Lucknow on Thursday morning.
The officials sought information about the madrasa on 12 points during the survey.
Carried out for the first time, the survey is in consonance with an order by the minority welfare and waqf department, directing the U.P. Board of Madrasa Education and district magistrates across the state to carry out a survey of all unaffiliated madrasas.
The Nadwa building was abuzz with activity since morning. Vice-principal Abdul Aziz Nadwi led a group of teachers to welcome the squad led by subdivisional magistrate (SDM) Naveen Chandra, block education officer (BEO) Rajesh Singh and district minority officer (DMO) Sone Kumar.
The squad led by Chandra entered the Nadwa premises at 10.20am and left around noon. District minority officer Sone Kumar said the exercise aimed at collecting information about Nadwa and the details about its affiliation.
Kumar said on finding information about Nadwa’s affiliation that was not known so far, the team is also gathering details on 12 points in the survey.
The 12 points include the name of the madrasa, the name and details of the organisation that runs it, the year of establishment, details of the madrasa building — whether it is privately owned or on rent — the facilities, including electricity, drinking water and others at the madrasa, the total strength of students, courses being taught, funding source and others.
Sone Kumar also said, “The madrasa Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama is not recognised by the U.P. State Madrasa Education Board. The Nadwa authorities have informed us that Nadwa is registered under the 1860 Societies Registration Act and is even older than the U.P. State Madrasa Education Board. However, they have some courses recognised by the Bengal Madrasa Board and the Bihar Madrasa Board , while they have applied for recognition of some graduate courses with the Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Language University, Lucknow. They have promised to give related documents soon.”
Block education officer Rajesh Singh said, “The Nadwa authorities informed that 2410 students are taking education in the madrasa and 81 teachers are imparting education. They have a rich library with 2.5 lakh books. The premises also house a hostel in which around 2200 students live.”
On funding and source of income, the Nadwa officials told them that they are running the madrasa with people’s support and from the rent that they get from some of their property. Representatives of Nadwa were asked to provide documents of their source of income, said Kumar.
He said, “Once they provide details, all the members will sit and make a detailed report that will be submitted to the government.”
“The government has given a set of proforma to check the number of students, teachers, syllabus, physical infrastructure, facilities available and source of income,” Kumar added.
There were enough classrooms, toilets, playground, said BEO Rajesh Singh who went as a representative of basic shiksha adhikari Arun Kumar.
The officials were happy with the facilities provided to students by the seminary.
Nadwa vice-principal Abdul Aziz Nadwi said, “The Nadwa management cooperated with the three-member survey team and provided all the information which they required. We also took (them) to our library to show them how well we maintain the books. We took them to hostels, showed them the classrooms before sitting to give information about the madrasa. The meeting with them went off very well, as there is nothing to be afraid of (in) this survey for any of the madrasas.”
“We told them that Nadwa not only provides quality education about religion, but provides education also in science, English and Hindi. Our students are serving even in Oxford University,” said Nadwi.
“Sometimes wrong illusions are created for madrasas that they will not cooperate with the government on the survey. I think all the madrasas are more than willing to cooperate because they have nothing to hide. They will welcome the government team and give each and every information sought by the state government. All the madrasas believe in cooperating with the authorities,” said Abdul Aziz Nadwi.
About recognition, he said , “All the details have been given to the team.”
