Assam Governor gives nod to law converting govt-run madrasas to regular schools

Education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma who had pushed for enactment of the new legislation, called the move “historic and progressive”.

Published on: Feb 3, 2021, 21:25:16 IST

By Utpal Parashar

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Assam Governor Jagadish Mukhi has given his assent to a Bill passed by the assembly last month that allowed converting government-run madrasas into regular schools.

A gazette notification indicated that, the Assam Repealing Act 2020 was approved by Governor Jagadish Mukhi on January 27. (TWITTER).

According to a gazette notification, The Assam Repealing Act 2020 was approved by the Governor on January 27; chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal tweeted on Wednesday.

“With this we mark a historic era for the education sector of Assam as all government madrasas will now be run as regular educational institutes,” the CM tweeted.

With the new provision coming into effect, two earlier legislations, the Madrasa Education Provincialisation Act, 1955 and Assam Madrasa Education Act, 2018, will stand repealed.

Education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma who had pushed for enactment of the new legislation, called the move “historic and progressive”.

Assam has 189 high madrasas and higher secondary madrasas that were under the Board of Secondary Education, Assam (SEBA) and Assam Higher Secondary Education Council (AHSEC).

There are 542 pre-senior, senior and title madrasas and Arabic colleges under the State Madrasa Education Board, which has been dissolved.

The new move won’t affect private madrasas that don’t operate with government funding.

The new legislation would also convert 97 Sanskrit ‘tols’ (learning centres) to study and research centres and place them under Kumar Bhaskar Varma Sanskrit and Ancient Studies University. They would run diploma and degree courses on Indian history and culture.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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