‘Sundays, not Fridays, to be weekly off in Uttarakhand madrassas’: CM Pushkar Singh Dhami in push for uniformity across edu institutes

Dhami said since madrassas function as schools recognised by the education department, its rules and regulations will apply to them as well.

Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday said there should be a uniform system for all educational institutions in the state, following directions to the madrasas recognised by the state’s minority education department to observe weekly holidays on Sunday instead of Fridays.

The decision affects madrasas that have received formal recognition under the Uttarakhand State Authority for Minority Education, a regulatory body established in July. (Subrata Biswas/ HT Photo/ Representational)

Speaking on the sidelines of a Police Commemoration Day event in Dehradun, Dhami said, “There should be a consistent system for everyone, and all educational institutions should move in the same direction.”

Single state-monitored framework

The decision affects madrasas that have received formal recognition under the Uttarakhand State Authority for Minority Education, a regulatory body established in July.

The authority replaced a dedicated Madrasa Board after legislation passed in August last year brought institutions run by Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, and Parsi communities under a single state-monitored framework.

“Since madrasas are now functioning as schools recognised by the education department, its rules and regulations will apply to them equally. Institutions failing to comply with prescribed standards will not be allowed to operate,” Dhami said.

Surjit Singh Gandhi, chairman of the state’s minority education authority, said the authority has granted recognition under the new law to 76 madrasas in the state, and the education department is currently processing another 114 accreditation applications.

To be sure, there were 452 institutions registered under the now-abolished Madrasa Board.

Uttarakhand was the first state in the country to enact the Uniform Civil Code, has also been shutting down madrasas operating without approvals. Parag Madhukar Dhakate, secretary of the minority affairs department, said authorities sealed 250 unregistered madrasas during last year’s crackdown.