Uttar Pradesh govt targets madrasa autonomy, sparks fear among Muslim community
Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government’s latest move targeting madrasas has triggered renewed fear and disappointment among Muslims, who believe the BJP-ruled state is slowly dismantling the autonomy of minority educational institutions.
According to Kashmir Media Service, after months of crackdowns that included shutting down madrasas and demolishing buildings with bulldozers, the authorities in Uttar Pradesh are now seeking to control teacher appointments in government-funded madrasas. Minority Welfare Minister O. P. Rajbhar recently announced that future recruitment will be conducted through a state-level commission, bypassing madrasa management committees.
Under the Madrasa Regulations 2016, management committees currently oversee appointments, ensuring minority rights under Articles 28–30 of the Indian Constitution. Critics say the UP government’s move undermines these protections.
Two days after Rajbhar’s remarks, the Director of Minority Welfare and the Registrar of the Madrasa Board issued a circular directing district minority officers to submit detailed lists of teachers in government-aided madrasas within three days. Committees were also asked to file affidavits confirming that previous appointments complied with 2016 regulations and were free of nepotism.
Madrasa operators and community leaders have dismissed the allegations of irregularities as exaggerated, warning that the pattern signals deeper interference. A senior madrasa administrator in Lucknow, speaking anonymously, said, “First it was unregistered madrasa closures, then bulldozers, now this. These are not administrative corrections; they are steps to gain control.”
If implemented, the new system will directly affect around 560 government-funded madrasas and nearly 8,400 teachers, raising concerns about thousands of students. Muslim organisations have strongly criticised the plan, terming it a direct assault on constitutional protections and asserting that the government’s intention is control, not reform.
