Uttarakhand Orders Madrasas to Join State Education Board by July 1 or Face Closure

Uttarakhand will dissolve its madrasa board, directing all madrasas to join the state education board before July 1. Other minority institutions will also come under the new education authority.

The Uttarakhand government has announced a major decision to dissolve the existing madrasa board. As per the new order, all madrasas in the state must affiliate with the state education board before 1st July 2026 or face closure. The ultimatum has been issued to all the madrassas in Uttarakhand irrespective of weather or not they are registered with the Madrassa Board. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that under the new education authority, institutions belonging to Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain and Parsi communities will also be brought under the same framework, ensuring a uniform education system across communities.

The Uttarakhand government has said that the madrasas will be able to get recognition as minority educational institutions only after applying to the Uttarakhand State Minority Education Authority. The decision comes a day after Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami's cabinet approved the plan to introduce the Uttarakhand Minority Educational Institutions Bill, 2025, in the state assembly's monsoon session starting on August 19. After the implementation of Minority Educational Institutions Bill, the Uttarakhand Madrasa Education Board Act, 2016 along with the Uttarakhand Non-Government Arabic and Persian Madrasa Recognition Rules, 2019 will be repealed withe effect from July 1, 2026.

CM Dhami on Minority Education Bill: Ensures transparency, equal right to education

Defending and highlighting the significance of Uttarakhand Minority Educational Institutions Bill, 2025, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said, "We want to bring transparency in this. Everyone should get education. In the minority community, our Sikhs, Jains, Arabis, Persians, Buddhists all come under the minority. Their institutions should be opened. They also have the right to education. We have expanded it a little, and there is transparency. In the past few days, you must have seen that many such illegal Madrasas have also come to light. Like Jan Dhan, Ujjwala Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, and Ayushman Bharat Yojana, the Prime Minister dedicated this scheme to the country for all the people in the country, in the same way, this bill of ours will also work in the field of minority reform…" When asked about the political parties opposing the move, CM Dhami said, "The opposition has always been doing vote bank politics. Our aim is that everyone should have the right to education..."

(With inputs from agencies)

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