India state scraps madrasa board targeting Muslim education
BJP ruled state of Uttarakhand orders Islamic schools to adopt common syllabus from July 2026, with closure threat and concerns over religious education rights
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — Authorities in northern India’s Uttarakhand state have ordered the abolition of the madrasa education board, requiring Islamic religious schools to adopt a government-prescribed curriculum from July 2026, in a move framed as education reform but seen by many as targeting minority institutions.
The directive was announced by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party at an event in Haridwar, roughly 200 kilometers north of New Delhi.
While he framed the move as part of a “uniform education system,” rights advocates point to his government’s record of policies and rhetoric viewed as hostile toward Muslim institutions, warning that the latest step could deepen concerns over religious targeting.
Madrasas, which provide religious and basic education to Muslim students, operate under separate boards in several Indian states. The move to dissolve Uttarakhand’s board effectively brings these institutions under the state education framework, raising questions about autonomy and curriculum control.
The announcement was welcomed by several Hindu religious figures present at the event, some of whom argued that the policy would integrate students into the national mainstream. However, more hardline voices went further, linking madrasas to broader social concerns and calling for similar measures nationwide.
Muslim scholars and community leaders have strongly opposed the decision, arguing that reforms could have been implemented without dismantling the existing regulatory structure. They say the move risks undermining minority rights and eroding space for religious education.
The policy follows a series of measures affecting Islamic institutions in the state. Earlier in 2025, authorities sealed at least 170 madrasas, actions that community advocates described as disproportionately targeting Muslim-run schools.
The state government has also approved legislation aimed at extending minority institution status to non-Muslim communities, a step that analysts say could reshape how educational protections are applied.
Uttarakhand has already been at the center of national debate after becoming the first Indian state to implement a Uniform Civil Code, a policy that replaces religious personal laws with a common legal framework. Rights groups have argued that such measures raise constitutional concerns related to religious freedom and equality.
Analysts say the latest decision reflects a broader shift in how education and identity intersect in parts of India, where policies framed as standardization are increasingly scrutinized for their impact on minority communities.
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