UP to amend Madrasa Act following SC verdict?

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government is exploring changes to the Uttar Pradesh Board of Madrasa Education Act, 2004 in light of a recent Supreme Court judgment.

Among the proposed amendments, the exclusion of Kamil (graduate) and Fazil (post-graduate) courses from the Act’s purview is under consideration, according to individuals familiar with the development.

The potential move has sparked concerns among stakeholders about the future of students currently pursuing these courses. “If this comes true, what will happen to those students already enrolled in Kamil and Fazil courses? They have invested significant time in these programmes,” said former UP Madrasa board chairman Iftikhar Ahmed Javed.

He suggested that these degrees should be immediately recognised by Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Language University. “The proposal for such recognition has been sent to the government multiple times but seems to be stuck in bureaucratic delays,” Javed added.

The Supreme Court last month upheld the constitutional validity of the UP Madrasa Act but restricted the Madrasa board’s recognition to education up to Class XII. The court stated that the Kamil and Fazil degrees conflict with the University Grants Commission Act.

It also emphasised the need for the state to align madrasa education with modern academic standards.

“The only relevance of Kamil and Fazil was in Madrasa board appointments. For years, students have opted for higher education at universities after completing their Alim (Class XII). I don’t see the need for an amendment,” remarked prominent Sunni cleric Maulana Sufiyan Nizami.