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PCS ParikshanUttarakhand Switch to Hindi
Reopening of Madrasa in Uttarakhand
Why in News?
On 3rd April 2025, the Uttarakhand High Court ordered the government to unseal a madrasa, which officials had sealed for allegedly operating “illegally,” provided the institution does not run any school in the building without State government recognition.
Key Points
- Government Action on Madrasas:
- The State government shut down over 136 madrasas for allegedly operating without affiliation and failing to meet madrasa board norms.
- The state Chief Minister also ordered an inquiry into the funding of these institutions.
- High Court's Interim Relief:
- The court granted interim relief to Madarsa Enamul Uloom in Dehradun, allowing its reopening.
- The madrasa owners challenged the sealing, arguing that they operated a religious school under a registered society and that the State had sealed the premises without legal authority.
- The High Court also asked the State government to clarify the legal provisions and procedures followed in sealing the madrasa’s property.
- Court’s Observations on Due Process:
- The High Court noted that the madrasa was sealed without a show-cause notice, and the petitioners were denied a hearing.
- The court ruled that the property should be unsealed until the next hearing, provided the petitioners submit an undertaking that they will not operate a madrasa or school without State government recognition.
Madrasas
- Madrasa is an Arabic word for an educational institution.
- Initially, mosques served as educational institutions in early Islam, but by the 10th century, madrasas evolved into distinct entities for both religious and secular learning in the Islamic world.
- The earliest madrasas were found in Khorasan and Transoxania (modern eastern and northern Iran, central Asia, and Afghanistan), with larger institutions providing housing for students, especially those from poor backgrounds.
- Recognized madrasas are under state boards; unrecognized ones follow curricula from major seminaries like Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama and Darul Uloom Deoband.
