UP Madrasa Board law repealed, future of thousands of madrasa students in dark after Allahabad High Court’s decision

Allahabad High Court has given a big decision on Friday. It has declared UP Board of Madrasa Education Act 2004 unconstitutional. Due to this, the future of thousands of students studying under the Madrasa Board seems to be in the dark. The financial help given to the Madrasas can also be difficult. In an important decision, the Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High Court called the UP Board of Madrasa Education Act 2004 a violation of the principle of secularism. The court declared it unconstitutional.

The detailed order of the court will make the picture more clear. The law has been declared ultra vires. The division bench of Justice Vivek Chaudhary and Justice Subhash Vidyarthi also directed the Uttar Pradesh government to make a plan so that the students currently studying in Madrasas can be accommodated in the formal education system.

This decision comes months after the Uttar Pradesh government’s decision to survey Islamic educational institutions in the state. An SIT was also formed in October 2023 to investigate the funding of madrasas from abroad. The High Court’s decision came on a writ petition filed by Anshuman Singh Rathore. In this, the powers of the UP Madrasa Board were challenged.

Also, objections have been raised to the management of the madrasa by the Government of India and the State Government and other concerned minority welfare departments. In December 2023, the Division Bench raised its concerns about possible arbitrariness and the need for transparency in the administration of educational institutions, emphasizing the broader issue of whether such decisions are consistent with the principles of equal opportunity and secular governance.