Has the Uttarakhand Assembly Passed the Minority Educational Institutions Bill?

Dehradun, Aug 20 (NationPress) The Uttarakhand Assembly has successfully passed the Minority Educational Institutions Bill, aiming to oversee all minority institutions in the state by establishing a new governing body, amidst significant disruption from the Opposition members.

Introduced just a day prior, the bill sparked intense discussions between the ruling and Opposition parties, with the latter expressing their discontent over alleged fraud in the recent Panchayat elections and criticizing the state government's handling of law and order issues.

Before the Assembly session commenced, numerous Congress leaders organized a sit-in protest outside the Assembly.

With the enactment of the Minority Educational Institutions Bill, the privileges associated with minority status will be broadened to include not only Muslims but also the Sikh, Jain, Christian, Parsi, and Buddhist communities.

Previously, minority status was exclusively granted to Muslim educational institutions.

A newly established entity, the Uttarakhand State Minority Education Authority (USMEA), will take over from the existing Uttarakhand Madrassa Board, tasked with recognizing and setting standards for minority institutions.

This legislation sets a significant precedent both within the state and nationwide, as it saw vigorous exchanges between the ruling BJP and the Opposition Congress, with the latter questioning the intentions behind the Pushkar Dhami government.

The BJP defended its position, asserting that this law would ensure equitable treatment for all minority groups and accused the Opposition of resisting the repeal of the Uttarakhand Madrasa Board Act, initially introduced by the Harish Rawat administration in 2016, due to concerns about its Muslim voter base.

Importantly, Uttarakhand is the first state to implement a law for a Universal Civil Code (UCC) to regulate personal laws such as marriage, divorce, and adoption.

Similar to the UCC, the Minority Educational Institutions legislation aims to unify all minority community-operated institutions under a single regulatory authority. Until now, only those managed by the Muslim community were designated as minority educational institutions.

By July 1, 2026, all madrasas in the state must seek affiliation from the Uttarakhand Education Board and subsequently apply for minority status with the Uttarakhand State Authority for Minority Education (USAME). Institutions will only receive minority educational status after meeting the required criteria and conditions; otherwise, unrecognized madrasas will face closure.