In a welcome move to uphold the secular outlook of the government, Assam legislative assembly today passed a bill to stop government ran madrassas in Assam. These madrassas will be turned to general schools and hence hundreds of crores spend for these madrassas will be diverted for the public wellbeing. The bill awaits the Governor’s approval and will come to effect from April 1, 2021. Under the bill, the State Madrassa Education Board, Assam, will also be dissolved. The bill proposes to abolish the two existing acts — The Assam Madrassa Education (Provincialisation) Act, 1995 and The Assam Madrassa Education provincialisation of Services of Employees and Re-Organisation of Madrassa Educational Institutions) Act, 2018.
Sharing happiness over the passage of this bill, State Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted, “Glad that the Bill pertaining to repeal of Provincialisation of Madrassas has been passed, even as @INCAssam and @AIUDFOfficial expectedly staged a walkout in Assembly. All Madrassas, being run under government stands converted into regular educational institute wef April 1, 2021.”
Himanta Biswa Sarma said the government would soon introduce another bill to regulate private madrassas as well. He said the state government will register private madrassas only if they include science, maths and other subjects in their teachings along with religious education.
Meanwhile, AIUDF and the Congress party staged a walkout while the bill was being passed in the state assembly.
