The Uttarakhand government has decided to end financial grants to 456 madrasas across the state following the dissolution of the Madrasa Board and the establishment of a new minority education system. The decision was approved by the state Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. The government said that with the formation of the Uttarakhand State Minority Education Authority, the earlier grant mechanism linked to the Madrasa Board was no longer necessary.
Madrasa Board Replaced by Minority Education Authority
The move follows the implementation of the Uttarakhand Minority Education Act and new recognition rules. Since July, the newly constituted Uttarakhand State Minority Education Authority has assumed responsibility for the recognition, regulation, and monitoring of minority educational institutions, replacing the erstwhile Madrasa Board.
As part of the transition, the Cabinet approved a proposal to discontinue the budgetary allocation for madrasa grants from the 2027–28 financial year.
Banshidhar Tiwari, Additional Secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office, said, “The Madrasa Board no longer exists. Therefore, the grant system and the budget provision linked to it had also become irrelevant. The Cabinet has approved the proposal to discontinue the grant budget from the financial year 2027–28.”
Government officials clarified that although direct state grants to madrasas will be discontinued, recognised institutions affiliated with the Uttarakhand State Minority Education Authority will remain eligible for benefits available under the Centre’s U-DISE scheme.
Dr Prag Madhukar Dhakate, Special Secretary of the Minority Welfare Department, said, “The grants earlier provided through the Madrasa Board have been discontinued. Madrasas affiliated with the Uttarakhand State Minority Education Authority will now receive facilities available under the Government of India’s U-DISE scheme through the authority.”
According to the government, the new framework is intended to strengthen the quality, regulation, and administration of minority educational institutions across the state.
The decision has sparked concerns among sections of the community, with fears that the withdrawal of state grants could affect the functioning of hundreds of madrasas. Under the new system, the Uttarakhand State Minority Education Authority will oversee the recognition, regulation, and administration of minority educational institutions, taking over all responsibilities previously handled by the dissolved Madrasa Board.
