Dhami Govt To Enact Law Granting Minority Status To Other Communities, Repeal Madarsa Board Act
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By : Prithviraj Singh
Update: 2025-08-17 16:35 GMT
Dehradun: In a big move on Sunday, the Uttarakhand government led by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami decided to grant minority status to educational institutions of other recognised religious minorities along with Muslims. The Dhami Cabinet announced that it will table a Bill in the upcoming monsoon session of the state assembly, beginning August 19 in Gairsain, and will also repeal the Madrasa Education Board law.
The government has approved the introduction of the Uttarakhand Minority Educational Institutions Bill, 2025 to grant minority status to institutions of other communities and regulate their education according to the standards set by the state education board. While the contents of the proposed act have not yet been made public, government officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it will pave the way for teaching Gurmukhi and Pali languages in recognised minority educational institutions in the state.
Along with tabling the Bill, the Cabinet also decided to repeal the Uttarakhand Madrasa Education Board Act, 2016 and the Uttarakhand Non-Government Arabic and Persian Madrasa Recognition Rules, 2019 with effect from July 1, 2026.
So far, only educational institutions run by the Muslim community enjoyed official minority status in Uttarakhand. The proposed law will extend the same recognition to Sikh, Jain, Christian, Buddhist, and Zoroastrian (Parsi) communities. “This will be the first such law to be passed by any state in the country. It will create a transparent system for granting minority status to educational institutions of identified minority communities and ensure quality in education,” a senior IAS officer in the state secretariat said.
As per the Cabinet decision, the proposed Act will mandate the creation of the Uttarakhand State Minority Education Authority (SMEA) to grant minority status to educational institutions. Institutions run by Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, and Parsi communities will be required to obtain formal recognition from SMEA. The Act will not interfere in the creation or functioning of minority institutions but will ensure that education standards are maintained.
Additionally, all minority educational institutions will be required to register under the Societies Act, Trust Act, or Companies Act. They must own land and maintain bank accounts in their own names.
The Bill also empowers the state government to revoke the recognition of any minority institution found guilty of financial mismanagement, lack of transparency, or activities threatening religious or social harmony. The SMEA will have the authority to monitor and evaluate the quality of education imparted in these institutions and ensure compliance with standards set by the Uttarakhand Education Board, including fair and transparent student assessments.