UP set to introduce NCERT textbooks in madrasas

Earlier, UP Government had also launched a dedicated portal for making online registration mandatory for the madarsas

Moving ahead with a plan for modernising madrasas in Uttar Pradesh, the Yogi Adityanath government has cleared a proposal for introducing books by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) in these educational institutions from the next academic session. 

The government is also planning to make science a compulsory subject up to Class X.

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma made the government decision public through a post on social networking site Twitter. Sharma said such a move would help madrasa students to compete with students from other educational systems. 

The decision to introduce NCERT textbooks is aimed at bringing about parity in the curriculums being followed in different educational systems, according to the state government.

“We have been teaching subjects of modern education (mathematics and science) at madrasas for a few years. We welcome the move as long as the state government does not change historical facts to suit ideology,” said Nafees Khan, who runs a madrasa in Bareilly district.

“We would also request the government to release the salaries of teachers appointed by the previous government to teach these modern subjects. Their salaries are due for the last two years. Also, the state government should immediately revoke the ban on hiring of teachers by newly recognised madrasas,” Khan added.  

Madrasas are educational institutions offering courses in Islamic theology and religious law. They impart lessons in the Quran and the Hadith. Students from madrasas usually opt for callings such as maulvis and muftis. Currently, there are 16,461 recognised and 560 aided madrasas operating in Uttar Pradesh.

An official in the state government said the Uttar Pradesh Board of Madarsa Education was laying the groundwork for introducing the new curriculum. Earlier, the government had launched a portal for online registration of madrasas, which were also required to upload details of teachers, staff and students. This move is designed to weed out irregularities and usher in transparency in the functioning and funding of madrasas.

The portal is also an effort to link all madrasas in the state into a unified system, wherein grants and staff salaries will be facilitated through the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) to check pilferage. The portal will check for duplication of scholarships and pre-empt the availing of government schemes by ineligible students.

Soon after coming to power on March 19, the Yogi government had rolled out its agenda for modernisation of madrasas, although a section of Muslims in the state had criticised the move as an infringement of their autonomy.

In its budget for 2017-18, the state government had allocated Rs 1,700 crore towards the welfare of minorities. Of this, Rs 394 crore was allocated towards imparting modern education in recognised madrasas and maqtabs (elementary schools).

Earlier, the state minorities welfare and dairy development minister, Chaudhary Laxmi Narayan, had claimed modernisation of madrasas would improve technical education and job prospects for their students.

The state government budget had also made a provision of Rs 792 crore for scholarships for minority students; Rs 150 crore for reimbursement of fees of minority students; Rs 18 crore for setting up of womens’ hostels in minority dominated areas; and Rs 341 crore towards a multi-sectoral district development plan.