States High court

Allahabad HC Declares UP Board of Madrasa Education Act ‘unconstitutional’

In a landmark judgment, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has declared the ‘UP Board of Madrasa Education Act 2004’ unconstitutional for violating the principle of secularism.

Apart from striking down the law, a division bench of Justices Vivek Chaudhary and Subhash Vidyarthi directed the Uttar Pradesh government to prepare a plan to integrate students currently enrolled in madrassas into the formal education system.

The decision comes after the state government launched a survey of Islamic educational institutions in the state and a special investigation team (SIT) report in October 2023 to probe foreign funding to madrassas.

This decision of the High Court has come after hearing a writ petition filed by petitioner Anshuman Singh Rathod. The petition challenged, among other related issues, the validity of the UP Madrassa Board and the management of madrassas by the Minority Welfare Department.

In December 2023, the bench expressed concern about possible arbitrariness and stressed the need for transparency in the management of educational institutions. This underlined broader questions about whether such decisions followed the principles of level playing field and secular governance.

In fact, in October 2019, the High Court had referred some basic questions regarding the functioning and structure of the Madarsa Board to a larger bench. In which questions were raised whether including members of any specific religion in the Madrasa Board is in line with the purpose of the Board, which is not limited to religious education but includes various fields of study. Whether appointments to the Board should be based on expertise in relevant fields, irrespective of religious affiliation, in line with the secular Constitution of India and whether placing Madrassa education under the Department of Minority Welfare is arbitrary and deprives students of the benefit of educational expertise and policies Is.
After considering all these questions, Allahabad High Court ruled that the UP Madrasa Education Act 2004 is unconstitutional.

Ashish Sinha

-Ashish Kumar Sinha -Editor Legally Speaking -Ram Nath Goenka awardee - 14 Years of Experience in Media - Covering Courts Since 2008

Recent Posts

Punjab & Haryana HC Notice To Jindal Law School Over AI-Generated Exam Claims

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday has issued a notice to Jindal Global…

2 hours ago

ED Files Money Laundering Complaint Against Charanjit Singh Bajaj, 4 Others

The ED on Tuesday has filed a Prosecution Complaint before the Special Court in Mohali…

3 hours ago

Pune Porsche Case: SC Rejects Anticipatory Bail To Father Of Minor Driver’s Friend

The Supreme Court on Tuesday denied bail to Arunkumar Devnath Singh, whose son is a…

4 hours ago

SC Dumps Plea Against Quashing LOC For Sushant Singh Rajput’s Ex-House Help

The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed the Centre's appeal against a Bombay High Court order…

4 hours ago

Rape Case: SC Issues Notice On Ex-Army Officer’s Plea For Quashing Charge sheet

The Supreme Court on Tuesday has agreed to review a plea from retired Army Captain…

5 hours ago

Chhattisgarh NAN Scam: FIR Against 2 Retired IAS Officers, Former AG

The Chhattisgarh Anti-Corruption Bureau on Tuesday has registered a case against 2 retired IAS officers…

5 hours ago