Allahabad HC Seeks Info on Madrasa Aid Schemes

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court recently asked the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government to inform the court about the grant-in-aid schemes applicable to madrasas.

The bench also granted the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) additional time to submit inspection reports and relevant communications regarding religious education provided in madrasas with financial support from the state treasury, which may indicate potential violations of children’s rights.

A bench of Justice AR Masoodi and Justice OP Shukla issued this order as part of a suo motu Public Interest Litigation (PIL) concerning the provision of religious education at the government’s expense.

Previously, the high court also permitted NCPCR’s counsel, Swarupma Chaturvedi, to submit any additional communications concerning educational institutions, whether receiving aid or not, where similar violations have been observed.

The bench also appointed senior advocate J N Mathur to assist the court in this matter, scheduling the next hearing in the case for three weeks later.