SOURCE :- SIASAT NEWS
Uttarakhand: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday, October 21, named Sunday as the weekly holiday for recognised madrasas, replacing Friday.
Friday has traditionally been a weekly day observed by many Islamic seminaries, allowing students and teachers to attend congregational prayers.
Dhami said the move was aimed at bringing educational institutions across the state under a uniform system. The change is part of the government’s new minority education framework.
“We have already introduced a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the state. There should be a uniform system for everyone. All educational institutions should operate in the same direction, and we are working towards that goal,” Dhami said, according to The Indian Express.
The revised holiday schedule will cover madrasas recognised by the state Education Department, along with institutions that have applied for recognition, ThePrint reported.
Friday has traditionally been a weekly day off at many madrasas, allowing students and teachers to attend congregational prayers. The new arrangement will bring their weekly holiday in line with the Sunday break observed by many other educational institutions.
20 madrasas shut down
As many as 20 madrasas have been shut or sealed after being found “illegal” or failing to meet requirements since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Uttarakhand government abolished the state Madrasa Board in July.
While the government has replaced the board with another authority for minority institutions, it has initiated a campaign to “put a lock” on “illegal madrasas” across the state.
The decision follows the Uttarakhand government’s abolition of the statutory Madrasa Education Board in July and the introduction of a common regulatory authority for educational institutions run by notified minority communities.
On September 5, Dhami wrote on X that every youth has a right to “modern and employment-oriented education” and that in today’s time, there is no justification for education to be inspired by “tribal mentality and extremism”.
In the video posted along with the text, the CM was heard saying, “Madrason mein naam kuchh hai, kaam kuchh hai, padhai kuchh aur hoti hai. (Madrasas have a name, but there is a glaring discrepancy between the actual activities and the education imparted).”
“They present a different image to the outside world; individuals are sheltered within them under the cover of anonymity or engaged in other activities—but in what direction will they eventually head?” Dhami said.
He said the modern education system that the state advocates for is nowhere to be found in these institutes.
SOURCE : SIASAT
