Decision to repeal provisions for madrasas in bid to make edu 'secular': Assam minister

Assam Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said that the government-run madrasas and Sanskrit tols (schools) in the state will operate as any other general education institutes and a bill will be tabled during the winter session of the Assembly. Calling the closure of Assam madrasas a historic step, the education minister said that this decision aims to secularise the entire educational system in the state. The Assam minister also mentioned that the schools in the state will open on January 1, 2021, and wearing masks and maintaining social distancing will be mandatory. 

Himanta Biswa said, "The State Madrassa Education Board will be dissolved from the date of declaration of results of examinations to be held for the 2021-22 academic year, and all records, bank accounts and staff will be transferred to the Board of Secondary Education."

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Himanta Biswa: 'Decision on madrasas taken to make education secular'

Stating that the Assam government will utilise the services of the staff of Assam Madrasas Board,  the state Education Minister said that there will be no change in the service conditions of the staff till retirement. Speaking further, he informed that the cabinet had taken a decision on Sunday to bring a bill for the abolition of all government-run Madrasas and Sanskrit tols, but certain decisions can be taken by amending rules and issuing notifications in this regard. All the madrassa institutions will be renamed by removing the word 'Madrassa' to avoid any confusion in the area of higher studies, Himanta Biswa added. 

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The Assam Minister said at the press conference that there will not be any fresh admission to madrasas educational institutions in courses prescribed by the Assam Madrasas Board from April 1. 2021. He said, "Students will be admitted to the institutes for pursuing relevant courses of the state boards." All theological courses in the madrassas, including the study of the Holy Quran, Hadith and other aspects of Islamic Studies, will be discontinued from April 1, 2021, and the teachers taking theological classes will be trained and engaged in the teaching of other subjects under the general educational system, Biswa added. 

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Currently, there are 189 high madrassas under the Board of Secondary Education, Assam, while under the State Madrassa Board there are four Arabic Colleges, 141 title madrassas, 138 senior madrasas and 230 pre-senior madrasas. The staff will be either transferred to the nearest high or higher secondary schools or the services will be placed at the disposal of the Kumar Bhaskar Varma Sanskrit and Ancient Studies University, Nalbari, he said.

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(With PTI inputs)

Assam govt to turn madrasas, Sanskrit tols into general institutes for ‘secular education’

Decision on madrasas taken to make education secular: Assam minister

cabinet nod to repeal provisions for madrasas, Sanskrit tols