Supreme Court halts NCPCR's recommendations on madrassa funding
- In Reports
- 10:14 PM, Oct 21, 2024
- Myind Staff
The Supreme Court has temporarily halted the implementation of recommendations made by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) to discontinue state funding for madrassas that do not adhere to the Right to Education Act. A bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, along with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, acknowledged the arguments presented by the Muslim organisation Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind, which sought a stay on the NCPCR's directives and subsequent actions taken by some state governments. The organisation has contested the decisions of Uttar Pradesh and Tripura to relocate students from unrecognised madrassas to government schools.
The Supreme Court ruled that the communications issued by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) on June 7 and June 25 should not be implemented. In its recent report, the NCPCR recommended that state funding for madrassas be halted unless they comply with the provisions of the Right to Education Act.
The report sparked strong reactions from political leaders, with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav accusing the ruling BJP of selectively targeting minority institutions. Kerala's Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) also condemned the move, calling it yet another example of the communal agenda pursued by the BJP-led central government. Earlier this month, NCPCR chairperson Priyank Kanoongo clarified that he did not advocate for the closure of madrassas, but emphasised that state funding should be stopped for those institutions depriving poor Muslim children of education.
"We never advocated for the closure of madrasas. Our stance is that while affluent families invest in religious and regular education, even children from impoverished backgrounds should be imparted that," he said. In an interview with PTI, he said certain factions within the country dread the empowerment of Muslims. "There exists a faction in our nation that dreads the empowerment of Muslims. Their fear stems from the anticipation that empowered communities will demand accountability and equal rights," he added.
He argued that impoverished Muslim children are frequently pushed into religious schooling at the expense of secular education, which diminishes their future opportunities.
"We have recommended mapping unmapped madrassas and enrolling children into schools. While some states like Kerala have resisted, others like Gujarat have taken proactive steps. In Gujarat alone, over 50,000 children have been enrolled in schools despite facing violent opposition," he explained.
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