Get registered with edu dept within one month or face closure: U'khand govt's ultimatum to madrassas
Dehradun (PTI): Madrassas in Uttarakhand have been ordered to get themselves registered with the state education department within a month or face closure.
There are around 400 unregistered madrassas in the state, according to the government.
"Madrassas have been served an ultimatum to register with the state education department within a month. If they fail to meet the deadline, steps will be taken to shut them," Uttarakhand Social Welfare and Minority Welfare Minister Chandan Ram Dass said.
Currently, 419 madrassas are registered with the Uttarakhand Madrassa Board. Of these, 192 receive grants from the Centre and the state government.
The state government estimates that there around 400 more madrassas and they remain unregistered.
"Not registering with the state education department is harming the future of the students who study there as they face problems in getting admissions after Class V," Dass said.
The direction to get registered is aimed at the welfare of the students because only then can they avail of benefits of the central and state government schemes, he added.
As there were allegations that the grants given to the madrassas were not being appropriately utilised, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had recently underlined the need to have them surveyed.
State Waqf board chairman Shadab Shams said he had a word with the chief minister regarding the issue and a committee will soon be set up to survey the madrassas.
Soon after taking over as the state Waqf board chairman last month, Shams had made a strong pitch for providing modern education in madrassas.
He said the board plans to introduce the state education board syllabus in madrassas and provide similar education to its students as children in private and government schools.
CCTV cameras will also be installed in madrassas to ensure transparency in their activities, he added.
Uttarakhand Waqf Board runs 103 madrassas.
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Modi feels copy of Constitution I carry is blank as he has never read it: Rahul Gandhi
Nandurbar (Maharashtra) (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi feels the "red book" of the Constitution which Gandhi carries is blank as he has never read it.
Addressing a rally in Maharashtra's Nandurbar, Gandhi said the Constitution contains the soul of India and the principles envisaged by national icons like Birsa Munda, Dr B R Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi.
"The BJP has objections to the red colour of the book (which Gandhi has been displaying in rallies). But for us, irrespective of the colour, we are committed to preserve it (Constitution) and ready to give up our lives too. Modi ji feels the Constitution (book) is blank because he has never read it," he said.
Congress wants adivasis, Dalits and backward classes to get representation in decision-making, the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha said.
Notably, BJP leaders in their campaign for the November 20 Maharashtra assembly polls, have sought to link the "red book" displayed by Gandhi to "urban Naxalism".
Gandhi alleged that PM Modi and the BJP were insulting the national icons by making such comments.
The BJP and RSS insult tribals by referring them as "vanvasi" instead of adivasi, he charged.
"Adivasis are the first owners of the country and have the first right on jal (water), jungle (forest) and zameen (land). But the BJP wants adivasis to remain in the jungle without any rights. Birsa Munda fought for this and laid down his life,'' Gandhi said.
Highlighting the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi's (MVA) manifesto, Gandhi said women, farmers and youth will be protected with provisions like Rs 3,000 monthly assistance and free bus travel, farm loan waiver up to Rs 3 lakh and Rs 4,000 per month assistance for unemployed youth.
He reiterated the demand for a caste census, saying it will help to ascertain the number of adivasis, Dalits and backward classes in Maharashtra and how much is their share in resources.
At present, out of the eight per cent tribal population, their share in decision-making is only one per cent, Gandhi claimed.
He also alleged that five lakh jobs from Maharashtra have been snatched as various big ticket projects have been shifted to other states.
"Our government will not allow this. Projects meant for Maharashtra will remain here while those meant for Gujarat will stay there,'' he said.
