DEHRADUN: At least 173 madrasas across the state has been sealed by the Uttarakhand government, citing lack of registration with the Madrasa Board or the education department as the primary reason.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami stated that the move is a "historic step" aimed at "curbing institutions that allegedly promote radicalism under the guise of education."
The action has targeted allegedly unregistered madrasas lacking permission from the Uttarakhand Madrasa Education Council, with a significant concentration found in the border districts.
Most of these allegedly unauthorised institutions were found in the districts of Dehradun, Haridwar, and Udham Singh Nagar. According to authorities, many of these madrasas operated without proper registration or building permits.
Furthermore, authorities claimed that some sealed madrasas were under scrutiny for "suspicious activities."
Udham Singh Nagar district recorded the highest number of closures, with 67 madrasas sealed. Haridwar followed with 44 closures, while Dehradun also saw action against 44 Muslim educational institutions.
Smaller numbers were sealed in Nainital -19, Pauri 2, and one in Almora.
Mufti Shamoon Qasmi, chairman of the Uttarakhand Madrasa Board, confirmed the ongoing operation and explained its rationale.
Speaking to TNIE, he stated, "On Sunday, 13 illegal madrasas were sealed in Banbhulpura, Haldwani. Besides these, campaigns against illegal madrasas were also conducted in Dehradun, Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar."
"The illegal madrasas that were acted against had neither obtained building construction permission, nor had they fulfilled educational recognition or safety standards," Qasmi further stated.
'Our goal is to improve madarsas and provide quality education to students, aiming to make them cultured and well-rounded individuals,' he claimed, emphasising "modernising" madarsa education by introducing the NCERT syllabus, and 'promoting interfaith understanding, aligning with the government's vision of inclusive development'.