NEW DELHI: The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has asked all states and union territories to conduct a detailed inquiry of all government-funded and recognised madrasas admitting non-Muslim children. In a letter to all the chief secretaries, NCPCR Chairperson Priyank Kanoongo said, “The inquiry should include physical verification of children attending such madrasas. After the inquiry, admit all such children in schools for formal education.”
The Commission wrote to the states and union territories following various complaints from different sources. Kanoongo said it is noted that children belonging to a non-Muslim community are attending government funded/recognised madrasas.
He said in various states and UTs, several children attend institutions like madrasas, which are of three types Recognised Madrasas, Unrecognised Madrasas and Unmapped Madrasas. Madrasas, as institutions, are primarily responsible for imparting religious education to children.
However, it is also learnt that those Madrasas funded by the government or recognised by the government are imparting spiritual and, to some extent, formal education to children, he said. The NCPCR chief said it is learnt that some states/UTs are providing these madrasas with scholarships too.
He said this is a clear-cut violation and infringement of Article 28(3) of the Constitution of India, that prohibits educational institutions from obligating children to take part in any religious instruction without the consent of parents.
The Constitution, he said, makes it an obligation of the state to provide free and compulsory education to all children without any discrimination or prejudice and ensure that children go to neighbourhood schools for formal education as per Section 6 of the Right To Education (RTE) Act, 2009.