GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 5th Nov. The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the validity of the Uttar Pradesh Madarsa Education Act, 2004, providing relief to around 16,000 madrasas in the state.
A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud overturned an earlier Allahabad High Court judgment, which had deemed the law unconstitutional and in conflict with secularism. The high court had also directed the Uttar Pradesh government to integrate madarsa students into the formal education system.
Chief Justice Chandrachud, along with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, observed that the Allahabad High Court erred in its assessment of the Act’s alignment with secularism.
The bench clarified that the law allows the state to regulate educational standards within Madrasas without interfering in their administrative autonomy.
“The Act is consistent with the State’s positive obligation to ensure adequate education for children,” Chief Justice Chandrachud stated.
The bench emphasized that the UP Madarsa Act does not infringe upon the religious teachings within madarsas, nor does it impede their management. The only provision found unconstitutional was one related to madarsa degrees under Fazil and Kamil, as it conflicted with University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations, the court noted.
The Act, introduced in 2004 under the then-Samajwadi Party government led by Mulayam Singh Yadav, was framed to support the educational rights of minorities in the state, ensuring that madrasa graduates gain employable skills. This decision underscores the state’s commitment to educational quality while respecting the cultural autonomy of minority institutions.
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