In a groundbreaking verdict, the Allahabad High Court on Friday ruled the Uttar Pradesh Board of Madarsa Education Act, 2004, as “unconstitutional” and in violation of secular principles. The court directed the state government to integrate current madarsa students into the formal schooling system.

The judgment was delivered by a division bench comprising Justice Vivek Chaudhary and Justice Subhash Vidyarthi of the Lucknow branch of the court. The decision stemmed from a writ petition filed by Anshuman Singh Rathore, challenging the constitutionality of the UP Madarsa Board and the management of madarsas by the Minority Welfare department, both at the Union and state levels.

Interestingly, the verdict follows the Uttar Pradesh government’s recent initiative to survey Islamic educational institutions in the state. Additionally, in October 2023, the Yogi Adityanath administration established a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the funding of madrasas from abroad.