Instances of unregulated foreign funding to private madrasas have been detected during the State-wide survey.
In Prayagraj district, 60 private madrasas are running without obtaining permission/approval from the competent authority. These madrasas are also the beneficiary of donations from offshore sources in flagrant violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 1976 (FCRA) amended in 2020.
The madrasas in Prayagraj received Rs 9.68 crore from foreign sources.
The Supreme Court has upheld the amendment made to the act in 2020. The FCRA amendment introduces changes on how non-Governmental organisations/institutions can receive and process foreign funding.
The amendment prohibits the transfer of foreign contributions from recipient organisations to other persons or organisations.
The apex court upheld the requirement that FCRA accounts must be opened in the State Bank of India, New Delhi as this would ensure more effective monitoring by the government and transparency and accountability on the part of the beneficiary of the foreign contribution.
A total of 6,436 unrecognised madrasas have been identified in the state so far, and the survey has been completed in 5,170 madrasas, according to UP Minority Welfare Minister Dharampal Singh.
The minister also said that the time period for the survey of unrecognised madrasas of the state had been extended till October.20.
“The data of the survey will be made available to the government by November 15 by the district magistrates. The last date has been extended as some reports were not received,” the minister said and added, “The survey work should be completed at each level within this stipulated time period.”
Once the survey is conducted, it has also been instructed to hand over the report to the additional district magistrates after which the ADMs will present the consolidated statements to the district magistrates.
As a political row has erupted over the survey, Dharampal Singh clarified that this survey is being conducted to ensure the quality and better education for the children of minority communities.
Earlier, the UP government had declared to conduct a survey of unrecognised madrasas to ascertain information on the number of students, teachers, curriculum and affiliation with any non-government organisation.
The survey is being conducted to ensure basic facilities for the students of madrasas.
Minister of State for Minority Welfare and Waqf , Danish Azad Ansari, had said earlier that the survey order also holds to give maternity leave and child care leave to women employees of madrasas in the light of the rules applicable in the Secondary Education and Basic Education departments.
The Uttar Pradesh government’s decision to survey unrecognised madrasas received pushback from Muslim organisations such as All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi who labeled it a “mini NRC (National Register of Citizens).
Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati has also criticised the Government’s move.
But the Samajwadi Party, one of whose main vote base is the Muslim community, has been conspicuous by its silence while the Congress called for the survey to also include Shishu Mandirs and montessori schools.
