National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) chairman Priyank Kanoongo on Sunday expressed concerns over the “radical†curriculum being taught in Government-funded madrasas in Bihar and the enrollment of Hindu children in such institutions.
Also, he questioned the involvement of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in designing this curriculum, calling it the “height of appeasement†by both UNICEF and the Bihar Madrasa Board.
Kanoongo urged the United Nations to investigate these activities and called for the dissolution of the Madrasa Board. In a recent post on the microblogging platform X, he highlighted that textbooks like Talimul Islam used in these madrasas label non-Islamic individuals as “kafir†(infidels).
He noted with alarm that Hindu children are reportedly enrolled in these madrasas, though the Bihar Government has yet to provide official figures.
Regarding the transfer of Hindu children from madrasas to regular schools, Kanoongo said the Bihar Madrasa Board claimed the curriculum was prepared by UNICEF India. In his post, Kanoongo criticised UNICEF, stating, “It is not UNICEF’s job to create a radical curriculum using money received as donations and grants from governments, under the guise of child protection.†A response from UNICEF on this matter is still awaited.
Kanoongo also revealed that many of the textbooks used in these madrasas are published in Pakistan and that research on their content is ongoing. He said, “A madrasa is not a place for basic education of children in any form; children should study in regular schools, and Hindu children should not be in madrasas at all.â€
Kanoongo emphasised that the use of funds for activities beyond the scope of the Right to Education (RTE) Act violates both the Indian Constitution and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). He demanded that the United Nations and its agencies in India conduct a thorough investigation into these activities.
