61 madrasas face derecognition as Madhya Pradesh begins exercise to inspect all 1,677 across state

This is the first such inspection exercise carried out by the state government under Chief Minister Mohan Singh Yadav. In 2023, former CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, during the assembly poll campaign, had promised that “illegal madrasas and institutions in the state that teach lessons of bigotry will be reviewed”.

District education officers from Sheopur and Ratlam districts have submitted reports to the education department, The Indian Express has learnt. The 569 children who were studying in the affected madrasas here will be accommodated in government schools, the district education officers said.

In Ratlam, where action has been taken against five madrasas, the DEO wrote in the report that the madrasas needed to be closed down “in the interest of the society, city and country”.

Two madrasas, the report states, appeared “to be carrying out wrong and other suspicious activities”. On one of these, it states, “The madrasa is running in two rooms and one hall, no record of any child is available. Madrasa appears to be carrying out wrong and other suspicious activities.”

In Sheopur, DEO R S Tomar told The Indian Express, “Fifty-six Madrasas were found not fully operational. In our district, thankfully, we have not found any suspicious activities in these establishments.” However, the team noted that many of the institutions did not have proper documentation, or had fewer students and staff than what the rolls reflected. Moreover, some madrasas were either found non-existent during a physical verification or were being run out of one-room rented accommodations.

When a new madrasa is established, it gets a one-year certificate from the state madrasa board, the governing body for all madrasas in the state. Afterwards, the madrasa applies for a three-year extension. These institutions are provided with a mid-day meal, textbooks and a Rs 26,650 yearly grant. However, since 2020, the registration of new madrasas has been put on hold.

As per the madrasa board, in 2023, the affiliation of 341 madrasas was cancelled, while in 2022, as many as 684 madrasas were derecognised as they failed to apply for a licence renewal, among other issues.

Said a senior member of the state madrasa board, “During the previous government’s tenure, there was pressure from various groups to stem the opening of illegal madrasas. The local women and child welfare department officials have also been demanding that madrasas adhere to the state and central education policies. The government has now started formulating rules to govern these institutions.”

Several madrasas have, over the years, opted not to renew their registration. One madrasa owner from Sheopur said their financial assistance has been on hold for three years now, and they have no money to provide mid-day meals or teacher salaries.

State Commission for Protection of Child Rights member Dr Nivedita Sharma, who has been coordinating with the state DEOs for the inspections, told The Indian Express, “These institutions are not to inculcate religious training. They are being given the status of a school and should fulfil the education criteria. They don’t have buildings or teaching staff, and such institutions which get government grants should shut down.”