Uttarakhand Minority Education Bill 2025 Becomes Law
In Uttarakhand, a new uniform law will now govern madrasas as well as other minority educational institutions. Governor Lieutenant General Gurmeet Singh (Retd.) has approved the Uttarakhand Minority Bill 2025, which will come into effect after a gazette notification.
Under this law, the Uttarakhand Madrasa Education Board Act 2016 and the Non-Government Arabic and Persian Madrasa Recognition Rules 2019 will be repealed from July 1, 2026. Post-repeal, all institutions seeking minority status from the state government will be required to obtain recognition from the new authority.
Who Will Benefit?
The law applies to educational institutions of Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, and Parsi communities, which will receive recognition after meeting the authority’s guidelines.
Uttarakhand State Minority Education Authority
A new authority, the Uttarakhand State Minority Education Authority, will be formed to grant recognition to minority educational institutions. Key details:
Composition: 11 members and a nominated chairperson
Chairperson: Academic from a minority community with 15+ years of teaching experience and 5+ years in higher education
Members from minority communities: One each from Muslim, Sikh, Christian, Buddhist, Jain, and Parsi communities
Other members: Retired state official, social worker with 10+ years in school education, Director General of School Education, Director of SCERT, and Director of Minority Welfare
Legislative Process
After approval by the Dhami government cabinet in August, the bill was passed in the monsoon session of the Bhararisain Assembly and sent to Raj Bhavan, where it was approved on Monday. Following the gazette notification, the law will officially come into effect.
This reform marks a significant step towards uniform recognition and governance of minority educational institutions in Uttarakhand, ensuring transparency and structured oversight.
