Uttarakhand govt orders probe into admission of students from other states into madrasas

The Uttarakhand government has ordered a probe after a purported video claiming children from other states were being brought into the madrasas in the state went viral on social media.

Emphasizing that safety of children, transparency and adherence to rules are top priorities of his government, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said strict action would be taken if any irregularities were found.

He said a thorough investigation would be carried out regarding the source of the children’s arrival, parental consent and the individuals responsible for bringing them. For this purpose, a comprehensive inspection and verification campaign would be conducted across all madrasas in the state and a detailed report would be submitted to the authorities, he added.

At present, 452 registered madrasas are operating in the hill state.

In 2025, the Uttarakhand Minority Education Act was implemented, under which the Madrasa Board will cease to exist from July 1, 2026. Thereafter, all madrasas in the state will be required to affiliate with the Uttarakhand Board of School Education and obtain recognition from the Uttarakhand Minority Education Authority under the new system.

The BJP-led government believes that this new system will ensure greater transparency and quality in education, while also improving the protection of children’s interests. Administrative action in the matter is currently underway, and further steps will be decided based on the investigation report.

Parag Madhukar Dhakate, Special Secretary of the Minority Welfare Department, has directed the district magistrates of Dehradun, Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar, and Nainital to conduct an extensive verification drive in their respective districts.

The matter came to light when Bajrang Dal worker Aman Swadiya caught a person at the Dehradun Railway Station who brought his children from Bihar and admitted them to a madrasa in Dehradun.

In the video doing the rounds, a Muslim person can be heard saying that he has come from Bihar and arrived in Dehradun to drop three children who came with him at the madrasas.

When one of the children was asked what is taught in the madrasa, he said, “We are taught to deserve heaven and to be saved from the fire of hell.”