Uttarakhand Assembly passes Minority Education Bill

The Uttarakhand Assembly on Wednesday passed the Minority Education Bill, 2025, extending minority status benefits to institutions run by the Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Christian, and Parsi communities, in addition to Muslims.

The legislation marks a significant change in the state’s education policy, which until now restricted such recognition solely to Muslim institutions. Once implemented, the Uttarakhand Madrasa Education Board Act, 2016, and the Uttarakhand Non-Government Arabic and Persian Madrasa Recognition Rules, 2019, will be repealed with effect from July 1, 2026.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, hailing the Bill as a “new direction for education” in the state, said it would ensure greater transparency and accountability in the management of minority educational institutions.

“Until now, recognition of minority institutions was limited only to the Muslim community. There were serious issues such as irregularities in the distribution of central scholarships, discrepancies in the mid-day meal programme, and a lack of transparency in management which have been evident in the madrasa education system for years,” Dhami said.

He said with this Bill, those systems would be reformed and institutions of the Sikh, Jain, Christian, Buddhist, and Parsi communities will also receive transparent recognition.

The Chief Minister added that the new law would not only improve the quality of education and safeguard students’ interests but also empower the government to monitor the functioning of minority institutions and issue necessary directives.

“This legislation will further strengthen educational excellence and social harmony in Uttarakhand,” he said.