All madrassas across Uttar Pradesh must recite the national anthem and morning prayers before they begin their class. It comes almost five years after the board in 2017 had made recital of the national anthem and hoisting of the national flag mandatory on Independence Day
The decision was taken at a meeting held by the UP madrassas Shiksha Parishad- a state education board that serves educational institutions dedicated to studying Islam. “The national anthem is sung in various schools and we want to instill patriotism in madrassas students too so that they know our history and culture apart from religious studies,” stated the Chairperson of the UP Board of Madrassa Education.
It is worth noting that apart from Independence Day and Republic Day, singing the national anthem has been considered optional rather than mandatory in educational institutions. In 2018, the Yogi Adityanath government decided to cancel the registration of a madrasa in Maharajganj district; after a cleric allegedly prevented the students from singing the national anthem on Independence Day.
Madrassa students across UP
will now have to recite the national anthem as a mandatory activity along with morning prayers before they begin their classhttps://t.co/uF4SU43Mp8— Ashish Goel (@ashish_nujs) March 25, 2022
However, experts say that the move violates the spirit of liberty enshrined under the constitution. Article 30(1) of the Constitution says that all minorities, be it religious or linguistic, shall have the right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice.
While article 30(2) says that the government should not discriminate against any educational institution on the ground that it is under the management of a minority, whether based on religion or language while giving aid.
Critics say that the decision seems to impose directions on the minority institutions; while the board wants to implement a slew of other measures to ‘improve’ the quality of education in madrassas.
For instance, it has also decided to conduct a Madrassas Teachers Eligibility Test(MTET) modeled on the Teachers Eligibility Test(TET) would be conducted appointment of teachers. “Nepotism has become the order of the day in teachers’ recruitment. This is why the board has decided to make MTET mandatory, but the selection process will be finalized by the management,” said the UPME.
UP: Recital of national anthem mandatory in madrassas; rivals object 'imposition'
Listen to these reactions.@Amir_Haque joins the broadcast with @RichaSharmaB with the latest.#UttarPradesh #NationalAnthem #Madrassas pic.twitter.com/BLxgzwpsk8
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) March 26, 2022
Also, the installation of a biometric recognition system for the attendance of teachers is proposed. Besides, the board seeks to make compulsory teaching of secular subjects in line with other schools in the state. It has been proposed that six such subjects be examined between May 14 and May 27. Additionally, students will be able to register for classes online.
To conclude-though the decision seems progressive, the extent of improvement it seeks to bring and the political motives behind it would be clear in the time to come.
References: Times of India, India Today, National Herald, India TV
Featured Image Source: DNA India
