Child Rights Body Calls For Suspension On Funding To Madrassas, Akhilesh Yadav Hits Out

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights recommends halting state funding for madrassas that fail to comply with the Right to Education Act.

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has called for stopping state funding to madrassas unless they comply with the Right to Education Act.

In its latest report titled 'Guardians of Faith or Oppressors of Rights?' the child rights body said religious institutions operating outside the purview of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009 had a negative impact, reported PTI.

As per the report, exemption to madrassas from the RTE Act has deprived children attending these institutions of quality education.

Referring to Articles 29 and 30 of the Indian Constitution that protect the rights of minorities to preserve their culture and establish educational institutions, the NCPCR maintained that the provisions have inadvertently led to the discrimination against children in madrassas, who miss out on formal education mandated by the RTE Act.

The report also highlighted that the madrassas, which primarily focus on religious education, do not provide the necessary components of formal education such as adequate infrastructure, trained teachers, and proper academic curricula.

Instances, where madrassa students were entitlements such as textbooks, uniforms, and access to midday meal schemes, have also been mentioned in the report.

The report has recommended a series of measures, including stopping state funding to madrassas and madrassa boards unless they comply with the RTE Act.

Additionally, it has also recommended removing non-Muslim students from such religious institutions as their inclusion violates Article 28 of the Constitution, which prohibits the imposition of religious instruction without parental consent.

Akhilesh Yadav Slams BJP

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party over the report saying it wants to change the system established by the constitution.

"This country belongs to everyone - the constitution gives us the rights. Whatever system has been established by the constitution, they (BJP) want to change that," he said while speaking to reporters.

"They are the people who want to do politics over - hatred,  by creating conflicts between castes, and religions. But they won't succeed, people of the country, intellectuals of the society now understand that the discriminatory politics of the BJP won't go long," he added.