Tue Nov 05 09:05:07 UTC 2024: ## Supreme Court Upholds Uttar Pradesh Madarsa Education Act, Overruling High Court Decision
**New Delhi, India** – The Supreme Court of India has delivered a landmark judgment upholding the constitutionality of the Uttar Pradesh Board of Madarsa Education Act, 2004. The court overturned a previous ruling by the Allahabad High Court which had declared the Act unconstitutional.
The Supreme Court bench, led by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, stated that the Act does not violate the constitutional rights of individuals to establish and operate educational institutions. The court also noted that the Right to Education Act of 2004 contains provisions for certain exceptions, including those related to the Act in question.
This decision brings relief to an estimated 1.7 million students enrolled in the 16,000 madrasas across Uttar Pradesh.
The Act, which was introduced during the tenure of Mulayam Singh Yadav as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, aims to regulate the functioning of madrasas in the state.
Speaking on the ruling, Maulana Khalid Rashid Firangi, a prominent Islamic scholar and member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, expressed his happiness at the decision. He lauded the Uttar Pradesh government for its role in creating the Act, asking “How can the same government that created the law be accused of violating the constitution?”. He also emphasized the commitment of madrasas to offer both Islamic and modern education to their students.
The Supreme Court’s ruling is expected to have a significant impact on the education system in Uttar Pradesh, further solidifying the role of madrasas within the state’s educational landscape.
First Piper 