306 madrassas in Saharanpur not recognised by UP Madrassa Board

SAHARANPUR: Prominent Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband and other 305 madrassas in Saharanpur district are not recognised by the Uttar Pradesh Madarsa Education Board, according to a government survey. Madrassas which are not recognized by the Board do not get benefit of government schemes like scholarship, salary for teachers, among others.

District Minority Welfare Officer Bharat Lal Gaur told PTI on Saturday that a total of 754 madrassas are registered in Saharanpur. The number of unrecognized madrasas in the district is 306, he said, adding the information has been shared with the government as part of its survey on madrasas in the state. He said Darul Uloom Deobad is not recognized by the Madarssa Board.

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Gaur said the government had fixed 12 points, on the basis of which the survey of madrasas was done. In a statement, Vice Chancellor of Darul Uloom Deoband Mufti Abul Qasim Nomani said the institution has never taken any kind of aid or grant from any government. The seminary is not registered with the Board but it does educational work according to the Indian Constitution, he said.

Nomani said the 'Shura Society' of the Darul Uloom is registered under the Societies Act and the seminary operates as per the right to freedom of religion under the Constitution. Darul Uloom Deoband has been doing educational work and serving the country for more than 150 years, but it has never taken any kind of aid or grant from any government, he said. The Islamic institute in Deobad in Saharanpur was established on September 30, 1866.