Uttarakhand's first modern madrasa to offer NCERT curriculum, Sanskrit as optional subject

DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand Waqf Board has set up the state's first modern madrasa offering general education under the NCERT curriculum with Sanskrit as an optional subject besides Arabic. Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Modern Madrasa has been developed by the board at a cost of around Rs 50 lakh and will commence classes from the next academic session in March, Uttarakhand Waqf Board Chairman Shadab Shams said. The madrasa located at the Muslim Colony near the railway station in Dehradun, he said.

Shams said of about 10 madrasas located in the areas around the colony, this madrasa, has been improved with infrastructure, including well-equipped classrooms, furniture, computers and smart boards. Students from the nearby madrasas will be brought here for consolidated education, the chairman said. He said the Waqf Board plans to modernize eight to 10 madrasas in the state by the end of the year and the smaller madrasas in the surrounding areas will be merged into a central facility located at the best location.

He said, "This will streamline the management and the Waqf Board will be able to use the vacant properties to increase its income." Students from these madrasas will study general subjects under the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) syllabus in the morning while the evenings will be reserved for for religious eduction, including Quran, teachings of Prophet Muhammad or texts related to Lord Ram, as per their choice, he said.

Free education at Madarsa

The chairman said, "Our aim is to create a beautiful India where all children get equal education and equal opportunity to progress." The Waqf board will provide free education, uniforms and books to students in these modernized madrasas, he added. For the first time an ex-army personnel will be recruited as physical education instructors to ensure student's fitness and instill patriotism. Teachers for Sanskrit will also be appointed, Shams said.

A total of 419 madrasas are registered in Uttarakhand of which the Waqf Board currently runs 117 madrasas. The focus is to have to have few madrasas that provide high quality education, Shams said, adding that the presence of so many madrasas in the state is as unnecessary. He acknowledged that some members of the Muslim community have opposed the modernization initiative, urging the Waqf Board to use the word "school" instead of "madrasas". Talks are underway with Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to bring all madrasas under the Waqf Board's management for uniform functioning, Shams said.