Assam’s New Bill to Abolish State-Run Madarsas and Sanskrit ‘Tols’

All state-run madarsas and Sanskrit tols (schools) will be converted to general schools.

Assam Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

(Photo: IANS)

The Assam government on Monday, 21 December tabled a bill to abolish all state-run madarsas and Sanskrit tols (schools) and convert those into general schools with effect from 1 April 2021, Assam Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

“We have introduced a Bill whereby all madarsas will be converted into institutes of general education and no madarsa will be established by the government in future. We are happy to introduce this Bill to bring truly secular curriculum in education system,” Sarma said, as quoted by ANI.

“The Congress and the AIUDF (All India United Democratic Front) have opposed this Bill. But we are determined that this Bill needs to be passed and it will be passed,” he added.

The Assam Cabinet had approved the Bill on 13 December. The Bill was introduced in the winter session of the Assam Legislative Assembly that began on 28 December.

Sarma, Assam’s Education Minister, had earlier in October told The Indian Express that the state government intended to shut down around 600 madarsas across the state, and that the government had been spending Rs 260 crore annually for these institutes.

Sarma had also said that the State Madrassa Education Board, Assam, would be dissolved.

(With inputs from ANI.)