Bengal mulls madrasa law tweak to make registration mandatory
Times of India | 14 September 2026“We are planning to come up with a proposal for amendment to the existing madrasa law and issuance of an appropriate notification to address existing regulatory gaps and put in place a mechanism for registration, verification, inspection and regulation of madrasas. We want students studying in madrasas to pursue modern, mainstream education and shine in life just like students from other schools,” a Nabanna official said.
The move follows the state minority affairs and madrasa education department serving immediate closure notices on 252 madrasas found to lack minimum infrastructure, and show-cause notices on around 100 others.
The field verification, conducted through district administrations with particular focus on Khareji madrasas, identified institutions functioning without lawful authority.
BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya said the action was overdue, invoking former CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s own concerns about Khareji madrasas. “He was forced to back down at the time, yielding to pressure from within the party. Had the Left Front heeded his words, the dangerous situation currently prevailing in the border districts would not have arisen,” he said.
Former CPM MLA Sujan Chakraborty rejected what he called a false narrative. “The CPM had tried to impart madrasa education in a manner that earned accolades from across the country. Madrasa education dates back several years and needs modernisation — closing them down is not a solution,” he said.
Trinamool MLA Kunal Ghosh argued the entire system should not be stigmatised because of isolated cases. “We have diverse educational traditions such as the ‘Tol’ system. It is wrong to stigmatise an entire education system simply because it involves religious education,” he said.
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