Allahabad High Court declared the Uttar Pradesh Board of Madarsa Education Act, 2004, as unconstitutional

The Uttar Pradesh Board of Madarsa Education Act, passed in 2004, established a separate board to oversee madrasas, Islamic institutions that primarily focus on religious education.

The Court's Decision:

• A writ petition challenging the Act's constitutionality was filed by Anshuman Singh Rathore.

• On Friday, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court declared the Act "unconstitutional".

• The court's reasoning focused on the Act violating India's secular principles:

• The state shouldn't favor one religion by having a separate board for madrasas.

• This creates an unequal playing field compared to mainstream schools.

• The court also pointed out that the Act didn't ensure compliance with the Right to Education Act (RTE Act) guaranteeing quality education up to class 8.

Impact:

• The court directed the Uttar Pradesh government to develop a plan to integrate current madrasa students into the formal education system.

• This has significant implications for thousands of madrasa students who might need support transitioning to mainstream schools.

Unresolved Issues:

• The court's decision is likely to be appealed, so the final verdict is yet to be determined.

• How the integration of madrasa students will be achieved and what kind of support they'll receive remains to be seen.

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