BJP govt to shut down madrasas in Assam to promote ‘Secular Education’: Will be converted into general institutes

The Assam government will convert all 740 state-run madrasas and 98 Sanskrit tols (schools) into general institutes in an attempt to make education “secular”, said state Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Madrasas institutions will be renamed by removing the word Madrasas in order to avoid any confusion in higher studies courses regarding the status of the institution.

Himanta Biswa Sarma further said that 198 High Madrasas, 542 Title Madrasas, Pre-Senior Madrasas and Senior Madrasas will not be allowed to admit any student for theological studies. Therefore, the schools will be function only for general education, he said.

The subjects -- namely Holy Quran and Islamic studies -- will be withdrawn from these schools and all other subjects available in primary and upper primary schools, including Arabic language, will be added.

All Arabic colleges will be treated as composite higher secondary schools from upper primary school with a modified name and they will follow the course curriculum prescribed by State educational institutions like SCERT or SCEB.

"Services of the teachers and employees who are working in the Madrasas will be continued and they will be paid from the budget head of secondary education along with other schools. We have protected the job of the teachers and employees, but they will not impart lessons on theological subjects," Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

The minister further announced that Sanskrit tols would be handed over to the Kumar Bhaskar Varma Sanskrit and Ancient Studies University, and would be converted to academic institutes imparting degree and diploma courses on India’s history and ancient culture.

"We have 98 Sanskrit Tolls. We are going to run a degree and diploma course basically on Indian civilization. It will be different from history because education and curriculum will be prepared from the point of view of civilization," Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

Himanta Biswa Sarma said that probably, Assam is the first state in the country where a student can actually study Indian civilization values, cultures, not from the point of view of history.