Madhya Pradesh Cracks Down on Fraudulent Madrasa Enrollments

The Madhya Pradesh government has mandated verification of students enrolled in madrasas receiving government grants. This follows a directive to ensure no child is given religious education without guardian consent and addresses fraudulent registration of non-Muslim children to secure funds.

The Madhya Pradesh government has issued a directive to officials to validate the credentials of students enrolled in madrasas that benefit from government grants. This measure aims to ensure that no student receives religious education without the explicit consent of their parents or guardians, as stated by an official on Saturday.

The directive, issued on Friday, follows a recommendation by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR). The commission had noted instances where madrasas falsely registered the names of non-Muslim children to obtain government funds.

Commissioner Shilpa Gupta, overseeing public instructions, emphasized that all madrasas recognized by the Madhya Pradesh Madrasa Board would undergo physical verification. She warned that any institution found to have fraudulently registered children would face cessation of grants, cancellation of recognition, and potential legal action.

The order references Article 28 (3) of the Indian Constitution, which prohibits compulsory religious instruction in state-funded educational institutions without guardian consent. The government has directed strict compliance to prevent religious education being imposed on unwilling students.

The directives were confirmed by the state public relations department, targeting the director of public instructions and the secretary of the MP Madrasa Board.

(With inputs from agencies.)