NCPCR Chairman Raises Alarms on Madrasa Curriculum Controversy

NCPCR Chairman Priyank Kanoongo has raised concerns about the radical curriculum in Bihar's government-funded madrasas. He criticized UNICEF's involvement and called for the dissolution of the Madrasa Board. Kanoongo highlighted that Hindu children are enrolled in these madrasas and urged for an investigation by the United Nations.

On Sunday, NCPCR Chairman Priyank Kanoongo expressed serious concerns over the 'radical' curriculum in Bihar's government-funded madrasas and the enrolment of Hindu children in these institutions.

Kanoongo also questioned UNICEF's involvement in designing the curriculum, calling it the 'height of appeasement' by both UNICEF and the Madrasa Board. He urged the United Nations to investigate and insisted that the Madrasa Board should be dissolved.

According to Kanoongo's post on microblogging platform X, textbooks like Talimul Islam, which label non-Islamic individuals as 'kafir' (infidels), are being used. He further highlighted that the Bihar government has not yet provided official figures on the enrolment of Hindu children in madrasas.

The Bihar Madrasa Board reportedly claimed that UNICEF India prepared the madrasa curriculum. Kanoongo condemned this, arguing that it's not UNICEF's role to create a radical curriculum funded by donations and government grants under the guise of child protection.

Many of the books in the curriculum are published in Pakistan, and research into their content is ongoing, Kanoongo added. He emphasized that a madrasa is not suitable for basic education and argued that children should attend regular schools.

Kanoongo stated that using funds for activities outside the scope of the Right to Education (RTE) Act violates both the Indian Constitution and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), urging for a United Nations probe into these activities.

(With inputs from agencies.)