India’s West Bengal government has ordered 252 madrasas closed immediately on state orders, while issuing show-cause notices to 100 more institutions. A large share of the institutions ordered shut are so-called “khariji” madrasas.
The state’s BJP government claims these madrasas were operating without any valid approval.
According to the state government’s minority affairs and madrasa education department, a survey of madrasas was carried out across Kolkata and all districts on July 22. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had directed that a survey be conducted to determine how many madrasas were approved and how many were unapproved. Verification then began district by district.
The survey report found that around 2,396 madrasas in the state lacked government approval. After verifying infrastructure, curriculum and all student-related data, the department moved to shut down the unapproved institutions. Copies of the relevant notices have been sent to district magistrates in the affected districts. The madrasas issued show-cause notices lack adequate infrastructure. The state government said that if they fail to prove their eligibility, action would be taken against them too. It is not only in West Bengal that action is being taken against unrecognised madrasas in India — the Uttarakhand government is also running a campaign against them, having already shut down several madrasas there as part of broader reforms to the state’s minority education system.