The West Bengal government has ordered the closure of 252 madrassas and issued show-cause notices to approximately 100 other institutions following a state-wide survey. The inspection, conducted by the Minority Affairs and Madrasah Education Department, aimed to identify authorized versus unauthorized institutions by examining management, infrastructure, funding sources, and student enrollment.
The survey revealed that while 2,132 madrassas are operating with proper registration and affiliation, 2,396 are functioning without necessary government approval or board recognition. Key issues identified during the field-level exercise included inadequate classroom space and curricula that deviate from standard syllabi.
Minister Kshudiram Tudu stated that only institutions with the requisite approvals will be permitted to continue functioning. The closure orders affect various districts, with Malda, North Dinajpur, South 24 Parganas, Murshidabad, and Nadia seeing significant numbers of institutions targeted. The government will review responses from those issued show-cause notices before deciding on further legal actions.
Entities
Dilip Ghosh · Kolkata · Kshudiram Tudu · Minority Affairs and Madrasah Education Department · Minority and Madrasah Education Department · Suvendu Adhikari · West Bengal Government