Uttarakhand madrasas to observe Sunday holiday instead of Friday
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Uttarakhand: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has announced that Sunday will replace Friday as the weekly holiday in recognised madrasas across the state.
The decision, announced on Wednesday, is part of the state government’s new minority education framework. It will apply to madrasas recognised by the state Education Department as well as institutions that have applied for recognition.
Friday has traditionally been the weekly holiday in many madrasas, allowing students and teachers to attend congregational prayers. The new arrangement will align their weekly break with the Sunday holiday observed by most other educational institutions.
Dhami said the move was intended to bring all educational institutions in Uttarakhand under a uniform system.
“We have already introduced a Uniform Civil Code in the state. There should be a uniform system for everyone. All educational institutions should operate in the same direction, and we are working towards that goal,” he said.
The announcement comes months after the BJP-led state government abolished the Uttarakhand Madrasa Education Board in July and set up a common regulatory authority for educational institutions run by notified minority communities.
Since then, 20 madrasas have been shut or sealed after being found 'illegal' or failing to meet required norms. The government has also launched a campaign against what it describes as illegal madrasas in the state.
In a post on X on September 5, Dhami said every young person had the right to modern and employment-oriented education. He said there was no justification, in the present times, for education influenced by what he called a “tribal mentality and extremism”.
In an accompanying video, the Chief Minister alleged that there was a gap between the name and activities of some madrasas and the education they imparted. He claimed that some individuals were being sheltered there under anonymity or were involved in other activities.
Dhami said the modern education system advocated by the state was absent in such institutions.