Multiple media outlets have published articles with the headline “India court effectively bans madrasas in big state before election”. Media outlets like Arab News, Reuters, The Independent and CNN have published the news with the headline.
Fact Check
We investigated the viral headline in association with the recent High Court order.
The Allahabad High Court has struck down the Uttar Pradesh Board of Madarsa Education Act, 2004 enacted by the state government. According to the judgment passed by the division bench of Allahabad High Court wherein it was held that “the Madarsa Act, 2004, is violative of the principle of Secularism, which is a part of the basic structure of the Constitution of India, violative of Articles 14, 21and 21-A of the Constitution of India and violative of Section 22 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956. Accordingly, the Madarsa Act, 2004 is declared unconstitutional.”
No mention of imposing a ban on the act has been declared.
The Bench, however, directed the state government to take steps forthwith for accommodating madrasa students in regular schools recognized under the Primary Education and High School and Intermediate Education boards of Uttar Pradesh.
Earlier, these madrassas were managed by the Education Department, but in 1995, the Minority Welfare and Waqf Department was formed. After that, all the work related to Madrasas was removed from the Uttar Pradesh Education Department and placed under the Minority Welfare Department. The High Court had raised questions over Madrasa education being run under the Minority Welfare Department while institutions belonging to other minority communities like Jains, Sikhs, Christians, etc. are being run under the Education Ministry.
Conclusion
Thus, from the fact check it is clear that no specific order has been issued by the court regarding banning the Madrassas. Rather the act has been declared unconstitutional.
Hence, the articles are being shared with misleading headlines.
