The decision raises concerns over fulfillment of the BJP's promise to equip madrassa students with copies of the Qur’an and a computer.
Mohammad Alamullah | Clarion India
NEW DELHI – In a blow to madrassa education system in Uttar Pradesh, the Yogi Adityanath government has discontinued payment of honorarium to teachers. The honorarium scheme was initiated by the Samajwadi Party government led by Akhilesh Yadav.
This move, coming after the central government’s cessation of the same benefit, has left around 25,000 madrassa teachers in the lurch.
In 2016, Akhilesh government had initiated payment of Rs 8,000 for graduate madrassa teachers and Rs 15,000 for postgraduate teachers, aiming to uplift science education in madrassas. However, the Yogi government’s decision to halt this financial support has raised concerns over fulfillment of the BJP’s promise to equip madrasa students with copies of the Qur’an and a computer.
Minister of State for Minority Welfare, Muslim Waqf and Haj Danish Azad Ansari held several meetings with madrassa teachers and their representatives. Despite these efforts, the Yogi government has chosen to discontinue the honorarium, leading to disappointment and frustration among teachers who had hoped for justice.
The Madrassa Modernisation Project, a central government’scheme running since 1993-1994, initially aimed at hiring teachers for subjects such as Hindi, English, Science, Mathematics, and Social Studies in madrassas. The scheme later evolved into the “Scheme for Providing Quality Education in Madrassas,” employing 25,000 teachers. Graduate teachers were receiving Rs 6,000 per month, while master’s teachers were entitled to Rs 12,000.
The central government had sanctioned the scheme until 2021-22, but with no financial backing. Despite an earlier practice of budget bonuses, the financial sanction for the honorarium has ceased.
Harbakhsh Singh, Joint Secretary of Minority Welfare, confirmed the abolition of the honorarium commitment and the discontinuation of additional honorarium in the budget. Orders to this effect have been dispatched to all districts, intensifying the financial uncertainty for madrassa teachers across the state.
