Rights Body Seeks Probe Into Non-Muslim Kids Being Enrolled In Madrassas

NEW DELHI: The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has sought reports on the basis of detailed investigation from all states and union territories on the subject of non-Muslim children being admitted into government-funded and recognised madrassas.

NCPCR Chairperson Priyank Kanoongo shot off a letter to the chief secretaries of all states and union territories, which said that the inquiry should include details of the physical verification carried out on children attending such madrassas. He also asked that all such children should be admitted in schools for formal education after the inquiry is completed.

The move by the Commission, to write to the states and union territories, follows on the heels of numerous complaints from varied sources.

Kanoongo said it has been noted that children from a non-Muslim community are known to be attending such government funded or recognised madrassas.

He stated that several children attend institutions like madrassas in various states and UTs. These are of three types- Recognised Madrassas, Unrecognised Madrassas and Unmapped Madrassas. As institutions of learning, Madrassas are primarily responsible for imparting religious education to children, he said.

He added that it is also learnt that those government- funded Madrassas or those recognised by the government are imparting spiritual as well as formal education to children, to some extent The NCPCR chief went on to say that it is learnt that madrassas in some states and UTs are being provided with scholarships also.

He said such a move clearly violates and infringes on Article 28(3) of the Constitution of India, which prohibits any educational institution from forcing children to participate in any kind of religious instruction without acquiring the consent of parents.

The state, he said, is required by the Constitution, without any discrimination or prejudice, to provide free and compulsory education to all children, while ensuring that children go for formal education to schools in the neighbourhood as per Section 6 of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009.

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