New Delhi (Agency): Shadab Shams, the chairman of the Uttarakhand Waqf Board, announced on Monday that madrasas in the state are showing a high level of enthusiasm for modern education. This comes as part of the board’s program to bring scientific learning and Islamic studies together in the educational institutions.
“About 40-50 madrasas have approached us for modernization of their education system, following the example of the first phase of our program in Dehradun, Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar, and Nainital districts,” Shams said.
Parents and guardians, who usually send their children to madrasas for religious studies, are highly supportive of the initiative. They want their children to have access to modern subjects like computer science and other scientific fields.
“The enthusiastic response of parents and guardians is no less than a revolution,” Shams added. “We were expecting resistance from Muslim families, particularly due to clerical pressure against modernizing madrasa education. But the reality is the opposite.”
The modernization program aims to expand the curriculum in madrasas by including NCERT textbooks on science and humanities. It also plans to introduce computer education and smart classrooms. Sanskrit will be taught alongside Arabic and theological studies.
“This move aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of seeing madrasa-going children with the Quran in one hand and a laptop in the other,” Shams stated.
Infrastructure development is underway in the madrasas selected for the first phase of this modernization program. After the completion of the first phase, more districts will be added to the initiative.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Education Minister Dhan Singh Rawat have assured full support to the Waqf Board for this endeavor.
The Waqf Board currently oversees 103 madrasas in the state of Uttarakhand. With this modernization, the board hopes to equip students with the tools they need to face the challenges of the contemporary world.