Educational institutions of Sikhs, Jains, Christians, Buddhists, Parsis to get minority status in Uttarakhand

In a first-of-its-kind decision, the Uttarakhand Cabinet on Sunday (August 17, 2025) gave a nod to introduce the Uttarakhand Minority Educational Institutions Bill, 2025, which will extend minority status benefits to Sikhs, Jains, Christians, Buddhists, and the Parsi community. Prior to this, minority status was only for Muslim educational institutions in the State.

According to the sources in the government, the Bill aims to establish a transparent process for granting recognition to educational institutions set up by minority communities in the state while ensuring quality and excellence in education.

The Bill will be introduced in the coming session of the Legislative Assembly, starting from August 19, 2025. The quality of education will be safeguarded along with the constitutional rights of minorities through the Bill and the State Government will have the power to monitor institutional functioning and issue directions as required from time to time.

“The Uttarakhand Madrasa Education Board Act, 2016 and the Uttarakhand Non-Government Arabic and Persian Madrasa Recognition Rules, 2019 will stand repealed from July 1, 2026,” said an official involved in planning of the Bill.

Once enacted, the Bill will permit study of Gurmukhi and Pali also in recognised minority educational institutions, he added.

Speaking about the key features of the Bill, the official said that it prescribes to form the Uttarakhand State Authority for Minority Education, which will grant the status of minority educational institutions. Also, any educational institution established by Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, or Parsi communities must obtain recognition from the Authority to qualify as a minority educational institution.

“The Act does not interfere in the establishment and administration of minority educational institutions but ensures that educational excellence is maintained. To obtain recognition, educational institutions must be registered under the Societies Act, Trust Act, or Companies Act. Ownership of land, bank accounts, and other assets must be in the name of the institution. Recognition can be withdrawn in cases of financial mismanagement, lack of transparency, or activities against religious and social harmony,” he added.

The Authority will ensure that education is imparted in accordance with the standards set by the Board of School Education, Uttarakhand and that student evaluations remain fair and transparent, said the Bill.