Funding for madrasa and waqf education schemes cut drastically

Recent reports show that funding for educational schemes aimed at Muslim communities has drastically decreased over the last four years. The government’s budget for madrasa education has fallen from ₹174 crore in 2021-22 to almost nothing in 2024-25. In a response to Parliament, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju explained that the Scheme for Providing Education in Madrasas/Minorities (SPEMM) was allocated ₹0.01 crore for the current fiscal year, compared to much higher amounts in previous years. Most of the money allocated remains unspent due to various administrative issues. SPEMM was introduced in 2014 to help provide better education to Muslim students, focusing on modern subjects. However, funding has dropped sharply since 2021-22. Similarly, two other waqf schemes have seen significant cuts in their budgets and expenditures. The reduction in funding comes when literacy rates among Muslims are already below the national average. Currently, the literacy rate for Muslims stands at 79.5%, while the national rate is 80.9%. Despite a slight increase in the literacy rate over the past four years, it has not kept pace with the overall national trend. Concerns continue surrounding the education of Muslim students, particularly regarding a high dropout rate in secondary education. Various reports suggest that many Muslim students struggle to stay in school, with fewer enrollments and a decline in female participation. Some states, particularly those led by the BJP, are moving to reform madrasa education, leading to closures of madrassas in favor of general schools. These changes occur amid ongoing debates about the appropriateness of madrasa education. Furthermore, the Parliament is discussing the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which aims to increase government control over waqf properties that fund madrassas. This bill could shift regulatory power away from traditional Muslim trusts to the central government.