Uttarakhand Ends Friday Holiday for Recognised Madrasas, Shifts to Sunday
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced this week that madrasas recognised as schools by the state education department, along with those that have applied for recognition, will no longer get Friday as their weekly holiday. The government wants these institutions to shift to Sunday, the weekly off day followed by other state-run and state-recognised schools.
What Dhami Announced
Dhami said the change is meant to bring minority-run educational institutions under the same academic and administrative calendar as every other recognised school in the state. Scroll.in reported that he was quoted saying, “There should be a uniform system for everyone.”
The rule covers madrasas already recognised by the Uttarakhand education department as well as those with pending recognition applications. The government has not published a count of how many institutions this affects.
The Backdrop: A New Minority Education Authority
The holiday change follows a bigger structural shift earlier this year. On July 1, 2026, Uttarakhand repealed the 2016 Madrasa Education Board Act and the 2019 madrasa recognition rules, abolishing its statutory madrasa board. In its place, the state set up the Uttarakhand State Authority for Minority Education under the Uttarakhand Minority Education Act, 2025, as Scroll.in reported at the time.
The new 12-member authority includes academics in economics, psychology and law, a retired English teacher from Kumaun University, two social workers, and the state’s directors of higher education, educational research and minority welfare. It now oversees recognition, academic curricula and monitoring standards for institutions run by all six notified minority communities, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Parsis, Jains and Buddhists, not only madrasas. Recognition from the authority, on top of affiliation with the Uttarakhand Board of Education, must be renewed every three academic years.
The restructuring followed a crackdown in March 2025, when the state government sealed 136 madrasas it said were not registered with either the education department or the then-existing madrasa board.
Dhami has linked the broader push for “uniform” rules across institutions to Uttarakhand’s Uniform Civil Code, which came into force on January 27, 2025, making the state the first in the country to implement one. Union Home Minister Amit Shah said in September that BJP-led and allied state governments plan to introduce similar codes in 21 states before 2029, a timeline the madrasa holiday change is being read alongside.
Old Madrasa Board vs. New Minority Education Authority
The July 2026 restructuring changed more than just who oversees recognition. It widened the legal scope of “minority institution” status in the state, which previously applied mainly to Muslim-run madrasas.
| Attribute | Old Madrasa Board (pre-July 2026) | New State Authority for Minority Education |
|---|---|---|
| Legal basis | Uttarakhand Madrasa Education Board Act, 2016 | Uttarakhand Minority Education Act, 2025 |
| Communities covered | Primarily Muslim-run madrasas | Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Parsis, Jains and Buddhists |
| Governing body size | Not applicable (board structure) | 12 members, including academics and department directors |
| Recognition cycle | Set under 2019 recognition rules | Valid for 3 academic years, then renewal required |
| Weekly holiday for madrasas | Friday | Sunday (per Dhami’s October 2026 announcement) |
What the Opposition Said
The Congress party called the move an exercise in “politics of polarisation and communalism” ahead of Uttarakhand’s Assembly elections, due in February or March 2027. Congress spokesperson Pratima Singh questioned why the state government keeps returning to madrasa-related issues instead of addressing gaps in the broader state education system.
What Happens Next
No implementation date or formal notification number has been made public yet. Madrasa administrators and minority education bodies in the state are expected to respond once the Uttarakhand State Authority for Minority Education issues the formal order giving effect to Dhami’s announcement.
Assembly elections in Uttarakhand are due in February or March 2027, and the Congress has signalled it intends to make minority-institution policy an election issue rather than let the holiday change pass as a routine administrative order.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which institutions does the new weekly-holiday rule apply to?
Madrasas already recognised by the Uttarakhand education department and those with pending recognition applications. The government has not released a count of affected institutions.
Does this affect madrasas run by other minority communities?
The holiday rule as announced applies to madrasas specifically. The broader Uttarakhand State Authority for Minority Education, set up in July 2026, oversees institutions run by all six notified minority communities, but Dhami’s announcement this week addressed madrasa holidays only.
Is this related to the Uniform Civil Code?
Dhami has framed it as part of the same push for a uniform system across institutions that the state cites for its Uniform Civil Code, in force since January 27, 2025, though the holiday change is a separate administrative order, not part of the UCC itself.
Leave a Reply