The West Bengal state government of India has announced a substantial allocation for madrasa education in its budget. Madrasas have been an integral part of the state’s educational infrastructure, functioning as an alternative system of education for years. This year’s state budget includes significant initiatives for their development.
According to the Indian Constitution, various minority communities in the country can establish and manage educational institutions. Additionally, many madrasas operate with state approval and direct funding.
The budget aims to take the modernization of this educational system a step further. During the budget session of the Legislative Assembly, Governor C.V. Ananda Bose mentioned the establishment of 600 new madrasas. In line with this, West Bengal’s Minister of State for Finance, Chandrima Bhattacharya, announced on Wednesday that madrasa infrastructure would be further modernized, and the quality of education would be improved.
This year’s budget proposes an expenditure allocation of ₹5,602.29 crore for the Department of Minority Affairs and Madrasa Education. According to the budget announcement, efforts will be made to transform madrasa infrastructure significantly. More madrasas will be equipped with smart classrooms, where students will be taught using modern gadgets. E-books will be available, and there are plans to establish more computer labs in madrasas. During the current financial year, 600 smart classrooms and 100 digital laboratories are planned for madrasas. Additionally, science labs in 76 madrasas will be upgraded. The minister confirmed that approvals for these initiatives have already been granted.
Types of Madrasas in West Bengal
In West Bengal, primary-level madrasas are part of the formal education system. However, these institutions are categorized into several types based on their structure. The number of government-recognized and grant-in-aid madrasas is 614, including:
512 high madrasas
102 senior madrasas
12 junior high madrasas under high madrasas
These high madrasas are managed by the Madrasa Education Board. Like other secondary schools, they offer standard academic subjects while also providing Islamic studies and Arabic language courses up to the 10th grade. However, Islamic studies are not offered at the higher secondary level, which is governed by the West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education. 210 high madrasas have been upgraded to the higher secondary level.
According to the West Bengal Madrasa Education Board, out of the 614 recognized madrasas:
554 are co-educational
57 are exclusively for girls
3 are exclusively for boys
17 are Urdu-medium madrasas
183 offer vocational education, which is overseen by the Technical Education Department
In Kolkata, there are 9 government-recognized and grant-in-aid madrasas, including 8 high madrasas and 1 senior madrasa.
Diversity in Madrasa Education
Madrasas are not exclusively attended by Muslim students. In some madrasas, more than half of the students come from non-Muslim communities. Apart from government-recognized madrasas, thousands of unrecognized madrasas, known as Khareji madrasas, operate across West Bengal. There are approximately 6,000 such private madrasas.
The demand for modernizing madrasa education in West Bengal has existed for a long time. This initiative began during the Left Front government and has continued under the Mamata Banerjee-led government.
Reactions to the Budget Announcement
The budget announcement has been welcomed by Mosaraf Hossain, President of the Trinamool Congress Minority Cell and an MLA. He stated, “Grants for madrasas were essential. Many Muslim students have graduated from madrasas and become doctors and engineers. Madrasa education has helped Muslim students progress academically.”
On the other hand, Naushad Siddiqui, an opposition MLA from Bhangar, emphasized the need for modern education in madrasas. He commented, “Instead of focusing only on Arabic and Islamic studies, madrasas should also teach subjects like physics, mathematics, and English. Before launching new projects, the government should first improve the infrastructure of the existing 614 madrasas.”