Eyeing minority votes, govt plans makeover for 500 madrasas

With an eye on the minority vote ahead of the assembly elections, the state government has rolled out the Adarsh Madrasa Yojana under which 500 such educational institutions will be given a makeover with a budget of Rs 25 crore.

There are 3,232 madrasas registered with the Rajasthan Madrasa Board with a total student strength of 2.35 lakh. Of these, 500 madrasas, selected on the basis of certain criteria, will be developed as model madrasas, said Shreya Guha, the principal secretary of minority affairs department.

Guha said madrasas have few sources of funding and a majority of them are in dilapidated conditions. “The government plans to modernise and mainstream the madrasas in the state so that their physical condition and teaching standards improve,” she said.

Chief minister Vasundhara Raje had announced the Adarsh Madrasa Yojana in her 2018-19 budget speech and the financial sanction was given last week.

The madrasas are being verified by a committee made under the district collectors, after which they will be given the funds for modernisation. Under the scheme, various facilities such as smart classrooms with e-learning and online teaching through computers will be made available to the selected madrasas, said Guha.

The madrasas will also be provided teaching and learning material such as charts, globes, maths kits, and sports equipment and furniture, she said. Water and sanitation facilities would also be provided.

Kailash Bairwa, director, Department of Minority Affairs, said Rs 11 crore had been sanctioned by the finance department and tenders will be issued for supply of material to the madrasas.

Madrasa Board secretary Mohammed Salim said under the scheme those madrasas have been selected whose land titles are clear and pattas are registered or which are properties of the Wakf board.

“The condition of madrasas is very poor. They depend on local people for financial help. Those that are registered with the government get some funds from the department. The aim of the scheme is to provide children studying in madrasas with modern education and facilities so that they can be at par with children studying in government or private schools,” he said.

He said the committee under the collectors will verify and send their approval reports by end of June, after which the department will issue tenders for supplies.

The Adarsh Madrasa Scheme is modelled on the Adarsh Vidyalaya scheme under which one secondary or higher secondary school in each of the 9,894 gram panchayats in the state are being upgraded to a model school with facilities such as smart classrooms, computers, libraries, laboratories and drinking water and toilets.