winter session

Assam, Dec 28: The three-day winter session of the Assam assembly commenced on Monday, following Covid-19 protocols. Assam Education Minister Biswa Sarma said that he will introduce a bill to repeal the provincial station of Madrassas.

According to reports, around 12 government bills — including ‘The Assam Repealing Bill, 2020’ (repeal provisions of Madrassa and Sanskrit Tolls in the state), Assam Education (Provincialisation of Services of Non-Teaching Staff of Venture Educational Institutions (Amendment) Bill, 2020, The Moran Autonomous Council (Amendment) Bill, 2020, The Matak Autonomous Council (Amendment) Bill, 2020, The Kamatapur Autonomous Council (Amendment) Bill, 2020, The Bodo Kachari Welfare Autonomous Council Bill, 2020, The Assam Micro Finance Institutions (Regulation of Money Lending) Bill, 2020 — are likely to be tabled in the winter session of the state assembly.

Earlier, Himanta Biswa Sarma said that in a bid to facilitate the secular education system in Assam, the state government decided to stop the functioning of all government-run Madrassas and convert them into general educational institutions.

“In 1934, when Assam was run by a Muslim League government under Prime Minister of Assam Sir Syed Sadullah, the Madrassa education was introduced in Assam education curriculum and the State Madrassa Board was also created. Even in normal academic courses up to the Matric level, a chapter basically of 50 marks was allotted for education on Quran,” Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

“Yesterday [Sunday], the Assam cabinet has decided to reform the educational system to make it secular and as a result, now all these High Madrassas will stop functioning and we will convert every such institution to a general educational institute like any other institute,” he said.

“198 High Madrassas, 542 Title Madrassas, Pre-Senior Madrassas, Senior Madrassa will not give admission to any student for theological study. Henceforth, it will be functioning only for general education,” Himanta Biswa Sarma said.