The Union Human Resource Development Ministry on Friday clarified that madrasas are protected under Article 29 and 30 of the Constitution, and hence the Right of the Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act does not come in the way of continuance of such institutions or the rights of children enrolled there.
Madrasas imparting religious instruction do not fall under the ambit of schools as defined under section 2(n) of the RTE Act, it said.
In a statement issued in response to the remark of Maulana Abdul Qasim Nomani, the new Vice-Chancellor of the Darul Uloom, Deoband who had criticised the RTE at a function on Wednesday and said he would oppose it, the Ministry said it had issued a guideline on November 23, 2010 under Section 35(1) of the RTE Act clarifying that such institutions (madrasas) were protected under the Constitution.
However, the Ministry implements the Scheme of Promotion of Quality Education in Madrasas. The objective of the scheme is to encourage traditional institutions such as madrasas by giving them financial assistance for introducing science, mathematics, social studies, Hindi and English in their curriculum so that students studying in these institutions attain academic proficiency.
The Ministry has also introduced an RTE Amendment Bill in Parliament, which provides for School Management Committees constituted under section 21 of the RTE Act in respect of aided minority schools, to function in an advisory capacity only, so that they will not be required to prepare the School Development Plan.
