The Union government on Thursday (August 8) introduced a Bill in the Lok Sabha to amend the 1995 Waqf Act (1995 Act). The proposed amendments seek to significantly reform the law by enhancing the Centre’s regulatory authority over waqf properties and, for the first time, permitting the inclusion of non-Muslim members in Waqf Boards.
The draft legislation, proposed to be renamed the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development Act, 2024, is heralded by the government as a comprehensive overhaul aimed at enhancing “the efficiency of the administration and management of the waqf properties.”
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However, several Opposition parties have accused the Centre of floating the Bill without adequate consultation with stakeholders, claiming it encroaches upon the Muslim community’s religious rights. They have also pointed out that the amendments will reduce Waqf Boards to “mute spectators” even as the Centre infringes upon a host of religious freedoms.
