The Assam Government on Monday tabled a Bill in the Legislative Assembly to abolish all State-run madrasas by converting them into general schools from April 1 next year.
Despite a united Opposition objecting to tabling of the Bill, Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma introducted The Assam Repealing Bill, 2020 on the first day of the three-day winter session.
The Bill proposes to abolish the two existing Acts — The Assam Madrassa Education (Provincialisation) Act, 1995 and The Assam Madrassa Education (Provincialisation of Services of Employees and Re-Organisation of Madrasa Educational Institutions) Act, 2018.
“This bill is not to control and repeal the private madrasas,” Sarma said, adding inclusion of the word “private” in the “statement of objects and reasons” of the Bill was a mistake.
The Assam cabinet had on December 13 approved a proposal to close down all madrasas and Sanskrit Tols (schools) however, the legislation brought in the Assembly during the day did not contain anything related to the Sanskrit schools.