Bengaluru: Assam has taken a decision to shut down Madrasas from November this year. The decision was announced by Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, while answering a question on provincialization of madrasas during a ‘Cut Motion’ on the Education department in Assam Assembly. 

He added that the Assam government will only promote secular and modern education.

Furthermore he added, “All madrassas and Sanskrit tols located across the State will be closed from November this year. Hence, madarsas won’t be provincialized; and it won’t be possible to appoint new Arabic teachers. But the privately-run ‘Kherasi madarsas’ will continue.” 

As regards Sanskrit, he said that Sanskrit tols will be brought under the Kumar Bhaskar Varma Sanskrit and Ancient Studies University (in Nalbari). They will function in a new form. “A notification on this alternative measure will be issued soon,” he added.
A popular website notes that the government is establishing 150 new high schools in the state. The construction will begin on 2nd October 2020. The classes will start in these schools from April 2021. Fifteen government colleges, including nine colleges exclusively for girls, will be established in the state. The minister stated that the decision has been taken with an aim to help the people working in vast tea estates of Assam.

The Assam government had announced in February this year that all religious schools run by the state would cease to exist. However, private institutions do not face any closure.