Bihar Government Launches Investigation into Madrassas and Sanskrit Toles, Sparking Controversy

The political debate on the issue has intensified after the Bihar government launched an extensive investigation into the state's madrassas and Sanskrit tols. Opposition parties and some Muslim community organisations have expressed apprehensions that the move is not a preparation for a major change in the madrassa education system on the lines of Assam in the future. The controversy began when the education department directed all government-aided madrassas and Sanskrit to upload full details of students, teachers and non-teaching staff on the e-Shiksha Kosh portal. The district administration has been ordered to submit reports to the government after conducting physical verification of the institutions. According to government officials, the campaign is aimed at ensuring that government-aided institutions are actually functioning or not. During the investigation, student enrolment, number of teachers and staff, infrastructure facilities and utilisation of government grants are being reviewed. Officials say that this step has been taken after complaints of bogus enrolment, irregular attendance and paperwork. The madrassa affiliated to the Bihar State Education Board has received financial assistance from the state government in the form of salaries and other expenses.