Overview
- Justice Subhash Vidyarthi set aside the Shrawasti District Minority Welfare Officer’s May 1, 2025 order that had directed the closure of Madarsa Ahle Sunnat Imam Ahmad Raza.
- The court directed officials to open the seal on the institution within 24 hours of production of the certified order.
- The ruling clarified that until recognition is obtained, the madrasa cannot claim state grants and the Madarsa Education Board is not obliged to allow its students in board examinations or extend state-related benefits for their qualifications.
- Petitioners relied on Regulation 13 of the 2016 UP madrasa rules and asserted Article 30(1) protection for institutions seeking neither aid nor recognition, while the state warned of complications over students’ claims to benefits.
- The court referenced Supreme Court precedents, including the Kerala Education Bill classification and recent guidance cited as Anjum Kadari, to delineate categories of minority educational institutions.