Bihar government orders Statewide audit of all government aided madrasa and Sanskrit schools

Under the new BJP Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, the Bihar Education Department on Tuesday (June 2, 2026) ordered a Statewide audit of all government-aided Madrasas and Sanskrit schools to verify institutional compliance, preventing fraud and to ensure proper use of government funds. A three-member local officials committee has been constituted to get the audit report by physically visiting madrasas and sanskrit schools across the State.

Any unrecognised or fraudulently run institution found will be shut down, said the order issued by the State Education Department Secretary Vinod Singh Gunjiyal. The order has instructed District Education Officers (DEOs) to conduct physical verifications of the State-funded madrasas or Sanskrit schools across the State.

The institutions must update the students on roll, teachers and non-teaching staff, school infrastructure and facilities, utilisation of government funds and grants and compliance with education department guidelines on the state government’s e-portal, it said.

A three-member local committee comprising the school headmaster/headmistress, Block Development Officer, and an Education Department Official has been constituted for the physical verification of the institutions at the local level.

“The audit will be applied across the State without any discrimination between madrasa and Sanskrit schools for being evaluated to guarantee quality education”, said State Education Minister Mithilesh Tiwari, BJP MLA from Baikunthpur Assembly constituency of Gopalganj district.

According to the Minister, the audit drive is intended to create a level-playing field to ensure that institutions under both the madrasa and sanskrit board are operating effectively and serving students as intended.

“A detailed review of the submitted audit will be conducted after receiving all reports. The education department has also made it clear that institutions found operating in violation of rules or, through fraudulent means, will have to face strict action…they could be shut down following the review process”, said a senior official of the department, preferring anonymity, to The Hindu.

Meanwhile, the Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal leaders have questioned the audit of madrasa and Sanskrit schools across the State.

“What about the delayed salary of madrasa teachers of such schools?”, jibed RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari. The party MLC Qari Sohaib said, “This survey makes little sense…were the recommendations of a similar survey conducted two years ago, implemented, and if not, has any action been taken against those responsible for it?”, asked Mr Sohaib.

However, several Opposition mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) leaders view such an audit of madrasa and Sanskrit schools as an attempt of the “BJP government to appease the majority community…the Sanskrit schools were simply incorporated into the audit bracket to fool public but we all know this is typically a BJP government move towards minority community”.

The working president of the All India Milli Council, Maulana Anees-ur-Rahman Qasmi, said the government’s move appears “suspicious because of the BJP’s unfavourable view towards Muslims”. However, the ruling NDA leaders countered them, saying, “the move of the government is to better the educational system, guaranteeing the quality education to all, and no one should read between the lines”.