Jamia Madi-Nul-Uloom, one of the largest madrasas in Haryana’s Meo Muslim-dominated Nuh district, resembles a mosque with its imposing structure featuring minarets.
The madrasa, located on the outskirts of Jhimrawat village in Ferozepur Jhirka subdivision, has rows of rooms on both sides that double up as living quarters and classrooms for the ‘talibidh’ (students).
The students primarily come from Nuh and neighbouring areas in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan that make up the Mewat region. There are around 135 madrasas in the district, with around 20,000 students enrolled in them.
In 2024, at a rally commemorating the martyrdom of 16th-century Mewat ruler Raja Hasan Khan Mewati, then Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal had announced the government’s plan to register madrasas and gurukuls with the Haryana State Education Board (HSEB) in order to integrate them into the mainstream and provide financial support.
Despite the plan remaining largely on paper, current Chief Minister Nayab Saini reaffirmed his government’s commitment to it during a recent meeting of the Mewat Development Board.
On July 7, Nuh Deputy Commissioner Vishram Kumar Meena held a meeting with madrasa directors, faculty, and officials to take forward the government’s plan.
Mukesh Vashisth, the Chief Minister’s media coordinator who was present at the meeting, said it was aimed at building confidence among madrasa directors and encouraging them to seek affiliation with the HSEB. “It is just a beginning. Around a dozen madrasa directors turned up for the meeting and half of them agreed to the idea of affiliation,” he said.
‘Hold meeting with stakeholders’
Maulana Mohammad Ilyas, 75, director of Jamia Madi-Nul-Uloom, said madrasas aren’t opposed to formal education but have concerns that need to be addressed. “Religious training imparted to the youth is the cornerstone of these madrasas. We do not want the government to interfere with this after affiliation,” he said, adding that the government must hold a meeting with all stakeholders to discuss the matter and take it forward.
Maulana Mohammad Hasan, manager of the madrasa, said 750 students are currently enrolled in the institute, which witnessed a fivefold increase in its strength over the past two decades. “We consider as our opponents those who think madrasas are averse to modern education,” he said.
The madrasa has over time integrated modern education with religious training, with 150 students appearing for the National Institute of Open Schooling’s (NIOS) matriculation exam this year, he said.
“Along with the three-year Hifz course (memorising the Koran) and six-year Maulana course, we also teach Hindi, English, Maths, and Science so that our students keep pace with the outside world. We have also introduced basic computer education and procured a dozen desktops,” he said.
He pointed to a room with a TV used for streaming classes for students pursuing courses under the NIOS and said about a dozen students from the madrasa had gone on to join prominent universities in the country.
‘Should not be imposed’
Mohammad Salim, a former madrasa student and Jamia Millia Islamia graduate, suggested that the government’s plan shouldn’t be imposed. “It should be left to the institutes to decide on the education board they want to affiliate with,” he said, adding that some might prefer affiliating with the Central Board of Secondary Education, Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, or NIOS.
Rajuddin Meo, convener of Mewat RTI Manch, said his organisation had submitted a memorandum to the Nuh administration last year that proposed establishing separate boards for madrasas on the lines of the Uttar Pradesh Board of Madarsa Education and the Rajasthan Madarsa Board.
Mufti Rafeeq Ahmad Qasmi, trustee of Al-Jamiatul Islamia, a madarsa run by Darul Uloom Husainia at Mandi Khera, said his trust was working towards affiliation with the HSEB for the past one year, but alleged delays by State authorities. “Madrasas need to embrace modern education, else they will soon become irrelevant. There is growing awareness among parents and they want their children to keep pace with the times. We are willing, but the government needs to walk the talk,” he said.
Published – September 15, 2025 10:33 am IST
