UMEB also plans to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the state's Sanskrit department to introduce the language across madrassas
Sanskrit will soon be made mandatory across madrassas in Uttarakhand. The Uttarakhand Madrasa Education Board (UMEB) has prepared a formal proposal for the same and if it is approved, Sanskrit will taught to students from classes 5 to 8 across madrassas in the state, reported Times Of India.
The board, which is already offering Arabic across Madrassas in the state also aims to introduce Sanskrit in the curriculum from the next academic session. Waqf board chairperson Shadab Shams told the news agency that both Sanskrit and Arabic are ancient languages, and students need to learn both subjects.
To introduce Sanskrit across the madrassas, UMEB plans to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Sanskrit department in the state. Besides, it also aims to add computer studies to the syllabi.
The board chairperson Mufti Shamoon Qasmi informed the news agency that several meetings have been held with officials from the Sanskrit department already and they are awaiting approval. Once they receive a green light, the madrassas will start hiring Sanskrit teachers, the report added.
The board is further planning to transform all 117 madrassas registered under UMEB into model institutions. “They have reached out to ex-servicemen to help instill a sense of nationalism among the students. There are around 1,000 madrassas in Uttarakhand, and as more register with us, we aim to upgrade them,” Shams told TOI.
Earlier this year, theUttarakhand Waqf Board introduced Ramayana to the syllabus across madrassas. The story of Lord Ram was initially slated to be introduced to four madrassas – one each in Dehradun, Haridwar, Nainital, and Udham Singh Nagar districts from the 2024 academic session. Following this, it would be added to the remaining 113 madrassas, officials had said. The Uttarakhand Waqf board had also said that it will appoint principals for the four madrassas who will be given the task of recruiting teachers to teach Ramayana to students.
