New Delhi, Aug. 20 -- The Uttarakhand Minority Educational Institutions Bill, 2025, has been passed in the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly today. The benefits of minorities will also now be available to Sikhs, Jains, Christians, Parsis and Buddhist communities. Until now, the status of minority educational institutions has been given only to the Muslim community.

The Uttarakhand State Minority Education Authority will replace the Uttarakhand Madrasa Board. The Harish Rawat-led Congress government had enacted the Uttarakhand Madrasa Education Board Act in 2016.

By July 1, 2026, all madrasas operating in the state will have to obtain affiliation from the Uttarakhand Education Board, and thereafter, to obtain minority status, they will ha...