India, Oct. 24 -- The number of Madrasas in Madhya Pradesh, once considered the backbone of Islamic and modern education for thousands of children, has collapsed to less than a third in just a few years.

From 2,689 Madrasas affiliated with the Madhya Pradesh Madrasa Board in 2019, the figure has plunged to just about 1,600 between 2022 and 2025. Now, with the renewal process for the current session nearly over, barely 750 have applied for recognition.

The sharp decline, operators and insiders say, is not accidental but the result of deliberate policy neglect and bureaucratic strangulation.

The state Government stopped grants to Madrasas in 2021 without any notice or official order, abruptly cutting off the only financial support that k...