Bengal madrasas
Kolkata: The state minority affairs and madrasa education department has given notices for immediate closure of 252 madrasas across the state and issued show-cause notices to around 100-odd following a field inspection of unaided madrasas. The magistrates of all 22 districts and the Kolkata area submitted reports on madrasas functioning within their respective jurisdictions. The DMs reported that about 2,132 madrasas were functioning with proper registration/affiliation etc, while 2,396 were functioning without the required registration/affiliation from any govt or board.
Detailed information relating to registration status, management, student enrolment and identity, teaching staff, infrastructure and sources of funding were collected and scrutinised. The infrastructural lacunae at the madrasas included non-availability of classroom space, inadequate students or teachers, stark deviation from standard state school syllabus or administrative rules. A Khariji madrasa is an independent Islamic school that operates without govt funding, formal recognition or official regulatory control. They do not receive financial assistance from govt and instead rely entirely upon on public donations and charitable trusts.