Uttarakhand CM Meets SHG Women, Sanitation Workers; Cabinet Clears Landmark Minority Education Bill

Bhararisain: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, during his morning visit to Bhararisain (Gairsain) on Tuesday, interacted with women members of a self-help group working under the National Rural Livelihood Mission. He praised their efforts in strengthening rural livelihoods and highlighted their role in building a self-reliant Uttarakhand.

The Chief Minister also met sanitation workers deployed at the Vidhan Sabha premises and inquired about their food and accommodation facilities. Expressing satisfaction with the arrangements, the workers thanked the government for its support. Dhami said the commitment of women driving rural empowerment and sanitation workers ensuring a clean society reflected collective resolve toward a “Developed Uttarakhand.”

Meanwhile, the state government has taken a historic step with the Cabinet’s decision to introduce the Uttarakhand Minority Educational Institutions Bill, 2025, in the Assembly session beginning August 19. The proposed law seeks to extend the status of Minority Educational Institutions beyond the Muslim community to include Sikhs, Christians, Jains, Buddhists, and Parsis as well.

Welcoming the move, Uttarakhand Waqf Board Chairman Shadab Shams said it was a positive step that would ensure equal rights for all minority communities. He stressed that minority recognition is not limited to Muslims and that the Bill will pave the way for inclusive education.

According to the draft, the Bill aims to set up an Uttarakhand State Authority for Minority Education to regulate recognition of such institutions. Recognition will be mandatory, with institutions required to be registered under the Societies Act, Trust Act, or Companies Act, and maintain assets in their own name. Recognition can be withdrawn in cases of mismanagement, lack of transparency, or activities against communal harmony.

The legislation also repeals the Uttarakhand Madrasa Education Board Act, 2016 and the Uttarakhand Non-Government Arabic and Persian Madrasa Recognition Rules, 2019, effective July 1, 2026. It allows minority institutions to offer studies in subjects such as Gurmukhi and Pali, in addition to existing curricula.

Officials said the Bill is the first of its kind in India, combining protection of minority rights with a transparent framework for recognition, while ensuring educational standards are upheld across institutions.