The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has called the Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh to explain why 9,417 Hindu children are receiving Islamic education in madrassas. NCPCR held that this violates Article 28 (3) of the Constitution, which states that government-aided institutions cannot teach any religion other than the one a student follows.

Priyank Kanungo, the Chairman of NCPCR, expressed concerns about possible religious conversions and questioned what steps the government has taken to move these children from madrassas to regular schools. The Chief Secretary has been asked to report to the Commission’s headquarters in Delhi on June 18.

Kanungo pointed out that teachers in madrassas are not certified by the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) and that these institutions lack proper infrastructure and security as required by the Right to Education Act. He emphasized that keeping children in such conditions is unacceptable and urged the state government to address the issue immediately.

According to Kanungo, there are 1,505 madrassas in Madhya Pradesh. The Right to Education Act mandates that educational institutes follow the National Curriculum Framework and that the government establish and run schools. He argued that providing financial support to madrassas deprives poor children of the resources they are entitled to. The Commission has asked the government to reconsider funding the Madrasa Board.