Title: Education Concerns at Madrassa in Bahraich District, Uttar Pradesh
In a surprising revelation, a routine inspection at a madrassa located within the Bahraich district has exposed a concerning state of education there. The examination found that none of the class 10 students were able to write their names in English.
Following this discovery, local authorities have issued a warning and notice to the madrassa, urging it to prioritize other subjects apart from Arabic and Persian. Qari Irfan, one of the teachers at the institution, reported that 10 out of 15 students enrolled in class 10 were present during the inspection.
The surprise check was carried out at Jamia Gaziya Sayyadul Uloom, a well-known madrassa situated in the Badi Takiya area, as per District Minority Welfare Officer Sanjay Mishra. He stated that one of the teachers was absent, although it wasn’t recorded in the attendance register. Mishra also noted that the students’ attendance for Munshi, Maulvi, and Alim classes was significantly lower than the registered count.
Meanwhile, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw declared on Wednesday that caste data will be incorporated into the upcoming census, criticizing the opposition for exploiting caste surveys for political purposes. He asserted that the forthcoming census will include Caste enumeration, as decided by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs.
Vaishnaw added that past caste censuses carried out in various states have been deemed “unscientific.” The Congress has long advocated for a nationwide caste census, with party leader Rahul Gandhi previously challenging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to release the 2011 caste-based census data and requesting that the 50% reservation cap be removed. According to the Congress, a caste census is essential for ensuring equal opportunities in the nation.
Vaishnaw claimed that the Congress and its INDIA bloc partners have consistently used caste censuses as a political tool. He also mentioned that previous UPA governments attempted but failed to conduct a caste census while conducting surveys instead.
A caste census involves gathering data on individuals or households based on their caste affiliations during the national census. In India, censuses are primarily conducted by the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India, which functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs. The last caste census was held in 1931, with a total number of castes reported at 4,147 according to available data.
The Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) 2011, led by the Ministry of Rural Development Government of India, was conducted through a door-to-door enumeration across the country from June 2011. However, the 2011 caste census data remains unpublished to this day. The caste census usually involves asking individuals or households to self-identify their caste or caste affiliation.
