{"id":141700,"date":"2024-11-07T21:02:39","date_gmt":"2024-11-07T15:32:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/?post_type=editorial-analysis&#038;p=141700"},"modified":"2025-03-03T11:20:26","modified_gmt":"2025-03-03T05:50:26","slug":"sc-on-up-madarsa-verdict","status":"publish","type":"editorial-analysis","link":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/editorial-analysis\/sc-on-up-madarsa-verdict","title":{"rendered":"With UP Madarsa Verdict, Supreme Court Upholds Positive Secularism"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, overruled the Allahabad High Court&#8217;s March 22, 2024, verdict that declared the Uttar Pradesh Board of Madrasa Education Act, 2004, unconstitutional.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\">Background<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The case of<\/span> <b><i>Anjum Qadri and Anr vs Union of India &#038; Ors<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> concerns the constitutionality of the Uttar Pradesh Madrasa Education Act, 2004, which regulates madrasas within the state.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Allahabad High Court previously ruled against the Act,\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Government defended the Act as a regulatory measure, intended to ensure educational standards.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pw.live\/batches\/upsc\/pw-only-ias?utm_source=seo+upsc+batch&#038;utm_medium=seo+upsc&#038;utm_campaign=seo&#038;utm_id=upsc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Enroll now for UPSC Online Classes<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Arguments given by High Court<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Against Secularism:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The court ruled that the Act breached secularism, requiring the state to remain neutral in religious matters and avoid favouring any religion.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">State funds, it emphasised, should not support religious education, as secularism is integral to the Constitution\u2019s basic structure.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Quality of Education: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The court found madrasa education lacking in modern academic standards, focusing mainly on religious studies, violating Article 21A, which mandates secular education.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The NCPCR also argued that madrasa education did not meet the standards required under the Right to Education.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Public Funds: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The court held that using public funds for religious education constitutes misuse of taxpayer money.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Supreme Court Verdict on UP Madarsa Act\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>1. Basic Structure Doctrine and Ordinary Laws:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Court clarified that the<\/span><b> Basic Structure Doctrine<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, established in the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Indira Nehru Gandhi (1975)<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> case, <\/span><b>applies only to constitutional amendments, not ordinary laws <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">like the Madrasa Act.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chief Justice A.N. Ray cautioned that using this doctrine on statutes could effectively &#8220;rewrite the Constitution.&#8221;\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Court emphasised that when assessing ordinary laws, courts should focus on <\/span><b>legislative competence and compliance with fundamental rights<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, avoiding broad principles like democracy, federalism, or secularism to prevent legal uncertainty.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>2. Positive Secularism:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Citing <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">S.R. Bommai (1994)<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the Supreme Court upheld secularism as a concept of equal treatment for all religions.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It noted that Articles 25 to 30 reflect \u201cpositive secularism,\u201d requiring the state to uphold religious tolerance.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Court highlighted that regulating madrasa education is a step toward safeguarding minority educational rights, while also ensuring the state remains religiously neutral.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"vc_table_green\"><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 99.6963%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><b>Note: Understanding Secularism<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Secularism can be of two types: <\/span><b>negative secularism<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which advocates strict separation of religion from the state (like in France), and <\/span><b>positive secularism<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which ensures equal opportunities and treatment for all religions, promoting inclusivity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As per SC, The UP Madarsa Act aligns with <\/span><b>positive secularism<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, as it aims to provide equal educational opportunities to all religious communities.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><\/div>\n<p><b>3. Religious Autonomy and Equality<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The judgement affirmed that secularism is inherently linked to equality, and true equality requires the state to treat all citizens equally, irrespective of religion.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It held that religious bodies, including madrasas, have a fundamental right to manage their affairs, protected under <\/span><b>Article 30.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, <\/span><b>state regulation is permissible as long as it does not undermine an institution\u2019s minority character.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>4. Article 26 and State Regulation of Minority Institutions<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Court clarified that <\/span><b>madrasas, as religious institutions, are entitled to protection under Article 26, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">allowing religious groups to establish and maintain institutions for religious and charitable purposes.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While Article 21A mandates compulsory education for children, the Court noted that in <\/span><b><i>Pramati Educational and Cultural Trust (2014)<\/i><\/b><b>,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> it was held that the RTE Act should not be applied to minority institutions in a way that could undermine their autonomy under Article 30.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books\/upsc-textbooks?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+Textbooks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check Out UPSC NCERT Textbooks From PW Store<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Conclusion<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Supreme Court\u2019s decision in the UP Madarsa Act case was a reaffirmation of <\/span><b>positive secularism<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>religious autonomy<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> under the Indian Constitution.<\/span><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 99.6975%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: rgba(184, 165, 217, 0.53); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Mains Practice:<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\"><a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/mains-answer-writing\/the-supreme-courts-verdict-on-up-madarsa-act\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Q. The Supreme court&#8217;s verdict on UP Madarsa Act emphasises positive secularism and minority rights protection. In light of this, examine how India balances its secular fabric while protecting religious education institutions. Also, discuss the challenges in maintaining quality education across different educational systems (15M, 250 words)<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<div class=\"vc_table_green\"><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 100.043%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 130.811%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\" colspan=\"2\"><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Must Read<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 50.5357%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/editorial-analysis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UPSC Daily Editorials<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 80.2753%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/daily-current-affairs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UPSC Daily Current Affairs<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 50.5357%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books\/upsc-textbooks?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+Textbooks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check Out UPSC NCERT Textbooks From PW Store<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 80.2753%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books\/upsc-modules?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+Modules\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check Out UPSC Modules From PW Store<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 50.5357%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books\/upsc-previous-year-papers?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+Previous+Year+Papers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check Out Previous Years Papers From PW Store<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 80.2753%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/upsc-test-series-courses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UPSC Test Series 2024<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 50.5357%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/quiz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Daily Current Affairs Quiz<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 80.2753%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/mains-answer-writing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Daily Main Answer Writing<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 130.811%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\" colspan=\"2\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+CSE+Books\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check Out UPSC CSE Books From PW Store<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, overruled the Allahabad High Court&#8217;s March 22, 2024, verdict that declared the Uttar Pradesh Board of Madrasa Education Act, 2004, unconstitutional. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":141631,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[],"paper-wise":[2084],"subject":[2124],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/editorial-analysis\/141700"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/editorial-analysis"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/editorial-analysis"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=141700"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/editorial-analysis\/141700\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":141785,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/editorial-analysis\/141700\/revisions\/141785"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/141631"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=141700"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=141700"},{"taxonomy":"paper-wise","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/paper-wise?post=141700"},{"taxonomy":"subject","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/subject?post=141700"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}