Uttar Pradesh Madrassa students to be taught science, maths so they become 'officers, not maulvis' : Minister

Varanasi: Madrassa students in Uttar Pradesh will be taught mathematics and science among other subjects so that they can become "officers" instead of "maulvis", Minority affairs minister Dharampal Singh said on Tuesday, adding that the plan is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision. Singh further said that the schools and hospitals will be built by vacating land belonging to the Waqf board, which is currently under 'illegal occupation.'

"Following the prime minister's vision of 'Quran in one hand and laptop in the other' for madrassa students, they will be taught Mathematics, General Science, Social Science, Hindi, and other subjects so that they can join the Indian Administrative Service and Provincial Civil Services or become engineers and doctors instead of becoming maulvis (clerics) by obtaining 'deen' (religious) teachings," Singh told reporters after a departmental review meeting here.

Lavishing praise on Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Mr. Dharampal said he was turning Uttar Pradesh into "Uttam (better) Pradesh" as envisaged by the prime minister. The minister said considerable tracts of land belonging to the Waqf board had been illegally occupied but assured that it will be vacated and used to build schools, hospitals, and parks.

The UP government also has plans to set up one "govansh sthal" (cowshed), capable of accommodating 2,000 to 4,000 cattle, in each of the assembly constituencies, he said.