Operation Sindoor to Enter Madrasa Curriculum in Uttarakhand

In a major development aimed at “mainstreaming” religious education in Uttarakhand, the state Madrasa Board has announced that Operation Sindoor, India’s recent military strike on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, will soon be part of the official madrasa curriculum.

Board Chairman Mufti Shamoon Qasmi made the announcement on Tuesday following a meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, terming the cross-border strike an “epic” worthy of being taught in classrooms.

“We met with the Defence Minister and congratulated him and the Prime Minister on Operation Sindoor. It was necessary because Pakistan is an evil country and we had to teach them a lesson after they took the lives of our citizens,” Qasmi said. “To bring madrasas into the mainstream, we will include this operation in our curriculum.”

Qasmi also took aim at the Congress party, accusing it of alienating the Muslim community from national identity. “Under CM Pushkar Singh Dhami’s leadership, we are determined to reverse that trend,” he added.

A Bold Curriculum Shift

Under the Uttarakhand Madarsa Board Act, 2016, the board holds the power to design curriculum, approve textbooks, and create course material. Qasmi, who had earlier stirred debate by proposing the introduction of Sanskrit and Hindu epics like the Ramayan and Mahabharat in madrasas, is pushing for sweeping educational reforms.

While those earlier reforms are yet to be implemented, the decision to include Operation Sindoor marks the first concrete move toward reshaping madrasa education in the state with a nationalist tone.

Crackdown on Unrecognized Madrasas

Simultaneously, the Uttarakhand government has intensified its crackdown on unauthorized madrasas. Since December 2024, when CM Dhami issued directions to enforce recognition norms strictly, over 180 madrasas have been sealed for operating without valid certification from either the Madrasa Board or the state education department.

The move gained further momentum after the Board’s Recognition Committee met for the first time in nearly five years on February 27 — a day before the sealing drive began.

Political and Social Reactions

The decision is expected to ignite political debate, with supporters hailing it as a step toward national integration and detractors likely to view it as an attempt to politicize religious education.

While the long-term impact on students and the community remains to be seen, Uttarakhand has emerged as a test case for blending religious education with state-led nationalist narratives — a move that could resonate across other BJP-ruled states.

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