NEW DELHI: With around 25,000 students registered for Kamil and Fazil courses in Uttar Pradesh facing uncertainty after the apex court ruling that Madrassa Act cannot regulate higher-education degrees, a batch of aggrieved students sought intervention of Supreme Court which on Friday agreed to hear their plea to shift them to recognised educational institutions.
A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan issued notice to Centre and Uttar Pradesh govt and sought their response on students’ plea.
The apex court while upholding Madrassa Act had held last year that the provisions of the Act which seek to regulate higher-education degrees, such as Fazil and Kamil were unconstitutional as they are in conflict with the UGC Act, which has been enacted under Entry 66 of List I.
“It is pertinent to mention here that the aggrieved students including the petitioners pursuing Kamil and Fazil Courses are not at fault. More than 25,000 students including the petitioners are simply pursuing higher education through Kamil and Fazil courses with the hopes of securing jobs and employment,” the petition said.
“Students, including petitioners, may not be aware that the UP Madrassa Board does not have the authority to grant Kamil and Fazil degrees. Had they known that the madrassa board’s authority to offer the degrees was not recognised, they likely would have not opted to pursue these studies,” the petition added.
“Many of the students pursuing higher degree courses of Kamil and Fazil degree courses are of second year and many of them are in their final year who have truthfully invested their time, money, and other resources while pursuing these courses with the hope to get good jobs and employments to ultimately assist in the economic and social development of the nation,” the petition said.