LUCKNOW, In an effort described as scrutinizing the flow of foreign funds to madrasas, the government of Uttar Pradesh has established a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate funding sources of these educational institutions, intensifying its focus on the Muslim minority, especially in Bharatiya Janata Party-led states.

According to a news release by Kashmir Media Service, the state of Uttar Pradesh is home to approximately 25,000 madrasas, of which over 16,500 have recognition from the state Board of Madrasa Education. The purpose of this investigation, as articulated by Additional Director General, ATS, Mohit Agarwal, is to “examine how the money received through foreign funding is utilized and whether it serves the purpose of running the madrasas or other activities.”

The SIT comprises Mohit Agarwal, Director of the Minority Welfare Department, J. Reebha, and SP of the Cyber Cell, Triveni Singh. The probe will especially concentrate on madrasas located in districts bordering Nepal. The duration for this investigation is not yet specified by the government, and both recognized and unrecognized madrasas are included in this probe. Preliminary steps have been taken, with the SIT already requesting detailed information about madrasas from its board.

Furthermore, the state government, under the leadership of Yogi Adityanath, initiated a survey last year in August to identify unrecognized madrasas. This two-month endeavor identified 8,449 madrasas operating without the endorsement of the state madrasa education board. Significant clusters of these institutions, beyond the aforementioned Nepal-bordering districts, are situated in various neighboring regions.