Vikrant Shekhawat : Oct 20, 2024, 05:00 PM
Uttarakhand News: There have been many discussions about madrasas in recent times, and meanwhile the Uttarakhand Madrasa Board has announced a new and interesting initiative. A plan is being considered to teach Sanskrit language as an optional subject in more than 400 madrasas located in the state. Giving information about this initiative, Mufti Shamoon Qasmi, President of Uttarakhand Madrasa Board, said that the board has been working on this plan for some time and now steps are being taken to implement it.Proposal of Sanskrit educationMufti Shamoon Qasmi said that under this scheme, madrasa students will get an opportunity to learn Sanskrit language, which can prove to be a positive initiative for their educational development. He said that as per the wish of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, madrasa children should be connected with formal education, this step of Sanskrit education is in the same direction."After the implementation of NCERT syllabus in the state's madrasas, very good results have been seen this year. More than 96 per cent students have passed, which shows that madrasa students are as talented as other children. If they are given more educational opportunities, they can excel in subjects like Sanskrit," Qasmi said.Arabic and Sanskrit: A blend of ancient languagesQasmi highlighted the similarities between Arabic and Sanskrit, saying both languages are ancient and have religious and cultural significance. "If madrasa students get an opportunity to learn Sanskrit along with Arabic, it will enhance their knowledge and employment opportunities," he said.However, the idea of implementing Sanskrit education is currently in its initial stages. Madrasa Board Registrar Shahid Shami Siddiqui said the plan is just an idea right now and a proposal is being prepared to implement it. He said the process of the proposal will be started after getting approval from the state government.Waqf Board's reactionUttarakhand Waqf Board chairman Shadab Shams appreciated the initiative of Sanskrit education but wondered why its implementation was delayed so far. "The idea is certainly good, and if the madrasa board really wants it, it should not be difficult to implement. I don't think there will be any difficulty in getting approval from the state government," he said.Sanskrit education: Can it usher in a new era?The scheme of teaching Sanskrit in madrasas is not only an important step from the cultural and educational point of view, but it can also be a positive initiative towards including modern and optional subjects along with religious education in the madrasa curriculum.The aim of this scheme is to introduce madrasa students to diverse languages and subjects, so that they are not only proficient in religious education but also become competitive in the field of modern education. Both Arabic and Sanskrit are ancient languages and studying them will help broaden the scope of knowledge of the students.ConclusionThis initiative of the Uttarakhand Madrasa Board is definitely a step towards writing a new chapter. If this plan is implemented successfully, it can bring a big change in the madrasa education system, providing diverse educational opportunities to the students. Now it remains to be seen how quickly the state government and other concerned institutions approve this proposal and implement it, so that madrasa students get the opportunity to study an ancient and important subject like Sanskrit.