In a significant step, the Union Cabinet adopted the Waqf (Amendment) Bill revisions on Thursday, implementing the most recent Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) recommendations. The second half of the budget session, which runs from March 10 to April 4, will now see the law introduced for debate and approval. The budget session’s first phase took place between January 31 and February 13.
According to sources cited by news agency IANS, the Cabinet approved 14 changes proposed by the JPC during its February 19 meeting. 44 amendments to the laws governing state and central Waqf boards were proposed by the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. The opposition erupted in rage over the measures, which include proposing non-Muslim and (at least two) female members for a Waqf Board. Following its introduction in the Lok Sabha by Kiren Rijiju, Minister of Minority Affairs, the Bill was sent to the JPC in August 2024.
Despite objections from all ten of the opposition parties’ members, the parliamentary panel endorsed the report by a majority vote. Additionally, they had moved dissent notes.
According to reports, the Cabinet approved it last week together with the Indian Port Bill, and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led central government has implemented the majority of the revisions suggested by the Jagdambika Pal-led JPC.
The proposed ‘Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development (UMEED) Bill’ will replace the current Waqf Amendment Bill 2024. Other significant changes to the bill include protecting women’s inheritance rights, renaming the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 with a member from the Muslim OBC community, and uploading all Waqf property details on a central portal within six months.
To facilitate the Waqf Board’s operations and guarantee the effective administration of Waqf properties, two bills—the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2024—were presented to the Lok Sabha on August 8, 2024. In order to address the problems and difficulties in regulating and managing Waqf properties, the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, seeks to alter the Waqf Act, 1995.
The goal of the Amendment Bill is to enhance waqf property management and administration in India. By proposing modifications including renaming the Act, revising the definitions of waqf, simplifying the registration procedure, and expanding the role of technology in keeping waqf records, it seeks to address the weaknesses of the previous act and improve the effectiveness of Waqf boards.
According to a government news release, the main goal of the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2024, is to repeal the Mussalman Wakf Act, 1923, a law from the colonial era that is now out of date and insufficient for administering waqf lands in contemporary India. The repeal seeks to remove uncertainties and inconsistencies brought about by the continuous use of this superfluous regulation and to guarantee consistency, accountability, and openness in the administration and management of waqf holdings.
