Rijiju presents Waqf Bill in RS, lists 'positive' amendments as compared to UPA

IANS April 3, 2025 286 views

Kiren Rijiju has presented a transformative Waqf Amendment Bill in the Rajya Sabha, marking a significant shift in minority community property management. The new legislation introduces critical reforms, including mandatory women representation and protection against arbitrary property claims. By addressing historical inefficiencies highlighted in the Sachar Committee report, the bill seeks to create a more transparent and accountable Waqf Board governance structure. These amendments represent a substantial improvement over previous UPA-era legislation, focusing on empowerment and effective resource utilization for minority communities.

"The Waqf Board will now have more transparent and inclusive representation" - Kiren Rijiju
Rijiju presents Waqf Bill in RS, lists 'positive' amendments as compared to UPA
New Delhi, April 3: Minister of Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju introduced the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in Rajya Sabha on Thursday, a day after the Lok Sabha cleared it following a 12-hour long marathon debate.

Key Points

1

Introduces women representation in Waqf Board governance

2

Revokes controversial Section 40 preventing arbitrary property claims

3

Protects government and tribal lands from Waqf appropriation

4

Aims to optimize utilization of minority community resources

Rijiju, who is also the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, said a wrong impression was being propagated by the Opposition that Waqf properties will be managed by non-Muslims and reiterated that there was no truth in it.

He also cited the Sachar Committee report, highlighting how the Muslim community continued to suffer despite the Waqf Board having a huge land bank.

The Minister said the Congress-led UPA government brought amendments to the Waqf Bill in 2013 and also drew a comparison on how the 2025 amendments will correct the ‘mistakes of the past’.

He said the Select Committee in 2013 admitted the misuse of Waqf properties, and despite it being the third largest landholder in the country, the resources were not optimally utilized to benefit the minority community.

“UPA’s committee had just 13 members, current JPC has 31 members. Also, the number of meetings/deliberations held under respective committees stands much higher in our JPC,” he pointed out.

Elaborating on the composition of Waqf Boards, the Minister said that an important reform has been effected by inducting women members in the governance of Waqf Boards, both at central and state levels.

He said the Central Waqf Council will have 10 members, out of which two members have to be compulsorily women, and four persons would be people of national eminence like Additional Secretary to the Government of India.

“The Waqf Board in states will have an 11-member composition, out of which three members could be non-Muslims. Two members have to be compulsorily women,” he said.

He further stated that draconian Section 40 of the Waqf Board has been revoked, which empowered the religious body to claim any property as its own.

Rijiju also informed the Upper House about two big amendments moved in the current legislation. The first is that no government land can be claimed by the Waqf, and the second is that the property of Scheduled Tribes cannot be altered and declared Waqf property.

Reader Comments

A
Ayesha K.
Finally some progress! The inclusion of women in Waqf Boards is long overdue 👏 Hope these amendments actually translate to better management of properties for community welfare.
R
Rajiv P.
While I appreciate the transparency in comparing committee sizes, I'm concerned about how the implementation will work in practice. The proof will be in the execution.
S
Sameer A.
Revoking Section 40 was absolutely necessary. That provision was being misused left and right. Good to see some common sense reforms coming through.
P
Priya M.
The protection for ST lands is a welcome move, but I wish the article had more details about how they'll ensure proper utilization of Waqf properties this time around.
I
Imran S.
As someone who's studied the Sachar Committee report extensively, I'm cautiously optimistic. The land bank has been mismanaged for decades - hope this is the turnaround we need.
N
Neha T.
While the amendments seem positive, I'm concerned about the political rhetoric surrounding this. Can we please focus on governance rather than constantly comparing to previous governments?

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Tags:
Waqf Bill Kiren Rijiju Minority Affairs Parliamentary Reform Indian Legislature
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