Assam education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday declared that the state government has decided to do away with the Madrassa Board.

“The Madrassa Board will be dissolved and academic part will be handed over to the Board of Secondary Education,” Sarma wrote in a tweet on Tuesday evening.

“To mainstream Madrassa education, we are disbanding Madrasa Education Directorate and making it part of Secondary Education Directorate,” he added.

A few months ago, Sarma had drawn criticism for asking madrasas not to observe holiday on Friday. “Madrassas remain closed on Fridays in Pakistan and Bangladesh, not in India,” he had said.

Sanskrit schools in the state will be looked after by Kumar Bhaskar Varma Sanskrit & Ancient Studies University.

“We want to introduce modern learning like computers in these educational institutes. For doing this, we have to change the existing structure,” Sarma said during his reply to a Cut Motion on Supplementary Demands for Grants for Mid-Day Meal Scheme.

The Education Minister also said that the government will make examinations mandatory from Class V in all schools. “Earlier, there was no exams till Class VIII. Now we want to change it to Class IV. After that, there will be examinations,” Sarma said.

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