In tandem with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for the development of Muslim youths to hold the Quran in one hand and computer in the other, the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Kashipur has launched a two-week Madrasa Teacher Training Programme.

With the programme launch on Monday, IIM Kashipur embarked on a journey to connect Madarsas across India with the mainstream educational administration, management and pedagogy for the betterment of children studying in these Islamic seminaries.

Inaugurating the programme, Prof Kulbhushan Balooni, Director of IIM Kashipur, said, ''This programme is just a new beginning to introduce modern educational approaches in the madarsa system so we can learn from each other and help them to deliver educational services in a more professional way in these institutions.''

The programme at IIM Kashipur will be delivered by IIM professors and other guest teachers from across India. Maulana Azad Education Foundation, which comes under the Ministry of Minority Affairs, is sponsoring the programme with the aim to instill a sense of modernity among madrasa teachers.

Prof Sajid Jamal from the Faculty of Education, Aligarh Muslim University, delivered the introductory address on the occasion and highlighted the importance of the madrasa education system in India and stressed that the madarsas have played a vital role in spreading basic education among the downtrodden segments of Muslim society.

The programme will be attended by around 50 participants from the north and central India in the first phase. It will be followed by the second phase of training at IIM Kashipur wherein the trainees will come back with the improvised plans and programmes for the development of their respective madarsas and seek help in project management from the institute.