Officials from the Assam Government announced today, Thursday, December 14 that the Assam government had renamed and converted at least 1,281 Madrasas in the state's 31 districts into regular schools.

State Education Minister Ranoj Pegu shared the details of the exercise on his X account, PTI reports.

“Consequent to conversion of all Govt and Provincialised Madrasas into general schools under Board of Secondary Education, Assam (SEBA). Department of School Education, Assam has changed the names of 1281 ME Madrasas into Middle English (ME) School by a notification today,” Pengu wrote. 

The order shared by Pegu states, “As per approval of the state government, the nomenclature of the 1281 Upper Primary Schools ME Madrassa under Directorate of Elementary Education, Assam shall be known as ME School with immediate effect.”

The Assamese government passed a law in January 2021 that made it possible for all Madrasas run by the state government to become regular schools.

It affected 731 Madrasas and Arabic colleges under the jurisdiction of the State Madrasa Education Board, Assam Higher Secondary Education Council, and Board of Secondary Education, Assam (SEBA), excluding private Madrasas.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that his government has shuttered 600 Madrasas and that he aimed to close all Madrasas because he valued educational institutions over Islamic religious centres during a rally in Karnataka in March of this year.