Reform measures introduced by the Uttar Pradesh government, to modernise and standardise madrasa education, has led to a significant rise in the number of students appearing for the 2026 Madrassa Education Board examinations.

According to official data, 80,933 students took the exams this year, revealing an increase of 12,510 candidates, as compared to the 2024-2025 academic cycle.

Last year, 68,423 students appeared for the exam.

A record rise of of 18.29% students has been attributed to efforts ensuring transparency in the examination system, a cheat-free environment, and timely declaration of results.

The Munshi/Maulvi (secondary) and Alim (senior secondary) Arabic-Persian examinations were held smoothly across the state on February 9.

The exams were conducted in two shifts at 277 centers across 71 districts. The Munshi/Maulvi exam was held in the first shift, followed by the Alim Arabic examination in the second shift.

A total of 62,232 candidates were registered for the Munshi/Maulvi exam, including 32,389 boys and 29,843 girls. For the Alim examination, 18,701 students were registered, among them 9,092 boys and 9,609 girls. These figures suggest a steady rise in participation of female students in madrasa education.

To prevent malpractice and maintain transparency, the government made special arrangements this year. Flying squads, internal inspection teams, sector magistrates, and static magistrates were deployed at the district level.

Additionally, a centralised monitoring system was implemented at the council level, under which exam centers were continuously monitored through CCTV cameras. As a result of these strict measures, the examinations were conducted in a smooth and well-organised manner.

Officials from Madrasa Education Council stated that preparations for announcing the results in May are in the final stage.