NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Monday dismissed a plea by around 350 teachers and non-teaching staff of recognised West Bengal madrasas seeking salaries under the state’s grant-in-aid scheme.Barely days after coming of power in West Bengal, chief minister Suvendu Adhikari-led state cabinet Monday scrapped the assistance to the groups based on religious categorisation, effectively ending the religion-based schemes run during the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government.The BJP government had also done away with the exisiting state OBC list in accordance with the Calcutta high court judgement and would set up a panel to decide quota eligibility.A few days ago, in a fresh order, the Suvendu government ordered an inspection of unaided madrasas operating across 12 districts and directed the authorities concerned to submit reports by July 21. The inspection is slated to be completed by July 15, an official said.Per the July 8 order by the state minority affairs and madrasa education department, the inspection of selected unaided madrasas, both recognised and unrecognised, is necessary as part of an exercise to review their functioning and ensure compliance with the government’s educational framework and policies.“The inspections are being undertaken in the interest of student welfare, proper implementation of educational schemes, institutional planning and verification of the functioning of unaided institutions,” a senior government official said.Senior madrasa department officials, along with other government agencies, have been assigned district-wise responsibilities to conduct the inspections. The districts covered include Cooch Behar, North Dinajpur, Malda, Murshidabad, Birbhum, West Midnapore, East Midnapore, Nadia, Hooghly, Howrah, North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas.
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Unaided madrasas in Bengal operate without government financial assistance. They can be private, recognised institutions or unrecognised Khariji madrasas. Khariji madrasas, which are run and maintained by individuals, communities or private organisations, are estimated to be well over 1,000 across the state, while no official count is available.