In a move to counter "radicalization" of Muslim institutes, Modi cabinet committee seeks to enhance IB capacity

By A Representative
In an effort to what is being interpreted as a clampdown on supposedly “errant” Muslim-run educational institutes, the Government of India (GoI) wants Intelligence Bureau (IB) to create capacities that would go a long way to counter “radicalization” taking place among them.
Wanting the involvement of several government ministries and states for this, a GoI circular wants the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to play the pivotal role, even though it concerns educational institutes – which is the prime concern of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD).
Signed by an official of the MHRD’s National Council for the Promotion of Urdu Language (NCPUL), the circular is reported to have been sent to all government-accredited madrassas and other Muslim-run institutes in India.
Issued in mid-January, the circular says, the Task of National Security, which falls under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, wants implementation of such a decision, which has been “approved” by the Cabinet Committee on Security.
The circular says, “The Task Force recommends that the IB should develop capabilities for detecting and countering radicalization efforts and to take counter measures through government and non-government structures.”
Insisting “countering radicalization” and “deradicalization” are “multidisciplinary efforts”, the circular says, this would require “inputs from intelligence agencies, the Ministry of Human Resource Development, the Ministry of Minority Affairs, the State Police Forces, and all the development departments.”
Reportedly prepared by the Secretary (Internal Home Divisions), Ministry of Home Affairs, it has also been sent to the chairman, Universities Grants Commission, UGC and director-generals police (DGPs) of all states.
It underlines, “The Ministry of Home Affairs will take the lead, but this requires the involvement of the entire government.”
The circular asks Muslim-run educational institutions to “look into the matter, even as insisting that they send “action taken report through email by maintaining security”, as these are “accredited” with the government.
It also seeks telephone and mobile number, and email address for the delivery of “letters and messages”.
It is not known if any such circular has been, if at all, issued for institutes run by trusts run by other religions – Hindu, Christian, Jain, Buddhist, and Parsi.
A top site claiming to stand for the marginalized sections of society, which is possession of copy of one such circular sent to the Centre In Charge, Urdu/Arabic/Persian Study Centre, Farogh-e-Urdu Bhawan, Jasola, New Delhi, quotes the official who signed the circular to say that the GoI effort is “to maintain the records of the students studying there”, and also “make sure that they don’t get involved in any anti-social activities.”
The official has also been quoted as saying that all the centre in-charges who had received the notice will have to comply with recommendations and should reply back to NCPUL on the steps taken by them for “national security” purposes concerning their places of learning.
Across India, there are about 1,000 “study centres” – 586 Arabic, 759 Urdu, 27 for advance computer training, 53 for calligraphy and design, and 50 for diploma in electronic appliance.

Comments

Academics urge Azim Premji University to drop FIR against Student Reading Circle

By A Representative A group of academics and civil society members has issued an open letter to the leadership of Azim Premji University expressing concern over the filing of a police complaint that led to an FIR against a student-run reading circle following a recent incident of violence on campus. The signatories state that they hold the university in high regard for its commitment to constitutional values, critical inquiry and ethical public engagement, and argue that it is precisely because of this reputation that the present development is troubling.

Was Netaji forced to alter face, die in obscurity in USSR in 1975? Was he so meek?

By Rajiv Shah This should sound almost hilarious. Not only did Subhas Chandra Bose not die in a plane crash in Taipei, nor was he the mysterious Gumnami Baba who reportedly passed away on 16 September 1985 in Ayodhya, but we are now told that he actually died in 1975—date unknown—“in oblivion” somewhere in the former Soviet Union. Which city? Moscow? No one seems to know.

UAPA action against Telangana activist: Criminalising legitimate democratic activity?

By A Representative The National Investigation Agency's Hyderabad branch has issued notices to more than ten individuals in Telangana in connection with FIR No. RC-04/2025. Those served include activists, former student leaders, civil rights advocates, poets, writers, retired schoolteachers, and local leaders associated with the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Indian National Congress.

The ultimate all-time ODI XI: A personal selection of icons across eras

By Harsh Thakor* This is my all-time best XI chosen for ODI (One Day International) cricket: 1. Adam Gilchrist (W) – The absolute master blaster who could create the impact of exploding gunpowder with his electrifying strokeplay. No batsman was more intimidating in his era. Often his knocks decided the fate of games as though the result were premeditated. He escalated batting strike rates to surreal realms.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Aligning too closely with U.S., allies, India’s silence on IRIS Dena raises troubling questions

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The reported sinking of the Iranian ship IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean near Sri Lanka raises troubling questions about international norms and the credibility of the so-called rule-based order. If indeed the vessel was attacked by the American Navy while returning from a joint exercise in Visakhapatnam, it would represent a serious breach of trust and a violation of the principles that govern such cooperative engagements. Warships participating in these exercises are generally not armed for combat; they are meant to symbolize solidarity and friendship. The incident, therefore, is not only shocking but also deeply ironic.

Asbestos contamination in children’s products highlights global oversight gaps

By A Representative A commentary published by the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat (IBAS) has drawn attention to the challenges governments face in responding effectively to global public-health risks. In an article written by Laurie Kazan-Allen and published on March 5, 2026, the author examines how the discovery of asbestos contamination in children’s play products has raised questions about regulatory oversight and international product safety. The article opens by reflecting on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that governments in several countries were slow to respond to early warning signs of the crisis. Referring to the experience of the United Kingdom, the author writes that delays in implementing protective measures contributed to “232,112 recorded deaths and over a million people suffering from long Covid.” The commentary uses this example to illustrate what it describes as the dangers of underestimating emerging threats. Attention then turns...

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Rajiv Shah Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

The kitchen as prison: A feminist elegy for domestic slavery

By Garima Srivastava* Kumar Ambuj stands as one of the most incisive voices in contemporary Hindi poetry. His work, stripped of ornamentation, speaks directly to the lived realities of India’s marginalized—women, the rural poor, and those crushed under invisible forms of violence. His celebrated poem “Women Who Cook” (Khānā Banātī Striyāṃ) is not merely about food preparation; it is a searing indictment of patriarchal domestic structures that reduce women’s existence to endless, unpaid labour.

Search This Blog