Minority Affairs ministry to hold regional meet with southern Waqf boards in Bengaluru
New Delhi: The Ministry of Minority Affairs will hold a one-day regional meeting in Bengaluru on Monday, October 6, with representatives from the Waqf boards of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana.
The meeting will focus on improving the efficiency and accountability of Waqf property management through digital monitoring systems. It forms part of the ministry’s efforts under the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development (UMEED) Act, 2025, which came into force in April. Senior officials from the minority welfare departments of the four southern states are expected to attend.
An official statement said that discussions will revolve around strengthening Waqf boards and reviewing the implementation of the UMEED central portal, launched in June 2025. The portal mandates all Waqf boards to upload details of their properties within six months.
The UMEED platform uses a three-tier maker-checker-approver system to ensure transparency and accountability in data handling. The Bengaluru meeting will review the progress of these uploads, identify administrative hurdles, and discuss possible measures to empower Waqf institutions further.
The ministry also plans to gather feedback from state representatives and board members to improve coordination and address challenges related to data verification and resource utilisation.
While the government has presented UMEED as a step toward modernising Waqf management, the success of the system will depend on how effectively states can adapt to digital processes and whether sufficient safeguards are in place to protect minority community interests.
However, several minority groups and Waqf representatives have previously criticised the Union government for what they see as a partial approach to Waqf reforms. Critics argue that earlier steps to digitise Waqf properties were inconsistent and that genuine concerns from state boards were often ignored. They say better consultation and coordination are needed to ensure that digital reforms actually benefit the communities these institutions serve.
The ministry, meanwhile, has reiterated its goal of modernising Waqf administration and “unlocking the developmental potential of Waqf properties for the benefit of minority communities.”
(With PTI inputs)