Madrasa Service Commission Set to Merge with School Service Commission; Aliah University May Come Under Higher Education Department

Madrasa Service Commission may be merged with SSC as Aliah University could come under West Bengal’s Higher Education Department.

West Bengal Plans Major Overhaul of Madrasa Teacher Recruitment; Aliah University May Shift to Higher Education Department

Qalam Times News Network
Kolkata | August 23, 2026

The Madrasa Service Commission is set to undergo a major structural change in West Bengal, with the state government considering a plan to abolish the existing commission and bring the recruitment of teachers in government-approved madrasas under the School Service Commission (SSC). At the same time, the administration has initiated the process of bringing Aliah University under the supervision of the Higher Education Department.

The proposed changes could significantly reshape the system through which teachers are appointed in madrasas across the state. Sources in the concerned department indicate that the Madrasa Service Commission may be merged with or replaced by the School Service Commission, while responsibility for Aliah University is expected to shift from the Minority Affairs and Madrasa Education Department to the Higher Education Department.

Madrasa Teacher Recruitment May Come Under SSC

The West Bengal government is reportedly preparing to place the matter before the state Cabinet for approval. If the proposal receives the necessary clearance, teacher recruitment in government-approved madrasas will be conducted through the School Service Commission instead of a separate Madrasa Service Commission.

The proposed restructuring concerns around 614 government-approved madrasas, where the Madrasa Service Commission has so far been responsible for the recruitment of teachers. The commission has played a central role in conducting the recruitment process, while other responsibilities related to madrasa education have remained with separate institutions.

According to departmental information, the government has now initiated steps to discontinue the existing arrangement. The proposal is understood to involve bringing madrasa teacher recruitment within the broader framework of the state’s School Service Commission.

The issue has also reached the legal arena in the past. Questions were raised over the recruitment process because madrasas constitute a distinct category of educational institutions. The matter eventually reached the Supreme Court, and a subsequent legal process paved the way for the Madrasa Service Commission to resume recruitment.

The proposed change therefore represents a significant departure from the system that has been in place for decades.

The Madrasa Education Board will continue to have an important role in academic matters such as preparing the syllabus and question papers for madrasa examinations. However, the question of which authority will handle teacher recruitment is now at the centre of the government’s proposed restructuring.

The issue of Aliah University is also closely connected with the proposed administrative changes. Higher Education Minister Bratya Basu has reportedly indicated that the status and functioning of Aliah University will be considered in the context of the Higher Education Department.

Aliah University May Move to Higher Education Department

Aliah University has so far functioned under the Minority Affairs and Madrasa Education Department. The government has now started the process of transferring its administrative oversight to the Higher Education Department.

Officials are examining the legal and administrative framework required for the proposed change. The university, which was established through legislation as a state university, may subsequently function under the same broad administrative framework applicable to other state universities.

Aliah University traces its origins to the historic Aliah Madrasa, established in 1780. It was subsequently upgraded to university status during 2007–08. Today, the institution operates from three campuses located at Taltala, Park Circus and New Town in Kolkata.

The university offers programmes across a range of disciplines, including Arabic, Islamic Studies and other areas of higher education. Its academic structure has expanded considerably since it became a university, with undergraduate and postgraduate programmes now being conducted across different departments.

The possible transfer to the Higher Education Department could therefore have implications beyond administrative control. It may influence how the university is integrated into the state’s wider higher education framework, including academic administration, institutional development and coordination with other state universities.

The government is yet to make a final public announcement on the complete structure of the proposed changes. The Cabinet’s decision will be crucial in determining how the recruitment mechanism for madrasa teachers is reorganised and how the future administrative relationship between Aliah University and the Higher Education Department takes shape.

For now, the proposed restructuring marks a potentially important turning point for both madrasa teacher recruitment and the administration of Aliah University in West Bengal.