The Waqf Bill: An Overview of the 2025 Amendments
The Waqf Bill, 2025, is a legislative proposal in India that updates the Waqf Act of 1995, which governs properties dedicated for religious or charitable purposes under Islamic law. Passed by the Indian Parliament in April 2025 and signed into law by President Droupadi Murmu, it aims to reform how Waqf properties are managed. This article explains what the Waqf Bill is, its key features, and the positive and negative aspects associated with it.
What Is the Waqf Bill 2025?
Waqf refers to a permanent dedication of movable or immovable property by a Muslim for pious, religious, or charitable purposes, such as building mosques, schools, or hospitals. Once designated as Waqf, the property cannot be sold or transferred. In India, Waqf Boards oversee about 870,000 properties spanning 940,000 acres, making them the third-largest property holder after the Indian Railways and Armed Forces.
The Waqf Bill, 2025, officially titled the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development (UMEED) Act, 1995, addresses issues like mismanagement and disputes over Waqf properties. Introduced in the Lok Sabha in August 2024 and refined by a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), it was passed after lengthy debates in both houses of Parliament—288 to 232 votes in the Lok Sabha and 128 to 95 in the Rajya Sabha. The bill introduces changes to improve administration, transparency, and inclusivity in Waqf governance.
Key Features of the Waqf Bill 2025
The bill includes several updates:
- It requires Waqf properties to be registered digitally for better record-keeping.
- It mandates the inclusion of Muslim women and non-Muslims in Waqf Boards to diversify representation.
- District collectors or senior officers are tasked with investigating claims over Waqf properties, especially if they involve government land.
- It ensures women’s inheritance rights are protected before property can be declared Waqf.
- The bill reduces mandatory contributions from Waqf institutions to boards from 7% to 5% and requires annual audits for institutions earning over Rs 1 lakh.
- It removes the “Waqf by user” concept for new claims, though existing registered properties retain their status.
Positive Points
The Waqf Bill 2025 has several potential benefits. It aims to improve transparency by digitizing records, which could reduce mismanagement and corruption—issues highlighted by the 2006 Sachar Committee, which found Waqf assets undervalued and underutilized. Including women and non-Muslims in Waqf Boards promotes diversity and may broadly address community needs. Supporters argue it will protect property rights by clarifying ownership, especially in disputes involving government land, and ensure resources benefit marginalised groups like poor Muslims, widows, and orphans through better-managed funds.
The government claims the reforms will modernise the Waqf administration and align it with national development goals. Better management could fund schools, hospitals, or welfare programs, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised, calling it a “watershed moment” for socio-economic justice.
Also Read: Parliament Updates
Negative Points
However, the Waqf Bill 2025 has faced criticism. Opponents, including the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) and some political parties like Congress and AIMIM, argue it infringes on religious autonomy under Article 26 of the Constitution, which guarantees communities the right to manage their religious affairs. The inclusion of non-Muslims in Waqf Boards has been a major point of contention, with critics questioning why similar provisions aren’t applied to other religious bodies, like Hindu temple trusts.
Another concern is the increased role of government officials, such as collectors, in deciding Waqf property status, which some see as excessive state control. The requirement that only Muslims practicing for at least five years can declare Waqf has been called arbitrary, potentially excluding newer converts. Critics also worry that the bill could lead to more legal disputes, especially with the six-month registration deadline for existing claims, and fear it might be used to reclaim Waqf properties for government use, affecting Muslim communities.
What’s Next?
The Waqf Bill 2025 is now law, but its implementation faces challenges. Legal petitions by figures like Congress MP Mohammed Jawed and AIMIM chief Asaduddin
