The Central Government is set to launch the UMEED portal on June 6, 2025, marking a transformative step in managing Waqf properties in India. This digital initiative, aligned with the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, aims to enhance transparency, efficiency, and accountability in the administration of Waqf assets, which span 940,000 acres and rank as the third-largest property holdings in India after the Indian Railways and Armed Forces. With over 13,200 properties in legal disputes and 59,000 encroached, the portal seeks to resolve longstanding issues while empowering beneficiaries like women, children, and economically weaker sections.
- Launch Date: June 6, 2025, for the UMEED (Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development) portal.
- Objective: Digitize and streamline registration of 872,852 Waqf properties across India, worth ₹100,000 crore (US$12 billion).
- Legal Backing: Follows the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, enacted after presidential assent on April 5, 2025.
What is Waqf?
- Definition: Waqf is an Islamic charitable endowment where property is permanently dedicated for pious, religious, or charitable purposes under Muslim law.
- Purpose: Supports mosques, schools, hospitals, graveyards, and aid for the poor; property is inalienable and cannot be sold or inherited.
- Scale: India has 872,852 Waqf properties, generating only ₹163 crore annually despite a potential value of ₹100,000 crore, due to mismanagement (2006 Sachar Committee).
Waqf properties are meant to serve community welfare, but issues like encroachment, poor governance, and lack of transparency have hindered their potential. The UMEED portal and the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 aim to address these challenges through modern governance and digitization.
Objectives of the UMEED Portal
- Transparent Registration: Digitize records of all Waqf properties to curb mismanagement and corruption.
- Empower Beneficiaries: Provide digital access to rights and benefits, especially for women, children, and marginalized groups.
- Resolve Disputes: Flag unregistered properties as disputed for tribunal resolution, reducing the backlog of 13,200 legal cases.
- Enhance Accountability: Strengthen oversight by State Waqf Boards and ensure compliance with the new law.
The portal aims to modernize Waqf administration, aligning with the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development (UMEED) Act, 1995, which replaces the Waqf Act, 1995. It seeks to deliver a secular, transparent, and accountable system for managing these charitable endowments.
Key Features of the UMEED Portal
The UMEED portal introduces innovative tools to streamline Waqf property management:
- Mandatory Registration: All Waqf properties must be registered within six months of the portal’s launch (by December 6, 2025), with a possible 1–2 month extension for technical issues.
- Geotagging and Digitization: Properties require detailed measurements (length, width) and geotagged locations for accurate tracking.
- Dispute Resolution: Unregistered properties post-deadline will be labeled disputed and referred to Waqf Tribunals for adjudication.
- User Support Services: Offers guidance on the amended law, rights, and obligations, enhancing legal awareness.
- Exclusion of Women-Owned Properties: Properties registered in women’s names cannot be declared Waqf, though women remain key beneficiaries alongside children and the poor.
The portal, accessible via a centralized platform, ensures real-time updates and public transparency, reducing ambiguities in property records.
Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025: Key Reforms
The Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, passed by Parliament in April 2025 (Lok Sabha: 288–232; Rajya Sabha: 128–95), introduces sweeping changes to the Waqf Act, 1995, based on 25 Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) recommendations. Key reforms include:
- Appeals Mechanism: Waqf Tribunal decisions are no longer final; appeals can be filed in High Courts within 90 days, enhancing judicial oversight.
- Mandatory Digital Registration: All Waqf properties must be registered on the UMEED portal within six months, with District Collectors verifying titles to prevent fraudulent claims.
- Increased Government Oversight: Empowers State Waqf Boards and District Collectors to monitor and manage properties, reducing misuse.
- Inclusivity Measures: Mandates at least two Muslim women and representation from diverse Muslim sects on the Central Waqf Council and State Waqf Boards; allows up to four non-Muslim members in the Council (22 total) and three in Boards (11 total).
- Removal of Section 40: Eliminates the Waqf Board’s unilateral power to declare properties as Waqf, addressing issues like the Punjab 2022 farmland disputes.
- Waqf by User Reform: Retains status for pre-2025 registered waqf-by-user properties but requires proof for disputed or new claims, tackling undocumented cases like historic mosques.
- Reduced Contributions: Lowers mandatory Waqf Board contributions from 7% to 5% of annual income for better financial management.
These reforms aim to address encroachment (58,898 properties), mismanagement, and legal backlogs, ensuring Waqf assets serve their charitable purposes.
Criticism and Concerns
The Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, has sparked significant controversy:
- Religious Autonomy: Critics, including Congress, DMK, TMC, and AIMIM, argue the Act violates Article 26 (freedom to manage religious affairs) by allowing non-Muslim members on Waqf Boards and increasing government control.
- Executive Overreach: Petitioners in the Supreme Court (e.g., Congress MP Mohammed Jawed, AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi) claim provisions like Section 3C (Collector’s authority to declare government property) enable non-judicial property seizures, potentially discriminating against Muslims.
- Community Marginalization: Muslim organizations like AIMPLB argue the Act lacks stakeholder consultation and may marginalize communities, especially with the five-year Islam practice requirement for creating Waqf.
- Protests and Violence: The Act triggered protests in Muslim-majority areas like Murshidabad, West Bengal, with critics alleging it fuels “land jihad” conspiracies propagated by BJP leaders like Anurag Thakur.
- Implementation Challenges: Abolishing Muslim law experts from Waqf Tribunals and vesting powers in Collectors may lead to inefficiencies due to lack of legal expertise.
The Supreme Court, under CJI Sanjiv Khanna (now led by CJI-Designate B.R. Gavai), is reviewing the Act’s constitutionality, with hearings ongoing since April 2025. The government has assured no new Waqf Board appointments until the next hearing, but no stay has been ordered.
Implementation and Stakeholder Roles
- State Waqf Boards: Oversee property registration, ensuring compliance with the six-month deadline and assisting mutawallis (property managers).
- District Collectors: Verify land titles and investigate government property claims, ensuring transparency.
- Waqf Tribunals: Handle disputes for unregistered or contested properties, with appeals now possible in High Courts.
- Central Government: Empowered to frame rules for registration, auditing, and financial oversight; launches and maintains the UMEED portal.
- Public Support: The portal provides support services for legal queries, accessible via waqf.gov.in (tentative).
The government aims for full digitization within six months, with geotagging and public notices for mutations ensuring transparency. The Central Waqf Council and State Waqf Boards are being modernized with professionals in law and administration to curb corruption, as seen in cases like the Karnataka Waqf Board Land Scam.
Why This Matters
- Transparency Boost: Digitization via UMEED addresses the UP Audit Report (2023) finding that 2 lakh properties lacked digital records, reducing encroachment risks.
- Community Welfare: Ensures Waqf assets benefit women, widows, divorcees, and Pasmanda Muslims, aligning with Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas (development for all).
- Judicial Efficiency: High Court appeals and tribunal reforms aim to clear 13,200 pending disputes, streamlining justice.
- Modern Governance: Inclusion of non-Muslims and women on Boards promotes inclusivity, though it sparks debate over religious autonomy.
The UMEED portal and Act aim to unlock the potential of Waqf properties, currently generating only ₹163 crore against a possible ₹12,000 crore, as per the 2006 Sachar Committee.
Tips for Stakeholders
- Register Promptly: Mutawallis must submit property details (boundaries, use, occupier) on the UMEED portal by December 6, 2025, to avoid disputes.
- Monitor Updates: Check waqf.gov.in or minorityaffairs.gov.in for portal access and guidelines.
- Engage Legally: Use the 90-day appeal window to High Courts for tribunal disputes; contact State Waqf Boards for support.
- Report Issues: Share concerns about the Act or portal via the Samadhan Helpline or email contactus@minorityaffairs.gov.in.
The Road Ahead
The UMEED portal, launching June 6, 2025, is a bold step toward modernizing Waqf property management, backed by the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. While it promises transparency, inclusivity, and efficiency, its success hinges on addressing community concerns and ensuring inclusive implementation. With Supreme Court hearings ongoing and protests in areas like West Bengal, dialogue with stakeholders like AIMPLB and Pasmanda Muslims is crucial. Follow @MOMAIndia or @PIB_India on X for updates, and visit minorityaffairs.gov.in for portal details. Let’s hope UMEED lives up to its name, empowering communities while respecting their rights!
