The Waqf Amendment Bill 2025

     The Waqf (Amendment) establishes a secular, transparent, and accountable system for Waqf administration. Replying to a debate on the bill, Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said that crores of poor Muslims will benefit from this legislation and in no way does it harm any single Muslim.

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The Waqf Amendment Bill, 2025 was introduced to fix problems in the management and governance of Waqf properties. The aim is to make rules clearer, include more people in decision-making, and improve how Waqf assets are used.

The bill empowers the Central Government to create rules for Waqf registration, auditing, and accounts, ensuring transparency and accountability. An appeal process is also included, allowing decisions made by Waqf tribunals to be challenged in the High Court within 90 days. A bill further to amend the Waqf Act, 1995.

The Joint Parliamentary Committee Report on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 highlights the effort to make Waqf property management fair, transparent, and efficient. The Committee listened to different viewpoints, conducted study visits, and had detailed discussions to address the concerns of stakeholders.  The Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2013, introduced several key changes to the Waqf Act (1995). It strengthened the functioning of the tribunals meant to hear disputes regarding Waqf properties under the 1995 Act, and created a Central Waqf Council to oversee the functioning of state Waqf boards.

The Jama Masjid in Delhi is a Waqf property managed by the Delhi Waqf Board. The erstwhile Mughal capital of Fatehpur Sikri, including the Tomb of Salim Chishti, is registered as a Waqf property. The Bada Imambara in Lucknow is also a Waqf property.

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025 was passed in the Lok Sabha with 288 members voting in favour and 232 against. In addition, the House approved the Musalman Waqf (Repeal) Bill, 2024, which repeals the Musalman Waqf Act, 1923.

Earlier, as per the report of the Joint Committee of Parliament, the Lok Sabha held discussions on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025. Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju introduced the bill, asserting that it would not interfere with the religious practices of Muslims but would only apply to properties managed by Waqf Boards. He said the government aims to make Waqf Boards more inclusive and secular, while ensuring that the Act does not extend to the management of mosques.

The minister further explained that the amended bill ensures representation of various Muslim communities and includes women in Waqf Boards. He assured that extensive consultations were held with stakeholders before the law was made. India has the largest number of waqf properties in the world.

Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee said that it was aimed at curtailing the rights of the Muslim community. She stressed that religious obligations should not be the basis for legal intervention.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah clarified that non-Muslims will not be involved in waqf administration. Shah blamed the 2013 Congress amendments for the current controversy, which he said helped convert prime land in Lutyens' Delhi into waqf properties ahead of the 2014 elections. He stressed that the law was designed for justice and public interest.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ravi Shankar Prasad, who stressed that India belongs to all communities, said that the bill improves transparency and gender justice by making it mandatory for women to be included in waqf boards, and he called for a thorough interpretation of the law.

The Indian Union Muslim League has filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the Waqf Board Amendment Bill