Year after UMEED, waqf database shows 11% applications rejected, a third from UP, Pg15

Key Highlights:

• The UMEED portal, launched on June 6, 2025, aimed to create a digital inventory of geo-tagged waqf properties across India.
• Approximately 11% of the total 7,95,784 waqf property applications, amounting to 88,571 properties, have been rejected after scrutiny.
• Uttar Pradesh accounts for the highest number of rejections with 31,783 properties, representing almost 36% of the nationwide total.
• West Bengal and Rajasthan follow with 14,134 (16%) and 12,080 (13%) rejections, respectively.
• Only 74% (5,87,804) of the total applications were approved for inclusion on the portal.

Detailed Insights:

• The UMEED portal was designed to digitize and manage waqf properties, with a mandatory six-month upload deadline initially set for December 5, 2025.
• State waqf tribunals granted extensions for the registration process after the initial deadline passed without penalty.
• The registration process involves three layers: initiation by the mutawalli, checking by a designated district/state official, and approval by senior waqf board officials.
• Waqf boards, particularly in Uttar Pradesh, have expressed uncertainty regarding the fate of the rejected properties, as the Waqf Act does not specify a roadmap for such cases.
• The Ministry of Minority Affairs attributes the varying rejection rates to factors like the quality of land records, awareness among mutawallis, and the volume of waqf properties in different states.
• Some waqf board CEOs have sought further extensions from the Centre to complete the registration process.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Waqf: An endowment made by a Muslim person for religious, educational, or charitable purposes, typically involving land or buildings.
• Mutawalli: The manager or caretaker of a waqf property, responsible for its administration and utilization according to the donor's wishes.
• UMEED portal: The Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development platform, a digital initiative by the Indian government to create a comprehensive database of waqf properties.
• Waqf Act: The central legislation in India that governs the administration, management, and supervision of waqf properties.