The Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 marks a significant step towards strengthening governance, promoting infrastructural growth, and safeguarding landowners’ rights in India. The bill, passed in the Lok Sabha, seeks to address the loopholes in the Waqf Act, 1995, which allowed unchecked expansion of Waqf properties, sometimes leading to disputes and alleged encroachments. However, certain groups have attempted to push a misleading narrative that the bill is aimed at dividing Hindus and Muslims, which is far from the truth. Instead, this amendment ensures transparency, equitable governance, and better national development.
What is the concept of Waqf, and what is the Waqf Board in India?
Waqf is an Islamic endowment of property, typically donated for religious or charitable purposes. In India, the Waqf Board is a statutory body that manages such properties to ensure they serve the intended religious and welfare activities. Under the original Waqf Act of 1995, any property could be declared as Waqf through endowment or usage, often without clear governmental oversight. The new amendment brings more structure to this process, ensuring better regulation and fairer management of Waqf properties.
The Waqf Boards in India are responsible for managing these properties and resolving disputes related to their use. However, in the past, the absence of strict oversight and regulatory mechanisms led to cases where individuals or institutions faced unexpected claims over their land. The new bill addresses these concerns while ensuring that the spirit of Waqf as a charitable institution remains intact.
Key Features of the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2025
One of the most critical aspects of the new bill is its focus on transparency and accountability. Here are the major changes introduced by the amendment:
- Formation of Waqf: The bill removes the option of declaring Waqf properties based on mere usage. Now, only legal declarations or endowments are allowed, and donors must have been practicing Muslims for at least five years. This change prevents arbitrary claims over land.
- Government Property as Waqf: Any government property previously declared as Waqf ceases to be so. Any disputes will now be resolved by the Collector, ensuring a fair and legal process.
- Power to Determine Waqf: The authority of the Waqf Board to unilaterally declare land as Waqf has been removed, preventing forced encroachments.
- Survey of Waqf: Instead of Waqf-appointed Survey Commissioners, state revenue authorities will now conduct surveys, ensuring government oversight.
- Central Waqf Council: The council now includes non-Muslims, including MPs and eminent individuals. This ensures broader representation and removes religious exclusivity in decision-making.
- State Waqf Boards: State governments now nominate members, including representatives from various sects, and mandate the inclusion of at least two Muslim women.
- Tribunal Composition: The previous requirement of a Muslim law expert has been removed. Tribunals now include district court judges, ensuring neutral judicial oversight.
- Appeals on Tribunal Orders: High Court appeals are now allowed within 90 days, ensuring legal recourse for affected parties.
- Powers of Central Government: The Centre now has the authority to regulate Waqf accounts, ensuring financial transparency and proper auditing.
- Separate Waqf Boards for Sects: The amendment allows for Bohra and Agakhani Waqf boards, ensuring equitable representation.
How the New Waqf Bill Aids India’s Development
The bill’s impact extends beyond legal reform – it plays a crucial role in infrastructural, economic, and financial development.
1. Strengthening Infrastructure
The earlier system allowed Waqf Boards to claim lands arbitrarily, sometimes hindering development projects. With clearer regulations and government oversight, infrastructural projects such as roads, public buildings, and industrial hubs can now proceed without the fear of sudden land disputes.
Examples:
- Land that was previously blocked for disputed Waqf claims can now be legally utilized for essential infrastructure projects like highways, metro stations, and government buildings.
- State governments can plan urban expansion projects more effectively, ensuring balanced regional development.
2. Boosting the Economy
By ensuring fair land distribution and resolving disputes efficiently, the bill promotes investment confidence. Businesses and industries can operate without the risk of Waqf-related land encroachments, thus fostering economic growth and employment opportunities.
Examples:
- Industrial corridors and Special Economic Zones (SEZs) that were previously stalled due to land disputes can now move forward.
- Investors, including foreign businesses, will feel more secure about acquiring and developing land without unforeseen legal complications.
3. Cultural and Social Harmony
With improved governance, Waqf properties can now be better managed to genuinely serve their intended religious and charitable purposes. This ensures that the true essence of Waqf is preserved while preventing its misuse.
Examples:
- Historical Waqf sites can be better maintained and restored, promoting tourism and heritage conservation.
- Disputes between religious communities over land claims can be significantly reduced, fostering social harmony.
4. Financial Transparency
With the Centre now empowered to regulate Waqf accounts and appoint auditors, financial mismanagement within the Waqf system can be curbed. This ensures that funds meant for charity and social welfare are used effectively rather than being misappropriated.
Examples:
- Cases of unaccounted Waqf funds can be investigated, and corrective actions can be implemented to ensure financial accountability.
- Proper auditing ensures that donations and endowments are used for genuine welfare programs rather than being misused for personal or political gains.
Busting the Fake Narrative
Opponents of the bill claim that it divides Hindus and Muslims, which is a baseless argument. The amendment neither takes away the legitimate rights of Muslims nor targets any religious community. Instead, it ensures that land ownership disputes are handled fairly and prevents unjustified encroachments on private and government land.
Examples of Fake Narratives and the Reality:
- False Claim: The bill is an attack on Muslim religious rights. Reality: The bill only prevents illegal encroachments and ensures that Waqf properties are managed transparently without harming legitimate religious endowments.
- False Claim: It is a ploy to take away Waqf land from Muslims. Reality: Government and private lands wrongly claimed as Waqf will be rightfully returned, but actual Waqf properties remain protected.
- False Claim: The bill seeks to divide Hindus and Muslims. Reality: It fosters unity by promoting equal land rights and eliminating religious biases in land disputes.
Conclusion
The Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 is a progressive step towards a more transparent and accountable system. It not only safeguards landowners from arbitrary claims but also strengthens India’s economic and infrastructural foundations. By curbing land misuse and promoting fair governance, the bill ensures that Waqf properties serve their true purpose—social welfare and religious charity—without compromising the rights of others.
Rather than dividing communities, the bill fosters a fairer and more legally sound framework for all. Those pushing a false narrative against it ignore the larger benefits it brings to India’s development and harmony.
With this amendment, India moves closer to a just and well-regulated system, ensuring that religious endowments and individual rights coexist peacefully.