President Murmu Enacts Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2025 Amidst National Debate

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which found its way through marathon debates in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha earlier in the week, was assented to by President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday. Following her approval, this bill has been made into law. Further, her Excellency has also approved the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2025. The new Waqf Act will take effect from the date of its notification by the Central Government in the Official Gazette.

The newly enacted law focuses on bettering the administration and management of Waqf properties within India's territory. The law amended the Waqf Act of 1995 to manage properties donated by Muslims and was first introduced to Parliament in August last year. But after rigid opposition from various Muslim outfits and the opposition itself in Parliament, the bill was sent to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC).

Under the session of the Parliament on Budget, the amendment was introduced on April 2, after several months of deliberations in the JPC, chaired by BJP MP Jagdambika Pal. The Waqf Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha in the wee hours of April 3rd, the voting being 288 members for and 233 against, after a debate that lasted for 12 hours. It was early on April 4th that the Rajya Sabha cleared the bill, with the voting going in favour of the bill by 125 members and against it by 92.

The opposition parties have denounced the new law on Waqf as violative of the Constitution and discriminatory against Muslims. The central government, however, has denied the claims that the act discriminated against Muslims and asserted that the legislation was aimed more at transparency regarding Waqf properties.

As per the recent law, a maximum of four non-Muslim members, including two women members, must be there in the Waqf Council, with final authority for declaring whether a property comes under Waqf or belongs to the government now lying with senior officers who rank above the district collector.

PM Modi Hails Waqf Bill Passage as ‘Watershed Moment’ After Presidential Nod

Hours later, the Rajya Sabha cleared the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, and the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill on Friday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi termed it a "watershed moment", adding that it would help the marginalised whose voice and opportunity were denied. The Prime Minister expressed his gratitude to the Members of Parliament and the people who shared their inputs with the Joint Parliamentary Committee that was constituted to make recommendations on the bill.

“The passage of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill and the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill by both Houses of Parliament marks a watershed moment in our collective quest for socio-economic justice, transparency, and inclusive growth. This will particularly help those who have long remained on the margins, thus being denied both voice and opportunity,” Modi's post on X read.

As the country adjusts to this new law, people from different fields are watching closely to see how it will be carried out and what problems might come up. In the next few months, there will likely be more discussions and even court cases about the Waqf (Amendment) Act 2025.

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