Waqf Amendment Bill becomes law after Parliament and President Draupadi Murmu signs and approved it. Know what the changes will be. After marathon discussions in both houses of Parliament and after the approval of the President, the Integrated Waqf Management Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development Bill (ASHA) 2025 became law. President Draupadi Murmu gave her approval to this bill late on Saturday night. After the approval of the President, the government notified this bill through a notification. This bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on April 3 and the Rajya Sabha on April 4. Many new provisions have been added to this law. Many provisions have been amended in this law.
Under this, now the Waqf Board cannot make an arbitrary claim on any property. In case of dispute, it can also be challenged in the court, and only a person who has followed Islam for five years can donate property to the Waqf. Along with this, President Murmu has also approved the Muslim Waqf (Repeal) Bill 2024. Apart from this, land and other properties in tribal-dominated states and areas cannot be declared as Waqf property. Apart from this, it will also be difficult to save such Waqf property that is not recorded in the revenue records.
Through this, the government has amended the Waqf Act, 1995. In this way, the amendment bill was passed in the Lok Sabha at 1.56 am and in the Rajya Sabha at 2:30 pm. After a 13-hour discussion on the Waqf Amendment Bill—Integrated Waqf Management Empowerment Efficiency and Development (UMED)—the Rajya Sabha approved it after 2:30 pm on Thursday. The decision on the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 in the Rajya Sabha was not by voice vote but by division of votes.
During the voting, 128 MPs voted in favor of the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 and 95 MPs voted against it. Like the Lok Sabha, all the amendment proposals of the opposition were rejected by voice vote in the Upper House. Earlier on Wednesday night at around 1.56 pm, the Lok Sabha passed the Waqf Amendment Bill by majority. 288 votes were cast in favour of the bill, while 232 votes were cast against it. The bill was discussed in the Lok Sabha for more than 12 hours.
Let us tell you that due to a lack of majority in both houses of Parliament, BJP had to accept some demands of its allies. Many changes were made in the JPC. These include provisions such as restoring the status quo on mosques and other religious monuments and symbols before the notification of the bill becoming a law is issued and the appointment of an officer apart from the district magistrate by the state government to settle land disputes.
In the context of protecting the interests of the tribals, the government has banned the declaration of Waqf property in tribal areas, citing the 5th and 6th Schedules of the Constitution. This means that the land and property of tribal areas of many states of the country, including almost the entire Northeast, all of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, as well as West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat, will not be declared Waqf property.
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According to the new amendments, non-Muslim members will be appointed to the Waqf Board. It is necessary to have a member knowledgeable about Islam on the board.
It is necessary to appoint two women members to the Waqf Board and Council. Verification is critical before declaring any property as Waqf property.
The District Collector will survey the Waqf properties and ensure ownership.
Non-Muslims, other Muslims, Pasmanda Muslims, backward Muslims, and women will also be included in decision-making.
Property can be donated only after following Islam for five years.
The person donating property to the board should be a follower of Islam. He should follow Islam for at least five years.
Now no government property will be Waqf.
Now no government property can be declared Waqf property. There will be a complete ban on this.
Women will also get property rights.
Muslim women will now also get property rights in family Waqf, which is called Waqf-al-Aulad. Women will also get rights in their ancestral and in-laws’ property. Widows, divorced women, and orphan women will get rights in their family property.
If the verification is correct, any property that legally belongs to the Waqf will remain with the Waqf. Provided that it is not marked as disputed or government property.
Now the Limitation Act 1963 will be applicable to Waqf properties. This will reduce the long-running court cases.
By declaring the entire village as Waqf property or arbitrarily declaring any property as Waqf property, that property cannot become the property of the Waqf Board.
Waqf institutions whose annual income is more than one lakh rupees will have to get their annual audit done.
Mutawallis will have to provide details of their property on the central Waqf portal in 6 months. Whatever trusts have been formed by Muslims will not be considered as Waqf property under any law of the country.
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