Maharashtra government triples madrasa teachers’ salaries, hikes minority grants

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government has approved a proposal to hike the salaries of madrasa teachers across the state. The decision came during a Cabinet meeting on Thursday, with the move seen as a significant step ahead of the approaching Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024.
With the election drawing near, the Maharashtra government has been rolling out several welfare initiatives before the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).
During the recent Cabinet meet, several benefits were announced for marginalised communities, including Other Backward Classes (OBCs), tribal groups, and religious minorities. Of the 80 proposals discussed, 38 were approved for implementation.
Among the initiatives, the Zakir Hussain Madrasa Modernisation Scheme stands out, emphasizing the integration of modern subjects such as mathematics, science, sociology, and multiple languages — Hindi, Marathi, English, and Urdu — alongside traditional religious education in madrasas.
The Cabinet has now decided to increase the salaries of all such government teachers in the state.
Additonally, the Cabinet approved a significant salary hike for government-employed madrasa teachers and raised the budget of the Maulana Azad Minority Financial Development Corporation from Rs 700 crore to Rs 1,000 crore.
Earlier, DEd (Diploma in Education) qualified teachers received Rs 6,000 per month, but this will now be raised to Rs 16,000. Likewise, secondary-level teachers holding BEd or BSc-BEd qualifications, who teach various subjects at the secondary level, will see their salaries rise from Rs 8,000 to Rs 18,000 per month.
The decision has been welcomed by madrasa teachers, who hope the salary hike will improve their financial situation and allow them to teach more effectively.
Shinde government is working to gain support from the OBC and tribal communities. The Cabinet has recommended increasing the non-creamy layer income limit for the OBC category from Rs 8 lakh to Rs 15 lakh. Additionally, the state has raised its guarantee for the Shabari Tribal Finance Corporation from Rs 50 crore to Rs 100 crore to support tribal welfare programs.
The Election Commission has announced that elections in Maharashtra must be conducted before November 26, as the current Assembly’s term ends in November. There are 9.59 crore voters across 288 Assembly seats, including 49,039 voters over the age of 100.
Additionally, the state has seen a 22 per cent increase in the number of female voters.