In a first, Madhya Pradesh become the first state in India to recognise the state Waqf board, and include two Hindu members in it. The revised body formed under the Waqf Amendment Act 2025- is the first state level Waqf Board in the country to have Hindu members, claimed officials in the know. The amendment act 2025 allows non-Muslim members to be part of state Waqf Boards.
” Madhya Pradesh has become the first state in the country to reorganise the Waqf Board under the new Act,” an official said. The state government, exercising the powers conferred by Section 13(1) of the Waqf Act, 1995 (amended in 2025), has constituted the Waqf Board as provided in Section 14 of the Act, the official added.
Based on a gazette notification issued Sunday, Sanwar Patel was appointed the chairman of the 10-member committee. Manoj Malpani and Animesh Bhragava were the new members of the board.
Besides chairman Sanwar Patel, the newly constituted board comprises Najma Heptulla from New Delhi, Atif Aqueel from Bhopal, Faizan Khan from Ujjain, Fatema Choudhary from Indore, Shaista Sultan, Shabana Khan, Manoj Malpani from Indore and Animesh Bhargava from Raghogarh in Guna. The Commissioner of the Backwards Classes and Minority Welfare Department will serve as an ex-officio member.
A statutory body, Waqf board was established to manage and protect Waqf properties across the nation. Its primary role since it was conceived are to maintain Wqf records, monitor their use and income, protect them from encroachment and ensure their use for religious, educational and social welfare purposes.