New Delhi, June 6 (IANS) The Union Ministry of Minority Affairs (MoMA) on Friday launched the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development (UMEED) portal to digitise and streamline Waqf property registration in line with the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025.

The Ministry plans to coordinate with State Waqf Boards and judicial authorities to popularise the portal that promises transparent and time-bound registration of Waqf properties.

The Central portal is a transformative digital platform to serve as a centralised repository of Waqf property records across India.

The portal features a robust three-tier verification and security system comprising the Maker-Checker-Approver mechanism, said an official statement.

The Mutawalli (caretaker) will serve as the Maker, entering property details. The Waqf Board official will function as the Checker, reviewing and validating entries. Finally, a designated government authority will act as the Approver, ensuring full verification before records are finalised, it said.

As per the government’s plan, registration of all Waqf properties on the portal will be mandatory within six months of its launch.

Last month, the Ministry organised a two-day national training workshop in which about 141 Master Trainers from different states were given hands-on training on the portal’s features and functionalities.

Earlier, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) opposed the Waqf UMEED Portal, terming it “completely illegal” and in violation of ongoing legal proceedings in the Supreme Court.

In a statement issued on June 4, AIMPLB President Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani said, “The All India Muslim Personal Law Board strongly opposes the launch of the Waqf Umeed Portal. We appeal to Muslims and State Waqf Boards to refrain from registering Waqf properties on the portal until the court delivers its verdict.”

Rahmani noted that the portal is based on the provisions of the Waqf 2025 framework, which, he said, has been widely rejected and is currently under judicial scrutiny.

“All Muslim organisations have opposed this law. Opposition parties, human rights groups, and members of the Sikh, Christian, and other minority communities have also called it unacceptable,” he said.

Calling the government’s move “contempt of court”, Rahmani said it is “unfortunate” that the portal is being launched on June 6, despite the law being challenged in court.

“The government is making registration of Waqf properties mandatory under the new law, whose constitutional validity is under question. This action is not only unjust but also legally untenable,” he said.

He further urged Waqf Board officials across the country to submit formal memoranda objecting to the registration process and to wait for the Supreme Court’s ruling.

The AIMPLB has also announced its intention to approach the apex court against the Centre’s latest move.

–IANS

rch/dpb