Today, On 21st August, The Supreme Court refused to urgently hear a plea challenging the mandatory registration of all waqfs, including waqf-by-users, on the “UMEED Portal”, observing that registration is not being denied by authorities.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court declined an urgent request on Friday to hear an interim plea against the mandatory registration of all waqfs, including those classified as waqf-by-users under the UMEED portal.
The Centre introduced the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development Act, 1995 (UMEED) Central Portal on June 6 to establish a digital inventory of all waqf properties through geo-tagging.
Bench led by Chief Justice B.R. Gavai heard the matter.
According to the UMEED portal’s requirements, details of all registered waqf properties across India must be uploaded within a six-month timeframe.
Earlier, A bench led by Chief Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice AG Masih On May 22, had reserved interim orders concerning three significant issues in the waqf case.
One of these issues pertains to the authority to denotify properties that have been designated as “waqf by courts, waqf-by-user, or waqf by deed” as outlined in the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025.
During the proceedings, a lawyer informed the bench that the Centre’s portal mandates “mandatory registration of all waqfs, including waqfs by users.”
The lawyer argued that the requirements made it impossible for waqf-by-users to be registered.
The lawyer stated,
“We sought to file an interim application for directions, but the (apex court) registry is not allowing it saying that the judgment is already reserved,”
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The Chief Justice responded,
“We have already reserved the order in the matter.”
The lawyer expressed concern about the impending deadline, noting,
“The problem is that the clock is ticking and the Centre has given six months’ time for registration of the properties.”
To which the CJI replied,
“You register it… nobody is refusing you the registration,”
The Supreme Court has reserved its decision on various issues, including the denotification of waqf properties and the composition of state waqf boards and the Central Waqf Council.
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A third issue involves a provision stating that a waqf property will not be recognized as such if a collector investigates to determine whether the property is government land.
The Centre defended the Act vigorously, asserting that waqf is inherently a “secular concept” and should not be stayed due to the “presumption of constitutionality” in its favor.
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