JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC RESEARCH FOR MULTIDISCIPLINARY Impact Factor 1.625, ISSN: 2320-5083, Volume 2, Issue 12, January 2015 248 www.jiarm.com A STUDY ON THE ATTITUDE OF MUSLIM COMMUNITY TOWARDS MODERNIZATION OF MADARASA EDUCATION IN THE STATE OF BIHAR RAVINDRA KUMAR* DR. SARAT KUMAR ROUT** *Ph.D. Research Scholar, Post Graduate Dept. of Education, Ravenshaw University, Cuttack, Orissa, India **Assistant Professor, Post Graduate Dept. of Education, Ravenshaw University, Cuttack, Orissa, India ABSTRACT Modernization of Madarasa Education is an initiative of Govt. of India to introduce Science, Mathematics, English, and Social Studies on voluntary basis in Madarasa system of education. Muslim community reflects very high favourable attitude towards modernisation of Madarasa education but despite that Madarasas are still unreformed and spreading the medieval form of education amongst the Muslims throughout the nation. What is stopping the managers of the Madarasas to modernize it to suit it to the socio economic requirements of the community? Whose vested interest comes in the path of modernisation of Madarasas? These questions need to be explored in depth so that the root cause of the stagnation of Madarasa system of education could be unearthed and once again the Madarasa education could help lift the Muslim community from backwardness to enlightenment and from poverty to prosperity. INTRODUCTION Modernization of Madarasa Education is an initiative of Govt. of India to introduce Science, Mathematics, English, and Social Studies on voluntary basis in Madarasa system of education. This was launched as a centrally sponsored scheme in 1994. In the 10 th five-year plan (2002-07) the programme was clubbed together with area intensive programme to form Area Intensive and Madarasa Modernization Programme (AIMMP). It has two components i.e. i) Infrastructure Development and ii) Madarasa Modernization programme. Under the Madarasa Modernization and development, salary to two teachers per Madarasa@ Rs 3000/- per month per teacher for study of modern subjects like Science, Mathematics, English and Social Studies, one time grant of Rs.7000/- for purchase of Science, Mathematics kits per Madarasa and book bank grant of Rs.7000/- per year for strengthening libraries are provided. Now in 2008 the cabinet has given its nod to revise Madarasa modernization program as Centrally Sponsored Scheme for Providing Quality Education in Madarasa (SPQEM) “to make it more attractive by providing better salary to teachers, increased assistance for books, teaching aids, and computers, introduce vocational subject etc.