Lok Sabha Question No. 168 (STARRED), answered on 2026-02-11
Subject: Legality of Extension of Waqf Registration Deadline
Ministry: MINORITY AFFAIRS
Asked by: Shri Asaduddin Owaisi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 168

TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.02.2026

## LEGALITY OF EXTENSION OF WAQF REGISTRATION DEADLINE

168. SHRI ASADUDDIN OWAISI:

Will the Minister of MINORITY AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  details  of  basis  on  which  the  Government  fixed  5  December  2025  as  the  final  date  for registration of waqf properties on the UMEED portal whereas the Act mandates a 6-month period to be calculated from the date of commencement of the Act which makes 5 October 2025 the last date;
- (b) the manner in which the Government treats the date of launching the portal as the starting date instead of date of commencement of the Act;
- (c) the details of provision of law under which the Union Government has extended the last date for registration along with the clause which allows the Government to extend this statutory timeline; and
- (d) whether it is a fact that the Supreme Court has suggested that an amendment to the Act would be required to extend the deadline and if so, the details thereof along with the manner in which the Government has extended the last date from 5 October 2025 to 5 December 2025 without bringing an amendment?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF MINORITY AFFAIRS (SHRI KIREN RIJIJU)

(a) to (d): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 168 FOR ANSWER ON 11 .02.2026 REGARDING ' LEGALITY OF EXTENSION OF WAQF REGISTRATION DEADLINE ' ASKED BY SHRI ASADUDDIN OWAISI

(a)  to  (d):  The  Unified  Waqf  Management,  Empowerment,  Efficiency  and  Development  Act, 1995  came  into  force  on  08.04.2025.  Section  3B(1)  of  the  Act  mandates  that  details  of  all existing waqf and properties dedicated to waqf registered prior to the commencement of the Act shall be uploaded on the Portal within a period of six months.

However,  the  statutory  requirement  of  filing  details  of  the  waqf  and  the  property dedicated to the waqf process is contingent upon availability of a functional Portal. In accordance with the provisions of Section 3(ka) of the Actthat states 'portal and database' means the waqf asset  management  system  or  any  other  system  set  up  by  the  Central  Government  for  the registration, accounts, audit and any other detail of waqf and the Board. Accordingly, UMEED Central Portal -2025was developed and launched on 06.06.2025 for uploading details of existing waqf  and  properties  dedicated  to  the  waqf,  registration  of  new  waqf,  and  for  facilitating  the overall management and governance of waqf in accordance with the provisions of the Act.

Since filing details of the waqf and the property dedicated to the waqf process can be undertaken  only  after  the  Portal  became  fully  operational,  the  six  month  period  has  been computed from the date of launch of the Statutory UMEED Central Portal-2025 as to provide stakeholders  the  complete  statutory  operational  window,  in  true  spirit  of  the  law  and  in consonance with the legislative intent of the Act. Accordingly, based on this operational timeline, the initial six-month period concluded on 06.12.2025.

The  Act  also  provides  under  Section  3B(1)  that  the  Waqf  Tribunal  may,  on  an application  basis,  extend  such  period  of  six  months  under  this  section  for  a  further  period  not exceeding six months as it may consider appropriate and if satisfies that applicant had sufficient cause for not filing the details of the Waqf on the portal within such period.

Further, in the Writ Petition (Civil) No. 276 of 2025 concerning the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, listed before the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India, it was noted by the Hon'ble Court that the UMEED Act, 1995, itself contains provisions under section 3B (1) of the Act, enabling extension of the time for uploading details of waqf properties on the UMEED Central Portal -2025.  Accordingly,  as  per  the  availability  of  this  statutory  remedy,  the  applications  were disposed  of  with  liberty  to  the  applicants  to  approach  the  competent  Waqf  Tribunal  for appropriate relief.

During the hearing, the Hon'ble Apex Court was also informed that the prescribed six -month period for filing would end on 06.12.2025. The Court ordered that aggrieved parties could avail  themselves  of  the  remedy  available  under  the  UMEED  Act,  1995  by  approaching  the Tribunals to seek an extension of the six-month period under this section, for a further period not exceeding six months.

In view of the statutory remedy available under the Act, extensions of time were granted to the concerned State/UT Waqf Boards by the respective Hon'ble Tribunals/Courts. At present, the UMEED Central Portal -2025 has been reopened for 17 State/UT Waqf Boards so far where such orders have been received, exclusively for the purpose of uploading details of existing waqf and properties dedicated to waqf.

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