Daijiworld Media Network- New Delhi
New Delhi, May 15: The Supreme Court of India is set to hear a series of petitions on Thursday questioning the constitutional validity of the recently enacted Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, a legislation that has sparked widespread debate over its implications on religious endowments and property rights.
According to the cause list issued on the official website of the apex court, a two-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice A.G. Masih will resume the much-anticipated hearing today.
The matter was previously listed before a bench led by then-Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna on May 5. However, owing to his impending retirement, Justice Khanna chose not to reserve the judgment at the interim stage and passed the matter on to the current bench for further deliberation.
The Supreme Court has taken a structured approach to the matter by treating five of the petitions as lead cases, while other related pleas have been tagged as intervention applications. The registry has also renamed the batch of cases under the collective title, “In Re: The Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025.”
During the earlier proceedings, the Union Government assured the top court that it would not enforce controversial provisions such as the de-notification of ‘Waqf by user’ or the appointment of non-Muslim members to the Waqf Boards while the matter is sub judice.
In a detailed affidavit, the Ministry of Minority Affairs justified the amendments, stating that they were essential to check the misuse of Waqf laws, especially after the 2013 amendment, which allegedly saw a dramatic 116% increase in the total Waqf-designated area in the country.
“The amendments have been introduced to protect government and private properties from being wrongfully classified as Waqf land, to enhance transparency, and to ensure that Waqf Boards operate under clear and accountable governance,” the Centre stated.
The affidavit also pointed out that many Waqf Boards have failed to provide complete and accurate property details in the public domain, leading to unchecked encroachments and ambiguity in records.
The government insists that the amended Act deals solely with administrative reforms — including governance, digital record-keeping, and better management of endowment properties — and does not infringe upon the core religious principles or practices associated with Waqf.
Waqf, a centuries-old Islamic practice, involves the donation of property or land by a Muslim for religious or charitable purposes, often used to establish mosques, educational institutions, and hospitals.
As the matter now reaches a critical stage in the Supreme Court, all eyes remain on the judicial interpretation of the balance between legislative reform and religious autonomy, a theme that could have far-reaching implications across the country.