Parliament Question: UMEED Central Portal

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.400 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.08.2025 UMEED CENTRAL PORTAL 400. SMT. KAMALJEET SEHRAWAT: SHRI NABA CHARAN MAJHI: Will the Minister of MINORITY AFFAIRS be pleased to state:- (a) the features and various benefits of the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment Efficiency and Development (UMEED) Central Portal and the manner in which enhances transparency, accountability in administration and management of Waqf properties across the country; (b) the details of specific measures implemented by the Government in the UMEED Portal to prevent unauthorized leasing of Waqf assets; and (c) the manner in which the Government ensures widespread awareness and adoption of the said Portal? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF MINORITY AFFAIRS (SHRI KIREN RIJIJU) (a) to (c): A statement is laid on the Table of the House. *****STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.400 FOR ANSWER ON 20.08.2025 REGARDING ‘UMEED CENTRAL PORTAL’ ASKED BY SMT. KAMALJEET SEHRAWAT AND SHRI NABA CHARAN MAJHI (a) & (b): The Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, 1995 came into force on 8th April 2025. As per Section 3(ka) of the Act, the Ministry of Minority Affairs has launched the UMEED Central Portal–2025 on 6th June 2025. The portal has been designed to cover six key functional pillars, namely: I. Registration, Collector Verification & Mutation Module II. Annual Compliance & Audit Module III. Litigation Management Module (covering encroachment and alienation cases) IV. Survey, Government Notification & Mutation Module V. Leasing & Property Management Module VI. Institutional Governance Module The Portal is designed to facilitate the entire lifecycle of waqf management, including registration, verification by the District Collector, mutation of records, preparation of annual accounts, audit of waqf institutions, leasing and development of waqf properties, and monitoring of litigation across the country. The portal works on a three-tier protocol of Maker–Checker–Approver protocol to ensure real-time verified entries and prevent the uploading of false or irrelevant information. As mandated under Section 36 of the Act, all waqf registration applications now must be submitted on the portal, which are then verified by the District Collector through mandatory inquiry and public notice before a property is declared as waqf. The Collector is further responsible for conducting surveys of waqf properties to prevent encroachment and alienation. A waqf deed has been made mandatory for registration of new waqf properties, thereby ensuring proper documentation and to be uploaded on the UMEED Central Portal- 2025. Leasing of waqf properties has long been constrained by unclear property titles, encroachments, and protracted legal disputes. The Act aims to address these challenges by ensuring accurate and up-to-date land records, systematic digitization, and transparent governance of waqf assets, thereby enhancing their leasing potential and development. These reforms are expected to significantly increase revenue generation for intended purposes. In addition, Section 56 of the Act already provides adequate safeguards against unauthorized leasing, while the leasing module on the UMEED portal will further strengthen accountability through real-time tracking of leasing processes, thereby ensuring transparency and minimizing the scope for misuse.All leases must be executed with Board approval and uploaded to the UMEED Central Portal-2025. (c) To ensure smooth implementation, the Ministry undertook extensive consultations and training prior to the launch. Two rounds of consultative meetings were held on 28th February and 8th May 2025 with State/UT Waqf Boards to demonstrate the prototype and incorporate feedback. A national workshop-cum-training programme was organised on 26th–27thMay 2025 in which around 140 Master Trainers from various State/UT Waqf Boards were trained, who in turn are tasked with training of Mutawallis and district-level officers. Video conferences were also conducted on 2nd May, 25th June and 3rd July 2025 with State/UTGovernments and Waqf Boards to facilitate rollout. A dedicated helpline and email facility have also been set up to address grievances. For wider outreach, the Ministry has launched a robust awareness campaign across social media, video platforms and print media. Various posts and infographics highlighting the features and compliance requirement of the Portal were shared on X platform and Instagram.Two short videos and around 10 user-friendly tutorials have also been uploaded on the Portal for wider publicity. In addition, numerous newspaper articles have also been published to widespread the awareness regarding the Amendment Act and UMEED Central Portal. *****