Race Against Time: States Struggle to Register Vast Waqf Properties on Central Portal
A Daunting Deadline Looming
Bengaluru: With a fast-approaching deadline of December 6, the push to register all of India’s Waqf properties on the centralised ‘UMMEED’ portal is facing significant hurdles. Out of an estimated 9 lakh properties nationwide, less than 10,000 have been successfully registered so far. In a bid to address the technical and physical challenges causing this slow progress, the Ministry of Minority Affairs is conducting workshops across the country. One such workshop was held in Bengaluru, bringing together representatives from the Waqf boards and state government officials of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu.
States Plead for More Time, Centre Says No
A central point of discussion at the Bengaluru meeting was the request from several states for an extension. Representatives from the Waqf boards of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana formally requested a six-month extension to the deadline. However, this appeal was met with a firm response from the Centre. S P Singh Tevatia, representing the Minority Affairs Ministry, stated that there is no scope for extending the deadline. This puts immense pressure on state boards, which are now mandated to comply with the process following a Supreme Court order, after initial resistance to the new law.
A Litany of Technical Troubles
State officials laid out a series of practical problems they say are hindering the registration process. A major issue is the lack of email IDs for most Mutawallis (property managers), making the mandatory email field a significant barrier. They have requested that this be made optional.
Karnataka officials pointed out that the portal is missing several talukas, making it impossible to feed accurate registration details. Furthermore, the ‘Nature of Waqf’ column does not have options for common properties like hostels, orphanages, and dargahs. The portal also seems to restrict Waqf officers, who are often caretakers of multiple properties, from registering more than one asset.
Perhaps the most critical problem cited relates to historical data. The identification of many Waqf properties is based on a survey from 1955-56, which did not require detailed boundary descriptions. The UMMEED portal, however, demands new survey numbers and details of adjacent properties, information that is not readily available for thousands of old properties.
The Stakes and the Skepticism
The UMMEED portal was launched by the Ministry of Minority Affairs as a centralized online platform to bring better management, transparency, and digitization to Waqf properties. Operating under the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, it aims to be a single window for the registration, management, and verification of all Waqf assets in India. Key features include a mandatory six-month registration window, a three-level verification process, and a unique 17-digit ID for each property.
Despite these workshops, the sheer volume of unresolved issues has cast doubt on the feasibility of the December deadline. Muhammad Majuddin Khan, CEO of the Karnataka Waqf Board, echoed the concerns of many, stating, “The technical glitches are a major impediment. For instance, the absence of many talukas from the portal’s database makes it impossible to proceed with registrations in those areas.”
With the clock ticking, state boards are in a difficult position, caught between the Centre’s inflexible deadline and a ground reality filled with operational challenges, making the successful completion of this massive digital transition by December seem increasingly uncertain.
Key Quotes
1. Muhammad Majuddin Khan, CEO, Karnataka Waqf Board
“The technical glitches are a major impediment. For instance, the absence of many talukas from the portal’s database makes it impossible to proceed with registrations in those areas.”
(This quote is effective because it points to a specific, concrete problem with the portal itself.)
2. Advocate Abdul Riyaz, Member, Karnataka Waqf Board
“Asking for boundary details from a 70-year-old survey is an impractical demand. We are being asked to provide data that was never recorded in the first place.”
(This quote highlights the historical and administrative absurdity of one of the key hurdles.)
3. Muhammad Ali Baba, Chairman, Karnataka Waqf Board
“The intent is good, but the execution is flawed. Making email mandatory for Mutawallis in rural areas effectively excludes them from the process.”
(This quote offers a critique of the policy’s implementation on the ground, separating the goal from the method.)
