What You Need to Know About India's New Waqf Management Rules

Introduction to New Waqf Management Rules

New Delhi: The Indian government has officially announced the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Rules, 2025, which cover various aspects of the recently amended legislation, including the establishment of a portal and a database for Waqf properties, as well as guidelines for auditing and account maintenance.

This initiative will initiate the process of uploading and updating Waqf property information onto the new portal. The operational oversight of this portal and database will be managed by the Joint Secretary from the Ministry of Minority Affairs.

Each Waqf property recorded will receive a unique identification number generated by the portal, which will facilitate future references and enable effective tracking and monitoring of these properties, as reported by a prominent legal news source.

Under the new rules, mutawallis will be responsible for registering properties on the portal using their mobile numbers and email addresses. If there are allegations of incorrect declarations regarding any property as Waqf, a designated government officer must complete the investigation within one year of receiving a reference from the District Collector.

It's important to note that the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs recently forwarded the drafted rules to the Union Law Ministry to implement the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. This act is expected to be discussed in the upcoming Monsoon session of Parliament, starting July 21.

The Waqf (Amendment) Act, which seeks to introduce significant reforms in the management and regulation of Waqf properties, was approved by Parliament in April. Following numerous petitions challenging certain provisions of the law, the Supreme Court has reserved its judgment.

With the notification of these Central rules, the next phase involves creating model rules for states. A committee made up of retired law ministry officials and other specialists will be tasked with developing these model rules, which states can adapt with necessary modifications.

To manage the uploading of Waqf details and property accounts, state governments will need to appoint a Joint Secretary-level officer as the nodal officer, who will collaborate with the centralized support unit.