Amidst calls by community groups to boycott the new Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development (UMEED) portal introduced by the union government to digitise the registration of Waqf trusts, the Ministry of Minority Affairs launched the website on Friday afternoon.
The portal is part of the changes proposed in Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, to digitise and modernise Waqf administration. Waqt properties are Muslim religious endowments for charity. The government said the changes in the law will protect and manage Waqf properties for society’s benefit while ensuring a proper administration system to make Waqf management more transparent, responsible, and inclusive.
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board said that the launch of the UMEED portal is illegal and a contempt of court, as the registration process is based on a disputed law that has been challenged in court as unconstitutional. The AIMPLB said it would approach the Supreme Court against the portal's launch.
The Waqf Boards said the petition in the Supreme Court will not affect the portal's introduction. "Registration of Waqf properties was already on. The portal is intended to make the process technically good. The procedure adopted now will continue if the Supreme Court accepts it. The manual registration will continue if there is a problem later. The portal will be good for everyone," said Musheer Ahmed Shaikh, deputy chief executive officer of the Maharashtra State Board of Waqf.
