The Union Government has officially announced the "Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Rules, 2025" on July 3, establishing a comprehensive digital and administrative structure for overseeing waqf properties throughout India. These rules, which were enabled by the newly introduced Section 108B of the Waqf Act, 1995 through the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, effective from April 8, 2025, aim to enhance the registration and monitoring of these properties via a central portal.
A key aspect of these new rules is the creation of a centralized portal and database for waqf properties, overseen by the Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Minority Affairs. This system will automatically assign unique identification numbers to each waqf and its associated properties, ensuring transparent tracking, reliable record-keeping, and monitoring across all states.
Under these rules, each State Government must appoint a Nodal Officer, not below the rank of Joint Secretary, and establish a Centralised Support Unit in collaboration with the Central Government. These units will assist in uploading data, managing registration, maintaining accounts, and conducting audits and other related activities at the state level.
The rules also specify the obligations of mutawallis (waqf caretakers), who are required to register on the portal using their mobile number and email ID, verified through a one-time password (OTP). Once registered, they must provide complete details of the waqf and properties under their management.
Furthermore, the rules mandate a comprehensive survey of waqf properties in each state. Upon completion, a detailed list of auqaf must be published, including the identification and boundaries of waqf properties, their use and occupants, the purpose of the waqf, and the current mutawalli and management. State Governments must upload this list and details of each waqf to the portal within 90 days of its publication in the Official Gazette.
For waqfs created after the enactment of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, registration applications must be submitted to the Board within three months of their creation. The rules also address financial governance, requiring every Waqf Board to submit yearly audited accounts by a specific date, with penalties for audit delays. They include provisions for maintenance payments to widows, divorced women, and orphans, detailing the methods and channels for disbursing such benefits.
The Central Waqf Management System (CWMS), an online platform, will record and make publicly accessible all data related to waqf property, encroachment, development, and finances. This system aims to ensure that information is readily available in digital format, moving away from traditional paper-based records.
Moreover, the new regulations require Waqf Boards to ensure prompt registration and geotagging of waqf properties, utilizing satellite mapping and digital land records to bring unregistered properties under the official system. Stricter monitoring tools are also being implemented, with provisions for suspending or removing irresponsible mutawallis. Investigations into wrongful declarations of property as Waqf must be completed within one year of referral from the District Collector.
Following the notification of these central rules, the next step involves creating model rules for the states, with a committee of retired law ministry officers and experts developing these model rules for states to adapt. These changes are part of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, which was passed by Parliament in April and is expected to be presented during the upcoming Monsoon session, starting July 21. The Supreme Court has reserved its judgment on petitions challenging certain provisions of the law.
