The Supreme Court will hear on December 1 a series of petitions seeking an extension of the mandatory six-month deadline for registering all waqf properties on the central government’s new UMEED digital portal. With the deadline approaching and technical, administrative, and documentation-related challenges mounting across the country, the petitioners are urging the court to intervene and grant additional time to ensure fair compliance with the new legal requirements established under the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025.
Supreme Court’s urgent hearing and the rising demand for extension
The Supreme Court’s decision to urgently list the petitions on December 1 reflects the escalating concerns among waqf boards, mutawallis, and religious organisations that have been struggling to complete the registration of properties within the mandated six-month window. The requirement, introduced following the enactment of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, directs that all waqf properties across India must be registered on the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development platform, commonly referred to as the UMEED portal. The portal, launched on June 6, was meant to bring uniformity and transparency to the management of waqf assets, which have historically been regulated at the state level with limited central oversight.
The petitions before the court include a major application filed by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), which has argued that the combination of technical glitches, the enormous scale of waqf assets, and the difficulty in digitising old records makes it impossible to meet the upcoming deadline. Various waqf institutions maintain large archives of handwritten documents, some several centuries old, which now need to be scanned, digitised, categorised, and uploaded to the portal. Petitioners maintain that without additional time, the registration process risks becoming inconsistent, incomplete, or prone to errors that could have long-term implications for the management and legal standing of these properties.
The urgency of the matter has been reinforced by broader community stakeholders. AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi has also approached the Supreme Court demanding more time, highlighting the administrative burden on local mutawallis and waqf boards. Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali, a senior member of the AIMPLB Executive Committee, has emphasised the demographic challenges facing waqf administrators, many of whom are responsible for managing large religious and charitable estates in both urban and rural areas. The limited availability of trained personnel, insufficient digitisation infrastructure, and lack of uniform record-keeping practices have collectively slowed down the registration process.
The bench comprising Justices Dipankar Datta and Augustine George Masih acknowledged the gravity of the situation, especially in light of the approaching deadline. By agreeing to hear the matter on December 1, the court has signalled that it recognises the concerns of waqf institutions, which could face significant legal and administrative consequences if they fail to comply with the mandated timeline. The outcome of the hearing will determine whether the Ministry of Minority Affairs, which oversees the UMEED portal, will be directed to provide temporary relief through a formal deadline extension.
Another crucial dimension of the petitions involves properties categorized as “waqf by user.” This concept traditionally referred to properties that were not formally documented as waqf but had been used continuously for charitable or religious purposes over a long period. Although the Centre’s amended law removed the concept of “waqf by user” for future endowments, the Supreme Court, in an interim order on September 15, had paused certain provisions while refusing to stay the entire law. Importantly, the court previously noted that eliminating the waqf-by-user category was not arbitrary on its face, although its long-term implications remain under judicial consideration. Petitioners now fear that properties historically recognised through usage may face complications or delays in registration unless the deadline is extended.
For many waqf boards, the stakes are high. Thousands of properties across the country—including mosques, graveyards, community centres, educational institutions, and charitable facilities—fall under the waqf framework. Any lapses in registration could lead to administrative uncertainty or disputes regarding ownership and management. The UMEED portal’s purpose is to streamline these processes by creating a centralised database, but the transition from traditional records to a digital format has proved challenging.
Challenges of digitisation, community concerns, and implications of the UMEED deadline
The implementation of the UMEED portal marks one of the most significant administrative reforms in the modern history of waqf governance in India. The portal aims to standardise record-keeping, reduce mismanagement, enhance accountability, and ensure that waqf assets are used strictly for their intended religious and charitable purposes. However, the sheer magnitude of the task has raised questions about whether the mandated six-month timeframe is realistic.
Petitioners argue that thousands of waqf institutions, particularly smaller ones in rural or remote regions, do not have the digital infrastructure to complete the task in the required timeframe. Some institutions continue to maintain their records in physical registers, making the digitisation and verification process labor-intensive and time-consuming. Technical glitches reported by users during the upload process have exacerbated delays. Internet connectivity issues, limited computer access, and inadequate training of staff have further hindered the progress of the registration exercise.
Another point of concern voiced by petitioners is that the UMEED portal does not fully accommodate the diversity of waqf documentation across states. Since waqf laws have historically been implemented at the state level, there is considerable variation in how records have been maintained. Some states have digitised their waqf properties over the years, while others still rely on paper-based systems. Harmonising these differences within a short deadline, petitioners argue, risks causing inconsistencies that could later result in legal disputes.
The debate around “waqf by user” has also introduced additional complications. This category has long been recognised in Islamic law and Indian jurisprudence as a means of acknowledging endowments that lack a written deed but have historically served a religious or charitable function. Petitioners fear that properties falling under this category may be disadvantaged during the registration process, especially since the amended law removes this recognition for future waqfs. Although the Supreme Court’s interim order preserved certain elements of the old system for ongoing cases, the lack of clarity has created anxiety among mutawallis and community leaders.
The administrative challenges extend beyond the legal and technical dimensions. Many mutawallis, who serve as caretakers of waqf properties, are elderly individuals with limited familiarity with digital systems. Several state waqf boards have reported shortages of staff capable of managing the digitisation process. Training workshops have been conducted in some states, but petitioners claim that these efforts have not been sufficient to meet the nationwide demand.
The upcoming Supreme Court hearing has therefore become a focal point for waqf administrators nationwide. For them, an extension is not merely a matter of convenience but a necessity to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the registration process. The decision will directly impact the Ministry of Minority Affairs, which is responsible for implementing the UMEED portal and monitoring compliance. If the court directs an extension, it may also result in updated guidelines or a phased registration approach, which could help institutions streamline their documentation efforts.
The stakes extend beyond administrative compliance. Waqf properties play an integral role in India’s religious, educational, and social welfare landscape. Many of these properties support schools, scholarships, community kitchens, healthcare facilities, and burial grounds. Keeping the registration process accurate and complete is essential for preserving the historical and cultural significance of these assets, ensuring transparency, and preventing encroachment or misuse.
Because the outcome of the hearing will determine whether institutions receive temporary relief, the December 1 session of the Supreme Court is being closely watched by stakeholders from across the country. Legal experts, community leaders, and waqf boards hope that the court will take into account the magnitude of the challenge, the importance of waqf assets in public life, and the practical difficulties faced by institutions attempting to comply with the digital registration mandate. Regardless of the court’s decision, the rapid transition toward digitised waqf management marks a pivotal moment in the evolution of India’s governance of religious endowments.
