Govt. may oversee mutts and temples 

Govt. may oversee mutts and temples

Context

Amendment to Muzrai Act

News

Religious mutts and temples under their control that have so far remained outside the ambit of the government could come within it’s purview if changes being considered for the ‘Muzrai’ Act is any indication

7 member Committee

A seven-member committee, currently in the process of suggesting comprehensive changes in the Act, is considering inclusion of mutts and temples controlled by mutts under the purview of the Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act, popularly known as ‘Muzrai’ Act

Amendments to the 1997 Act struck down in 2015

• Non-inclusion of mutts and temples run by them, and keeping away Jains, Buddhists and Sikhs from the definition of “Hindus” had led a Division Bench of the Karnataka High Court to strike down the 2011 and 2012 Amendments brought to the Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act, 1997
• Terming the exclusion as “illegal and discriminatory”, the high court had struck down amendments in 2015
• Even the 1997 Act was stuck down by the High Court in 2006 on the same grounds that mutts have been kept outside the purview, but the Supreme Court stayed a portion of the High Court’s ruling

Hence, government now wants to bring a uniform and comprehensive Act that will overcome loopholes

High courts’ ruling: Changes being considered

K’tka HC ruling stressed on raised issues pertaining to Article 14, 25 and 26 of Indian constitution that refer to fundamental rights of the citizens

These included how the mutts had been kept away from the Act and how Jains, Buddhists and Sikhs were not brought under the Act

• These observations of the court are being considered
• Apart from this, there are Supreme Court observations too that will be incorporated

Other changes

• Handing over temples to families: The Muzrai Department has received 70 applications after it decided to let go of “C” category temples to families where priests have hereditarily performed duties. The department also intends to let go of gadduges (seats) of seers of various mutts that are currently under its supervision

Agama Schools

In a bid to create access to learning of Agama, Sanskrit and vedas to aspiring priests, a proposal has been mooted to start Agama schools from the next academic year in six temple towns across the State. The temples at KukkeSubramanya, Kollur, Devarayanadurga, and YellammaGudda are among those identified to start the schools, which will train aspirants and issue certificates. Currently, there are 32 Agama schools run by the government

Agama: The Agamas are a collection of scriptures of several Hindu devotional schools. The term literally means tradition or “that which has come down”