New Delhi, Jan. 5: The Dar-ul Uloom Deoband, the largest Islamic seminary in the subcontinent, has come up with stricter admission rules in a bid to clear the cloud of suspicion surrounding some madarsas.

According to the revised guidelines, it will be mandatory for every entrant to submit his identity proof, including birth certificate, a copy of the ration card, details about family and certificate of conduct from the previous school or madarsa in case the candidate had enrolled himself in one. It has also been decided to maintain separate files for each student.

“We have taken the decisions as various madarsas were linked to terror attacks in the recent past. Although none of the allegations has been proved, it has created suspicion in the minds of the public. With the new system, we want everything to be transparent and foolproof,” said Mohammed Ansari, one of the rectors of the Dar-ul Uloom.

Ansari said the new system had the full support of parents as they were concerned after reports of raids on madarsas.

“Since the Dar-ul Uloom is looked up to by all madarsas in the country as a model institution, the new education system will be emulated by madarsas across the country,” the rector said.

Students coming from the border areas of Bengal and Assam will have to produce attested copies of identification documents, which include transfer certificate of any government school, ration card or passport, at the time of admission.

Students from Bangladesh must carry educational visa and a letter certified by Maulana Qari Abdul Khaliq, Jamia Hussainiya, Arzabad, Mirpur, Dhaka.

The candidates will also have to present certificates on their character and educational record from the previous madarsa they studied in, along with the mark sheet.

“Till now, personal testimonies were accepted as proof which had made the whole system very loose,” said the rector.

The Dar-ul Uloom will now insist that foreign students must get education visa from the Indian embassy in their country. Making it clear that students cannot be admitted on the basis of tourist visas, the guidelines require submission of passport and visa along with the admission form.

The seminary has decided to terminate its distant education facility to avoid miscreants misusing the name of the institution.

The Dar-ul Uloom is also trying to modernise its curriculum. New courses in English language, computer and journalism are being introduced.

However, norms that emphasise the religious character of the seminary will be enforced strictly.

“Students not having proper appearance like improper haircut, trimming beard, letting trouser below ankle or doing any thing against the traditions of the Dar-ul Uloom Deoband” will not be given permission to sit in the entrance exam hall, according to the guidelines.

The Dar-ul Uloom was recently in the news after the Administrative Reforms Commission, headed by Veerappa Moily, had mentioned the organisation in a report titled Combating Terrorism. The report said that in 1994, a terror group leader from Pakistan had visited India and had interacted extensively with some Deoband clerics.

Another rector of the seminary, Maulana Marghoobur Rahman, asked the government to make the report public and wanted the Congress to clarify the issue.