The central government's ambitious process of digital registration of Waqf properties has now faced severe objections in the Supreme Court. A Mutawalli (a trustee appointed to manage Waqf property) from Madhya Pradesh has approached the court challenging the government's mandatory decision to register the 8.72 lakh Waqf properties across the country through the 'UMMEED' portal (Unified Management, Strengthening, Empowerment, and Development of Waqf properties).The petitioner claims that this digital portal is flawed to the extent that it impedes legal compliance.
Major Objections Against the 'UMMEED' Portal in the Supreme Court
The petition challenges the UMMEED Rules - 2025 and Section 3B of the Waqf Act - 1995 enforced by the Central Government, which mandate registration under these rules.
* Structural Defect: The design of the UMMEED portal itself is defective and technically non-functional.
* Against the Act's Intent: The portal is not structured in accordance with the nature of the Act. Instead, it compels the Mutawallis to make a "false declaration contrary to law."
* Questioning the Act's Propriety: The petition questions the appropriateness of the Central Ministry proceeding to enforce Sections of the Waqf Amendment Act of 2025 when those very sections are already being challenged constitutionally before the Supreme Court.
Ground Reality: Low Registration Progress
According to data from the Central Government, there are a total of 8.72 lakh Waqf properties across the country, encompassing approximately 32 lakh acres of land. However, the petition highlights the grim reality that only 20% of the properties could be digitally registered on the UMMEED portal by the statutory deadline of December 5th.
The Central Government itself confirmed the poor compliance in a letter written to the Chief Ministers of various states:
| State | Registration Percentage on UMMEED Portal |
| :--- | :--- |
| Uttar Pradesh | 35% |
| West Bengal | 12% |
| Karnataka and Tamil Nadu | Just 10% |
Key Obstacles Impeding Digital Registration
The petitioners have outlined the technical and classification difficulties faced by the Mutawallis:
1. Classification Confusion (Classification Issues)
* 99% are 'Surveyed' Properties: In Madhya Pradesh, the majority (99%) of Waqf properties are those surveyed under Section 5 of the Waqf Act or notified in the Gazette.
* No Option on the Portal: There is no appropriate category on the portal to register these 'surveyed' properties.
* Mandatory False Entry: The portal compels Mutawallis to incorrectly select the classification as "Waqf by User" or "Dedication." Consequently, entering incorrect data is inevitable for legal compliance.
2. Technical Glitches (Technical Glitches)
* System crashes and workflow issues are common.
* Names of many districts and villages are missing.
* Land Record Rejection: The portal does not accept suitable land records. For instance, it rejects official land record forms issued in Madhya Pradesh, such as the multi-Khasra ownership and decimal registration.
Violation of Constitutional Rights
The petitioners argue that punishing Mutawallis for non-compliance caused by these technical and structural defects constitutes a violation of key Constitutional Articles:
* Article 14 (Equality before the law)
* Article 21 (Protection of life and personal liberty)
* Article 25, 26 (Freedom of religion)
* Article 300A (Right to property)
The petition asserts that curtailing the rights of Mutawallis without adhering to due process is unjustifiable.
Plea to the Supreme Court
The petitioners have requested the Supreme Court to issue the following directions:
1. To the Central Government and the Central Waqf Committee to rectify the structural and technical defects in the UMMEED portal.
2. To provide protection from penalties for Mutawallis who are unable to comply with the rules due to these inherent defects.