Ministry of Minority Affairs launches two additional modules, named Survey Module and Waqf Property Lease Module on the UMEED Central Portal

1. At a Glance

UMEED = Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development — a centralised digital portal of the Ministry of Minority Affairs for real-time uploading, verification, and monitoring of Waqf properties [S1][S2].
On 30 January 2026, two new modules — Survey Module and Waqf Property Lease Module — were added to the portal [S1].
Relevance: tests aspirant knowledge of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, e-governance over religious endowments, and centre-state administration of minority welfare (GS-II) [S3].

30 Jan 2026: Dr. Chandra Shekhar Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Minority Affairs, launched the Survey Module and Waqf Property Lease Module on the UMEED Central Portal [S1].
Follows the 6 December 2025 closure of the initial upload window for Waqf property data on the portal [S4].

Waqf Act, 1995 governs administration of Waqf properties; amended via Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 (rebranded by the Act as the UMEED Act) [S3][S5].
6 June 2025: UMEED Central Portal launched in New Delhi by Union Minister Kiren Rijiju (MoS George Kurian present) [S2][S6].
6 December 2025: Six-month upload window for Waqf Boards to upload property details closed [S4].
30 January 2026: Survey Module + Waqf Property Lease Module added [S1].

Implementing ministry: Ministry of Minority Affairs (MoMA), Government of India [S1].
Portal URL: umeed.minorityaffairs.gov.in [S2].
Statutory basis: Waqf Act, 1995 as amended by Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 [S3].
Survey Module: digital framework to capture, manage and update information on survey of Waqf properties [S1].
Waqf Property Lease Module: end-to-end management of leasing-related information of Waqf properties [S1].
Key Amendment Act changes: removal of Section 40 (Waqf Boards' power to unilaterally declare property as Waqf); Section 65 mandates Waqf Boards to submit improvement reports within six months; Section 32(4) enables development of Waqf land for educational/commercial/housing use [S3].

Administrative / Governance — Shifts Waqf record-keeping from fragmented State Waqf Boards to a centralised, geo-tagged digital inventory with online grievance redressal [S2]. Reduces information asymmetry between Mutawallis and beneficiaries.
Legal / Constitutional — Operationalises the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025; the deletion of Section 40 curbs arbitrary "Waqf-by-Board" declarations that had triggered title disputes [S3]. Touches Article 26 (religious denomination rights) — currently under SC challenge.
Ethical / Transparency — Real-time uploads, public visibility and lease tracking aim at accountability over community endowments worth lakhs of crores [S2].
Economic — Lease Module is expected to unlock revenue from idle Waqf assets, aligning with Section 32(4) powers to develop properties commercially [S3].
Social — Targets the Muslim minority community's welfare ecosystem; Waqf revenue funds madrasas, graveyards, dargahs, and welfare for the indigent.

June 2025: Parliament passes Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 (the UMEED Act) [S3].
6 Jun 2025: UMEED Central Portal launched by Kiren Rijiju [S2].
6 Dec 2025: Portal upload deadline for Waqf Boards completed [S4].
30 Jan 2026: Survey + Lease modules launched by Secretary MoMA [S1].

UMEED stands for Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development [S1].
Portal launched on 6 June 2025 by Minister Kiren Rijiju [S2].
Implementing ministry: Ministry of Minority Affairs (not Ministry of Home Affairs) [S1].
Two new modules launched 30 January 2026: Survey and Waqf Property Lease [S1].
Launched by Dr. Chandra Shekhar Kumar, Secretary, MoMA [S1].
Statutory base: Waqf Act, 1995, as amended by Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 [S3].
Section 40 of Waqf Act, 1995 — deleted by the 2025 amendment [S3].
Section 65 — Waqf Boards must submit improvement reports within 6 months [S3].
Section 32(4) — Waqf Boards may develop properties for education, markets, housing [S3].
Upload deadline for property data: 6 December 2025 [S4].
Portal features include geo-tagging, online grievance redressal, lease tracking [S2].
MoS Minority Affairs at portal launch: George Kurian [S2].

GS-II: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections (minorities); governance, transparency & accountability; mechanisms for redressal.
Syllabus headings: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors / Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States.
Possible stems: 1. "Digital portals like UMEED can transform Waqf governance only if backed by statutory reform. Discuss in light of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025." 2. "Examine how the removal of Section 40 of the Waqf Act, 1995 alters the balance between Waqf Boards and private property holders." 3. "Critically assess the role of geo-tagged inventories in improving transparency of community endowments in India."

Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 — parent legislation enabling the portal [S3].
Central Waqf Council & State Waqf Boards — administrative apparatus.
Article 26 of the Constitution — religious denomination rights, SC litigation linkage.
Sachar Committee Report (2006) — baseline data on Waqf assets and Muslim welfare.
PM-JANMAN / PM-VIKAS (erstwhile PMJVK) — other MoMA schemes for comparative MCQs.
Religious Endowments comparison — Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments Acts (state-level).
DigiLocker / Bhoomi / SVAMITVA — analogous digital land-record initiatives.
National Commission for Minorities (NCM), 1992 — institutional framework.

Wrong full form: UMEED is Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development — not "Unified Minority…" [S1].
Wrong ministry: It is Ministry of Minority Affairs, NOT Ministry of Home Affairs or Ministry of Law.
Wrong launcher of new modules: The Secretary, MoMA (Dr. Chandra Shekhar Kumar) launched the Jan 2026 modules — the Minister Kiren Rijiju launched the original portal in June 2025 [S1][S2].
Section 40 confusion: Section 40 was removed (not merely amended) by the 2025 Act [S3].
Date mix-up: Portal launch = 6 June 2025; upload deadline = 6 December 2025; new modules = 30 January 2026 [S2][S4][S1].

[S1] Ministry of Minority Affairs launches two additional modules… on UMEED Central Portal — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2221166 — (tier: 1)
[S2] Union Minority Affairs Minister launches UMEED Central Portal — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2134499 — (tier: 1)
[S3] The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025: An overview of the Act vs Bill — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2118799 — (tier: 1)
[S4] Late Surge, Strong Performance: UMEED Portal Handled Massive Uploads — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2201122 — (tier: 1)
[S5] The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025 Explained — https://www.pib.gov.in/FaqDetails.aspx?NoteId=154100 — (tier: 1)
[S6] Secretary, MoMA reviews UMEED Portal implementation & Haj 2025 Operations in Maharashtra — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2138660 — (tier: 1)