Insights into the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, 1995

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Description
The Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, 1995, as reimagined and restructured through the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, marks a watershed moment in the legal landscape of religious endowments in India. It is with immense satisfaction and scholarly responsibility that I present this first comprehensive jurisprudential commentary on this Act-Insights into The Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, 1995.
This work is the culmination of extensive research, statutory analysis, comparative legal reasoning, and interpretive insight. The book methodically analyses every section of the Act, not merely in its text, but also through the lens of its intent, practical implications, and administrative significance. Each provision is unpacked with a focus on key ingredients and their legal relevance. What sets this work apart is the integrated comparative analysis wherever amendments have been introduced by the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 (Act 14 of 2025). Changes from the erstwhile Waqf Act, 1995 have been critically reviewed, providing the reader not only a redline of legislative shifts but also the socio-legal reasoning that underpins these transformations. Special attention has been given to the discussions and observations made by the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Bill, which have been contextualised to enhance interpretive clarity.
In furtherance of comprehensiveness, this volume also includes the full texts of related laws and rules vital to waqf jurisprudence, such as The Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Act, 2025, The Central Waqf Council Rules, 1998, and The Waqf Properties Lease Rules, 2014. This ensures that the reader has a consolidated reference to the entire legislative ecosystem governing waqf administration. This book is both a doctrinal treatise and a practical guide-crafted to serve scholars, practitioners, judicial officers, government functionaries, waqf board administrators, and policy analysts alike.
I wish to acknowledge the critical contributions of my dear friend and professional companion, Sh. Laxmi Kant Saini, CA, whose insights during manuscript vetting were both rigorous and enriching. His constructive suggestions significantly enhanced the analytical depth of the text.
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1. Preliminary
Chapter 2. Survey of [Auqaf]
Chapter 3. Central Waqf Council
Chapter 4. Establishment of Boards and their Functions
Chapter 5. Registration of Auqaf
Chapter 6. Maintenance of Auqaf
Chapter 7. Finance of the Board
Chapter 8. Judicial Proceedings
Chapter 9. Miscellaneous
Chapter 10. Protection of ST Land from Waqf Declarations
Chapter 11. Rights of Waqf Tenants
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Author Details
Dr K K Khandelwal, is a former Indian civil servant, engineer, legal expert, author, and academician. He currently serves as the Chief National Commissioner of the Bharat Scouts and Guides in New Delhi. Prior to this, he held the position of Chairman of the Haryana Real Estate Regulatory Authority in Gurugram. Dr K K Khandelwal's contributions span across his roles in civil service, academia, and legal literature. His work, particularly in the field of real estate regulation and scout leadership, alongside his academic contributions, has been widely recognized. His interdisciplinary research and publications reflect his broad range of academic pursuits and professional engagements.