Only 27% of India’s Waqf assets digitised: Which state has the highest no. of Waqf properties?

Karnataka leads the country in terms of approved registrations with 52,917 properties uploaded (81% of its total), followed by Jammu & Kashmir (25,046; 77%) and Punjab (24,969; 90%).

The Centre’s six-month nationwide exercise to digitise Waqf properties wrapped up this week, with just over a quarter of all assets registered on the UMEED portal, even as Uttar Pradesh emerged as the state with the largest inventory of Waqf properties in the country.

The UMEED (Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development) portal, launched on June 6 by Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, officially closed for uploads on December 6 at 11:59 pm, in line with the Waqf (Amendment) Act and Supreme Court directions that mandated a six-month window.

Data released by the Ministry of Minority Affairs shows that 5.17 lakh properties were initiated on the portal during this period, while 2,16,905 were approved by designated officers. Another 2,13,941 entries remain pending verification, and 10,869 applications were rejected.

The ministry said submissions surged sharply near the deadline, driven by multiple review meetings, training workshops, zonal consultations, and a dedicated helpline. Minority Affairs Secretary Chandra Shekhar Kumar held more than 20 review meetings to push states and UTs to complete the process in time.

Despite this mobilisation, overall compliance remained low. Of the estimated 8 lakh Waqf properties across India, only about 27% made it to the approved list on the portal.

Uttar Pradesh leads in total Waqf assets

Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of Waqf properties in India, estimated at 2.4 lakh under its Sunni and Shia boards. But its upload performance was modest, with just 12,982 Sunni (11%) and 789 Shia (5%) properties approved.

West Bengal comes next

West Bengal, the second-largest holder of Waqf assets with 80,480 properties, recorded the weakest response. Only 716 properties were registered, a completion rate of just 0.89%.

Karnataka, J&K among best performers

Karnataka leads the country in terms of approved registrations with 52,917 properties uploaded (81% of its total), followed by Jammu & Kashmir (25,046; 77%) and Punjab (24,969; 90%). Maharashtra saw 17,971 properties registered out of 36,700 (48%).

The UMEED portal aims to overhaul Waqf administration by centralising records, geo-tagging properties, and creating a unified national digital inventory. The three-stage process includes data entry by mutawallis, verification by Waqf Board officials, and final clearance by board CEOs.

The ministry said the completion of the first phase marks a major step toward transparent and efficient management of Waqf assets, one of the country’s largest categories of community-held properties.