The Union government launched the 'Umeed' portal to centralise the registration of all Waqf properties nationwide. State Waqf Boards must register properties with geotagged details within six months.

This initiative aims to enhance transparency and efficiency, following the contested Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which is currently under scrutiny by the Supreme Court.

The Union Government launched 'Umeed' portal on Friday to digitize and centralize Waqf property registrations nationwide.

Waqf, in Islamic law, is a charitable endowment where a person dedicates property for religious or charitable purposes. Once a property is declared as Waqf, it cannot be sold, gifted, or mortgaged.

The person who creates the Waqf is called the 'Waqif'. The income generated from these properties is used for the welfare of the community, such as funding schools, hospitals, orphanages, and supporting the poor.

What is the 'Umeed' Portal?
'Umeed' stands for 'Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development'.

It is a centralized digital platform designed to achieve:

Centralized Registration => It will create a single, unified database of all Waqf properties across the country.
Transparency and Accountability => By making property details public and standardized, the portal aims to bring greater transparency to the management of these assets and reduce instances of mismanagement or encroachment.
Efficiency => Digitization is expected to make the administration and management of these properties more efficient for the State Waqf Boards.
Empowerment and Development => The portal aims to ensure that the benefits derived from these properties reach the intended beneficiaries, which primarily include women, children, and the economically weaker sections of society.
Registration Process

Notable is registration is mandatory.This means all Waqf properties must be registered on the 'Umeed' portal. The respective State Waqf Boards will handle the registration process.

There is a strict deadline of six months from the portal's launch for this registration to be completed.

Detailed Information Required => The registration is not just a formality. It requires detailed descriptions of each property, including its specific dimensions and its geotagged location.

If there are genuine technical or other significant reasons for a delay, an extension of one to two months may be granted.

Properties that are not registered within the given timeframe (including any extension) will be declared 'disputed'. These cases will then be referred to the Waqf Tribunal for resolution. Waqf Tribunals are quasi-judicial bodies established to adjudicate disputes related to Waqf properties.