(Image source from: PTI)

The Supreme Court on Monday supported the government's stance by not moving the December 6 deadline for updating Waqf property information on the Umeed website. Those who asked for the extension said they couldn't upload the details because of computer issues and difficulty finding the people responsible for the properties. But the Supreme Court suggested that if they can't upload the information, they should go to the Waqf tribunal. Justices Dipankar Datta and Augustine George Masih stated that the tribunal should handle each case individually, as they cannot change the Waqf Act, which already offers a solution. The court emphasized that it shouldn't get involved when Parliament has already created a system for dealing with registration problems. They added that if the website is frozen, people won't be blamed, and if the tribunal agrees, their applications will still be reviewed.

"If you have trouble, you can always ask us for help." Since the Supreme Court would not change the deadline, people must now submit their requests to the Waqf Tribunal by December 6. They should also keep track of any technical problems with the online system and ask the Tribunal directly for more time or explanations, as the Tribunal now has the power to grant these.

To improve how Muslim charitable properties are managed, the government launched the Umeed website on June 6. This website aims to create a digital map-based record of all Waqf properties. By law, every registered Waqf property in the country must be added to this website within six months. Lawyer Kapil Sibal, representing those applying, argued that "six months is not enough time because we don't have all the information. For Waqfs that are 100 or 125 years old, we don't know who established them. Without this information, the website won't let us upload it."