Enact laws for Urdu-medium schools in states: govt panel

The sub-committee on promotion of Urdu language today asked the government to enact laws for establishment of Urdu-medium educational institutes in states like Uttar Pradesh and conduct examinations in the language.
The sub-committee said such laws were needed as Urdu- medium schools could not be opened in certain states due to legal provisions that made the use of the official language of the state mandatory as medium of instruction and examination.
"Therefore, the government may formulate such laws that may allow the state governments to establish Urdu-medium educational institutions and conduct examinations in Urdu in Uttar Pradesh and such other states," the panel said in its report to HRD Minister M M Pallam Raju.

It also recommended that Urdu-medium schools be granted a five per cent quota for admission to government colleges.
"Knowledge of Urdu must be made compulsory for administrative and semi-academic staff in every institution for education, teaching, promotion and propagation of Urdu in institutes like Maulana Azad National Urdu University and National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language," it said.
The panel said there should be transparency in implementing the three-language formula as Urdu had been practically ousted from the category of modern Indian languages, depriving students aspiring to learn the language.

Observing that English language skills of minority students must be honed, the panel said a monitoring committee needed to be formed to take care of the academic and administrative aspects of English language courses.

Special emphasis should be laid on communicative strategies of teaching that would revolve around listening, reading, writing and speaking skills in English, it said.
The rules for the minimum qualification of BEd or TTE- trained Urdu teachers should also be amended for madrasa passouts as they have only one qualifying certificate on par with certificates of Classes 10 and 12, so that they may also qualify for training as Urdu teachers, it said.
The sub-committee, which was set up with Prof Akhtarul Wasey as Chairman in April 2012, also suggested amending Section 122 of the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan Code to enable them to impart Urdu education.

At present, none of the schools run by the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan in the country provide Urdu education due to the condition of minimum of 15 students for offering courses in the language.
Urdu should also be introduced as a subject in the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas as well as Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas, the sub-committee said.