 SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS

The terms of reference laid down in the Resolution of the Government of India constituting the Committee of Experts confined its role either to examining the present status of implementation of recommendations of the Gujral Committee or to rendering advice regarding the modalities of their further implementation. It has, therefore, to be understood that this Committee has functioned within this framework.

Speedy and Time Bound Implementation

It is absolutely essential that Gujral Committee's recommendations should be implemented within a time-frame on priority basis. The implementation of the recommendations should be left to the attitude and judgement of individual Ministries and Departments of the Centre and the State Governments. The Committee recommends that, in the Government of India, the Cabinet should take a definite decision on each of the recommendations and incorporate them in a comprehensive Resolution, which later should be moved by the Government for endorsement in both the Houses of Parliament. This alone can inspire confidence in the Urdu speaking population of the country and, at the same time, ensure the speedy and time-bound implementation of the recommendations.

EDUCATION

2. Primary Education

(a) The Education Departments of the State Governments, Union Territories and and Local Authorities should, in the light of Article 350-A of the Constitution, make necessary arrangements for teaching in Urdu at the primary stage for the benefit of those who claim it as their Mother Tongue. A Committee to monitor the implementation of these constitutional commitments may be set up in the concerned states with the Chief Ministers as Chairmen.

(b) In substitution of 10:40 Formula, the Committee accepts the recommendation of the Gujral Committee that:

(i) where in an area speakers of Urdu constitute 10% or more of the total population, one or more Urdu medium primary schools should be set up according to need. Such schools need not be exclusively of one medium. Efforts should be made to keep Urdu and non-Urdu medium students at the same school to avoid segregation;

(ii) in an area where Urdu speaking people constitute les than 10% of the total population, an Urdu teacher should be provided in such schools as are likely to get a minimum of 10 Urdu speaking students;

(iii) for immediate purposes, bilingual teachers may be appointed in schools mentioned in (ii) above. The existing teachers in such schools may also be given incentives to learn Urdu additionally; *(4.132)

(iv) the facility of Balwadis and Anganwadis at the pre-primary level should be made available to Urdu speaking children to feed Urdu medium primary schools and improve their standard.

3.Secondary Education

In substitution of 15:60 Formula, the Committee accepts the recommendation of the Gujral Committee that:

(i) it should be presumed that two third of the students leaving primary schools would be desirous of moving on to the next stage of education. Urdu medium sections in the existing secondary schools should be provided on this basis and Urdu knowing teachers should be appointed in anticipation of students offering Urdu as medium. The emphasis should be on students studying through different media in the same school;

(ii) in case of higher secondary schools in cities having concentration of Urdu speakers, one Urdu medium higher secondary school should be opened for every group of 8 to 10 primary schools; (4.195 & 4.202)

(* Recommendation number of the Gujral Committee for Promotion of Urdu).

(iii) the State Governments should help in raisiing the standard of teaching in such Urdu medium higher secondary schools as are run by linguistic minorities themselves; (4.197)

(iv) the pre-conditions, if any, for permitting the setting up of Urdu medium higher secondary schools and sections privately should be relaxed in favour of the Urdu linguistic minority setting up such schools or sections, and the procedure so simplified that the required permission would be granted within two months of the date of application; (4.198)

(v) the facility of Urdu medium secondary schools should, as proposed in the case of Primary Education be provided wherever the Urdu speaking population of an area constitutes 10% of the population. (4.144)

4. Three Language Formula

The Committee reiterated the Language Formula recommended by the Gujral Committee vide paras 4.240 and 4.241. The Committee felt that some special provision should be made for Urdu linguistic minority both in respect of Hindi and Non-Hindi speaking states. The text of the approved Formula and the stages at which languages are to be taught is as under:

I. In Hindi Speaking States

(a) Hindi

(with Sanskrit as part of composite course);

(b) Urdu or any other modern Indian language excluding (a); and

In the case of Urdu linguistic minority, their mother tongue will be the first language, Hindi the second language and English or any other modern European language as the third language. It should further be ensured that, as recommended by the Gujral Committee in para 4.242 of the Report students whose mother tongue is Urdu should learn Hindi and those whose mother tongue is Hindi should get an opportunity to learn Urdu.

II. In Non-Hindi Speaking States

(a) Regional language;

(b) Hindi;

(d) English or any other modern European language.

For Urdu linguistic minority, the following formula may be implemented:

(a) Urdu and Hindi (a composite course);

(b) Regional Language;

It is clarified that the expression "Regional Language" where ever used in the above text in respect of non-Hindi speaking States should be interpreted as the official language of the State.

The stages at which different languages are required to be taught shall be as under:

For Urdu Linguistic Minority in Hindi Speaking States

(i) Urdu as medium of instruction from Class I to X

From class III to X where the student is studying in Hindi/English Medium schools;

(ii) Hindi from class III to X; and

(iii) English or any other modern European language from class VI to X.

For Urdu Linguistic Minority in Non-Hindi Speaking States

(i) Urdu as medium of instruction from class I to X

From Class III to X where the student is studying in English/official language of the State as medium of instruction;

(ii) Urdu and Hindi as a composite course from Class V to X

Hindi as an independent language from Class V to X;

(iii) Official Language of the State from class III to X; and

(iv) English or any other modern European language from Class VI to X.

Composite Course

With regard to the introduction of various language in different stages, there has to be uniformity in the system. It was brought to the notice of the Committee that there is disparity in total load on the majority and minority language students. This has to be looked into. As suggested by Gujral Committee, introduction of a composite course could be a solution.

5. College and University Education

The Committee reiterates the recommendations of the Gujral Committee with regard to the setting up of the Urdu medium secondary schools and college(s) in States where there is sizeable Urdu speaking population. As regards post-graduate studies and research in Urdu, the Committee has observed that Urdu Departments exist in some of the Universities. There is need to extend these facilities in other Universities serving areas with sizeable Urdu population. (4.340,4.369)

6. Training Of Urdu Teachers

To cope with the tremendous paucity of trained Urdu teachers at the primary and secondary levels, immediate steps should be taken to expand the training facilities in the country at the Centre and the States. The State Governments should set up, Centres for giving concentrated short-term courses for Urdu teachers on the lines of Urdu training Centres of the Central Government at Solan in Himachal Pradesh, Patiala in Punjab and

Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, running under the aegis of the Central Institute of Indian Languages, Mysore. The NCERT, SCERTs and Regional Colleges at Ajmer, Bhopal, Mysore and Bhubaneshwar should step up programmes for the training of Urdu teachers. Aligarh Muslim University, Jamia Millia Islamia and other Central and State Universities should start crash programmes for the training of Urdu teachers to meet the immediate requirements. Wherever possible, cooperation of Urdu Academies should also be sought. Teachers desirous of learning to teach Urdu or in Urdu should be given incentives in the form of Scholarships or additional allowances. (4.286)

7.Inspection And Supervision

A machinery for Inspection and Supervison of schools should be made effective by appointing Urdu knowing Inspection Staff. The Inspectorate for this supervision should be independent of the Education Department. Its charge should be both Inspection and Evaluation. At the end of every academic year, the results should be assessed both at the District and State level by committees comprising officials as well as representatives of parents, teachers and Urdu organisations. Every State Government should set up an Evaluation Cell for appraising education in Urdu. (4.328 & 4.329)

8. Drop-Outs in Urdu Medium Schools

The drop-out rate in Urdu medium primary schools is very high. Special measures should be taken to bring the Urdu students into schools and to check the drop-out rate. For the

weaker sections among the Urdu speaking population, a flexible school system should be devised.

9. Correspondence Course in Urdu

The State authorities should persuade atleast one University to start correspondence courses in the States of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, West Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir. These courses should be started both Diploma and the Certificate levels. The Bureau for Promotion of Urdu should start the course immediately. The Jamia Millia Islamia should further strengthen its Urdu correspondence course. Wherever possible, the cooperation of State Urdu Academies be sought. The Urdu Academies may also set up Urdu Centres for meeting the demand for Urdu. (4.331, 4.332)

10. Urdu Text-Books

The State Governments should ensure that all Urdu text-books are printed and made available in the market well before the beginning of the academic session. The distribution machinery of the Urdu text books should be overhauled. The NCERT should also ensure that their Urdu text books are available at least three months before the start of an academic session. The syllabus, whenever revised', should be ready one year before the text books are to be introduced and within this period translation and printing of text-books in all languages, particularly Urdu, should be completed. (4.323 to 4.326)

11. Crash Programme on Education

A crash programme on education for the Urdu linguistic minority should be formulated for implementation within the next three years. This programme should include Girls Education, Operation Blackboard, Non-Formal Education, Adult Education and District Institutes of Education and Training.

12. Constitutional Safeguards & Legislation

(i) The Committee reiterates the recommendations of the Gujral Committee in respect of Constitutional Safeguards and Legislation for Urdu speakers in States and Union Territories under Article 345 of the Constitution. It urges that the use of minority language or languages for official work work should be ensured in the State/Union Territory concerned. The pattern of providing safeguards for linguistic minorities in the State Acts on Official Language has been set by the Andhra Pradesh Official Language Act. The Committee commends it to the States and Union Territories for similar action with the further proviso that the areas and purposes (educational, administrative, judicial etc.) for which the State decides to allow the use of or particular language or languages, should be comprehensively specified in the Act itself.

(ii) The Centre should ensure effective implementation of the safeguards for the linguistic minorities by the States and Union Territories. (3.60)

13. Official Status of Urdu

The Union Government, in consultation with the States/UTs (and preferrably also the Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities), should lay down the guidelines for uniform legislation, in respect of the official status of Urdu to be enacted by the States and the Union Territories concerned.

14. Minimum Purposes for Official use of Urdu

The Committee recommends that the minimum purposes for official use of minority language should be those recommended by the Anjuman Taraqqi-e-Urdu, Andhra Pradesh for areas where at least 10% of the population has claimed Urdu as its principal language vide Appendix XII of Gujral Committee Report.

15. Use of Urdu in Municipal Areas and other Local Bodies

In Municipal areas and other local bodies, with 30% or more of Urdu speaking population, local administration should be carried on in both the languages, i.e., the official language of the State and Urdu.

16. Review of State Laws

The existing State Laws should be revised and amended to provide:

(a) guidelines for the executive to identify the official purposes and areas for the use of Urdu; and

(b) mechanisms to oversee their implementation. (3.55 to 3.58)

17. Official Language Commissions

Official Languages Commissions should be set up in all States on the lines of such Commissions established in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. The jurisdiction of these Commissions should be extended to include the supervision of the official use of minority language or languages. One representative of the Urdu speaking minority should be included in the Commissions.

18. Appointment of Special Officers

The steps enumerated in para 5.254 of the Gujral Committee Report should be taken to identify Officers for implementation of different recommendations. An Urdu knowing Joint Secretary in the State General Administration Department and an Urdu knowing Joint Director in the State Education Department should be appointed in States with a sizeable Urdu speaking population. (4.329, 5.254)