CHAIRMAN'S LETTER TO THE EDUCATION MINISTER
D.O. No. F.1-2/75-CPU
SHASTRI BHAVAN
NEW DELHI
May 8, 1975
My dear Professor Hasan,
I have great pleasure in submitting the Report of the Committee for Promotion of Urdu.
On this occasion I would like to express the Committee's sincere gratitude for the help and encouragement which it has received in such generous measure from you. It has been our endeavour to provide a workable basis for charting out our future course of action with a flexibility of approach. I am confident that you will ensure speedy consideration and implementation of the recommendations we have made.
With regards.
Yours sincerely,
Sd/-
(I. K. GUJRAL)
Professor S. Nurul Hasan, Minister of Education, Social Welfare and Culture, Government of India, New Delhi.
TABLE OF CONTENT
Page
Chairman's letter to the Education Minister 1
CHAPTER I : Introductory 1
CHAPTER It : Historical Background 6
Early History 6
Modern Indian Languages 7
The Deccani 8
Official Language in Deccan 8
Popular Roots 9
In the Land of Braj 10
The New Centre in Delhi 10
Diffusion and Diversification 11
Lucknow the New Centre 12
Rise of Prose 12
Urdu and Administration 13
Contacts with West 14
Urdu and the Freedom Struggle 14
Age of Rationalism 14
Progressive Writing 15
Multi-Religious Literature 15
Translations from Other Languages 16
Dar-ul-Tarjama 16
Post-Independence Era 17
Research 17
New Writing 17
Humour and Satire 18
Fresh Fields 18
Population Statistics 18
Urdu Speakers 19
Subsidiary Language 20
Urban and Rural 21
Concentrations of Speakers 21
CHAPTER III : Constitutional Safeguards 23
Fundamental Rights 23
Language and Constitution 24
Hindustani 25
States' Reorganisation Commission 26
Comprehensive Scheme of Safeguards 27
Urdu and the States 27
Implementation 30
CHAPTER IV : Education 31
Background 31
Urdu Medium in Primary Education 37
Andhra Pradesh 37
Bihar 38
Delhi 39
Gujarat 39
Haryana 39
Himachal Pradesh 40
jammu and Kashmir 40
Karnataka 40
Madhya Pradesh 40
Maharashtra 41
Orissa 41
(iii)
(iv)
Punjab 41
Rajasthan 42
Tamil Nadu 42
Uttar Pradesh 42
Urdu Maktabs 43
West Bengal 43
10 : 40 Formula 44
Secondary and Higher Secondary Education 45
15 : 60 Formula 46
Urdu as a Subject 47
Urdu Medium at Secondary Stage 48
Andhra Pradesh 48
Bihar 48
Delhi 48
Haryana 49
Karnataka 49
Madhya Pradesh 49
Maharashtra 50
Orissa 50
Punjab 50
Rajasthan 50
Tamil Nadu 51
Uttar Pradesh 51
West Bengal 51
other States 52
General Survey 52
Medium of Examination 53
Three Language Formula 54
Andhra Pradesh 54
Bihar 54
Delhi 54
Haryana 54
Himachal Pradesh 55
Karnataka 55
Jammu and Kashmir 55
Madhya Pradesh 55
Maharashtra 55
Orissa 55
Punjab 55
Rajasthan 56
Tamil Nadu 56
Uttar Pradesh 56
West Bengal 57
General 57
Training of Teachers 58
Andhra Pradesh 58
Bihar 58
Delhi 59
Haryana 59
Himachal Pradesh 59
Jammu and Kashmir 59
Karnataka 60
Maharashtra 60
Orissa 60
Rajasthan 61
Tamil Nadu 61
Uttar Pradesh 61
West Bengal 62
General 62
Textbooks 63
Andhra Pradesh 64
Bihar 65
Delhi 65
Haryana 65
Himachal Pradesh 65
Jammu and Kashmir 65
Karnataka 65
Madhya Pradesh 66
Maharashtra 66
Orissa 66
Punjab 66
Rajasthan 66
Tamil Nadu 66
Uttar Pradesh 66
West Bengal 67
General 67
Grades for Urdu Teachers 67
Inspecting Staff 67
Adult Education 68
Correspondence Courses 68
Libraries 68
University Education 69
Andhra Pradesh 69
Bihar 69
Himachal Pradesh 69
Jammu and Kashmir 69
Karnataka 69
Madhya Pradesh 70
Maharashtra 70
Orissa 70
Punjab 70
Rajasthan 70
Uttar Pradesh 70
West Bengal 70
Urdu Research Institute 70
Urdu University 71
Bureau for Promotion of Urdu 72
CHAPTER V : Administration 73
Background 73
States Reorganisation 76
Amplification of Safeguards 78
The Memorandum 78
Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities 79
Use for Official Purposes 50
Translation of Laws and Regulations 80
Representations in Urdu 83
Learning of Urdu by Officials 84
Urdu Typists and Typewriters 85
Government Service and Urdu 85
Registration of Documents 90
Urdu in Courts 90
Urdu in Legislatures 92
Electoral Rolls 92
Urdu and the Centre 92
Steps to Promote Urdu 93
Union Public Service Commission 93
Posts and Telegraphs 93
(vi)
Railways 94
Road Signs and Name Plates 95
Media of Mass Communication 95
(A) At the Centre, 95
All India Radio 95
Press Information Bureau 97
Publication Division 98
Distribution of Plan Literature 99
Films 99
Directorate of Advertising and Visual
Publicity 99
(B) In the States 99
Government Gazette 99
Official Journals 99
Publicity Material 99
implementation of Safeguards 99
CHAPTER VI : Journalism 101
Background 101
The Great Rebellion 102
Post-Rebellion Journalism 103
The Era of Wit and Humour 103
Journalistic Standards 103
Coming of Age 103
Urdu Press Overseas 106
Khilafat Movement 106
Post-Independence Era 107
Diverse Problems 108
Finances 111
Loans for Installing Printing Machinery 111
Small Newspapers Consultancy Service 112
Newsprint 112
Advertisements 114
Display Advertisements 115
(a) Mass Campaigns 115
(b) Sales Promotion 116
(c) Announcements and Notifications 116
Classified Advertisements 116
Public and Private Sector Advertisements 116
Centralized Release of Advertisements 116
Advertising by States 117
Advertisement Rates 118
Payment of Bills 119
Accreditation 119
Journalistic Standards 120
Training 120
News Agency Services 121
Old Age Pensions 121
Information Units in States 121
Kitabat and Composition 122
Prosecution of Journals 122
CHAPTER VII : Literature 123
Readership 123
European Interest 125
Fort William College Publications 125
Early Publications 125
Back to Calligraphy 125
Diversified Production 126
Print Order 127
Urdu Script 127
(Vii)
Page
Use of Type Print 127
Vocabulary 128
Interlingual Exchanges 128
Need for Diversification 129
Terminology 129
Urdu Academies 131
Incentives to Writers 131
Distribution of Awards 132
Assignments of Translations 132
Old Age Stipends 132
Research and Reference Works 132
Publishers' Problems 133
Copyright 134
Piracy 134
Cheap Editions 134
Loans from Banks and Import Facilities 134
Calligraphers'Ink 134
Railway Stalls 134
Refresher Courses 134
The Cooperative Concept 135
Sales Organisation 135
Writers'Workshop 136
Related Problems 136
Coordination among Government Agencies 136
Export of Books 136
National Bibliography 136
Grants for Libraries 136
Scholars Emeritus 137
Grants for Conferences 137
Summary of Conclusions and Recommendations 138
APPENDICES
I. Resolution of the Working Committee of the Indian
National Congress dated August S. 1949 165
II. Resolution adopted by the Provincial Education
Ministers Conference of August 1949 and approved by
the Central Advisory Board of Education and Government
of India 166
Ill. Constitutional Provisions in respect of languages 167
V. Memorandum of safeguards for Linguistic Minorities
issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs in 1956 170
V. Press Note issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs,
Government of India dated July 14, 1958, containi-
ng statement on language 173
VI. Decisions reached at the Ministerial Committee of
the Southern Zonal Council held at Ootacamund
in May 1959 175
VII Statement issued by the meeting of the Chief Ministe-
rs of States and Central Ministers held on August 10,
11 and 12, 1961 181
VIII. National Integration Conference-Statement Septe-
mber, 1961 184
IX. Extracts from Minutes of the first meeting of the
Committee of Vice-Chairman of the Zonal Councils
held in November, 1961 188
X. Extracts from the minutes of the third Meeting of the
Committee of Zonal Councils for National Integration
held on August 31, 1964 189
XI. Andhra Pradesh Official Language Act- A bill to prov-
ide, for the adoption of the Telugu language as the
language to be used for the official purposes of the
State of Andhra Pradesh and for the transaction of
business in the State legislature, for the use of
any other language also for any of the aforesaid
purposes, and for matters connected therewith 191
XII. Suggestions from Anjumn-e-Tarraqui-e-Urdu,
Andhra Pradesh 194
XIII. Districts, Tehsils and Municipal Towns and other
areas having an Urdu Knowing population of 15% and
above. The figures are based on 1961 Census(Vide
Linguistic Minorities Commission Report-Tenth) 195
XIV. Distribution of ownership of Urdu Newspapers as
on 31-12-73 198
XV. Proforma in which information was asked for from
the States in respect of facilities available for the
teaching of Urdu at the various levels and also
for the training of teachers 199