SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
 

Introductory

The Urdu language has played a very significant role in our cultural and political history. Cutting across regional barriers and religious and caste divisions, it developed as a medium of literary expression as far back as the 13th century. In the succeeding centuries, it drew freely upon the literary traditions of Sanskrit, Braj Bhasha, Avadhi, Punjabi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali and Telugu on the one hand, and Persian, Arabic, Turkish, Pushto and English on the other. In its developed form, it embodies the best in the languages with which it came into contact, always retaining its own vigorous Indian character and dynamic individually.

2. Both Hindi and Urdu legitimately claim evolution from Khari Boli, a dialect most commonly spoken in and around Delhi. Both share the earliest available specimens of the language. Like all metropolitan languages, Urdu has imbibed the refinement and flourish of urban elite, while preserving in its early literature the simplicity, vigour and sincerity of Indian folk traditions. Its first known poets were Masud Said Salman and Amir Khusrau. Variously described as Hindi, Hindavi, Hindui, Zaban-e-Dehlavi, Deccani and Rekhta, at different points of time the language finally came to be known as Urdu.

3. The magnificent contribution of this language to Indian literature and culture is only partially reflected in Urdu ghazals, whose extraordinary popularity has overshadowed the achievements of other literary forms employed to express deeper thoughts and to convey knowledge and information.

4. While Urdu has always been a vehicle of secular thought, it is little known outside the limited circle of scholars that Urdu is also very rich in religious literature of all the principal religions of India. In Islamics, it has covered all the known fields like Tafsir, Hadith, Figh, Kalam and Islamic history. It is an equally important treasure-house of books pertaining, to other faiths. There are, for instance, at least fourteen versions of Valmiki's Ramayana and Tulsidas's Ramacharitmanas, four versions of the Mahabharata, sixteen versions of abridged editions of Shrimad Bhagwadgita. All the four Vedas, besides at least three Puranas and four versions of Manusmriti, are available in Urdu printed form. There are books on Sankhya philosophy and Nyaya Darshan. Over a dozen books on the reformist Brahmo Samaj, about a hundred on Arya, Samaj, a dozen on Radhaswami sect and a couple of books on Deva Samaj and Kabir Panth, besides about thirty books on Jainism and an equal number on Sikhism, including Shri Adigranth, Jap Jee, Janmasakhi, have already been published. Similarly, there are several versions of the Bible, the Old and New Testament and also of the Torah of the Jews. Books on Christianity would easily number over a hundred. There are also works on Bahaism and Theosophy.

5. Many Sanskrit dramas, particularly of Kalidasa, and the Shatakas of Bharatri Hari have been translated into Urdu. Likewise, several versions of Panchatantra are available in published form. Works from other Indian languages like Braj Bhasha, Gujarati, Marathi, Punjabi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam have also been translated. During the last few centuries, many English and French classics have been rendred into Urdu. Famous Indian romances like Sassi-Punno, Sohni-Mahiwal and Nala- Damyanti have attracted the attention of Urdu writers. The impact of the Bhakti movement and of the Vedantic philosophy has been deep and wide ranging. This has found expression not only in the mystic ghazals but also in other forms of Muslim religious literature like the Naat and the Marsia.

6. The popularity of the Urdu ghazal has inspired poets in other languages to practise this literary form. Works of poets like Ghalib and Mir have been translated into several regional languages.

7. The dynamic secular tradition of the language has been carried from literature to journalism. From the late 19th century onwards, several newspapers and periodicals devoted themselves to the religious and social movements among the Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs and Jains. Many ninteenth century Urdu papers were the harbingers of secular thinking in India. Dharm Parcharak (1882), owned by Amba, Prasad and edited by Sadiq Husain, took interest in propagating the teachings of all the religions. Similarly, Sat Parkashan (1883) devoted its columns to Hindu and Muslim mysticism alike. Gau Raksha (1884) owned by Sindi Khan, advocated cow protection. The weekly Sabha, Kapurthala (1879) , owned by Babu Pohlu -Mal and edited by Barkat Ali, preached that every sect and religion were part of the wider human brotherhood.

8. In order to evade the severe curbs on the Indian press, some of our revolutionaries thought of publishing papers from abroad, and arranged their clandestine circulation in the country. Some of the known papers in this category were the Talwar or the Shamsir, Berlin (1910); the Hindustani and later the Hindustani Akhbar (1914), San Fransisco; the Yad-e-Watan, New York (1923); the Tarjuman-i-Shauq, Constantinople (1878); the Sultan-ul-Akhbar, Turkey (1880); the Hindustan, London (1884); the Aina-i-Saudagari, London (1887); and the Hurriyat, Tashkent (1914). The motivation has changed but the process has gone on and even today Milan group is publishing an Urdu weekly from London.

9. The contribution of Urdu to our national struggle for freedom has also been immense. The torch of liberty was lit by the Urdu papers well before the war of Independence in 1857, when a number of under- ground movements were organised to overthrow the then British rule. The leaders of the Waliullahi (sometimes wrongly called Wahabi) movement as also revolutionaries like Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh and Maulana Obeidullah Sindhi used Urdu for the propagation of their ideas and produced a rich volume of political literature.

10. With the rise of nationalism, politically conscious writers and poets "took up patriotic themes in an organised manner. The names of those who wrote vigorously in support of freedom will easily run into hundreds. Beginning with Munir Shikohabadi who was banished to the Andamans, we come to Hali, Azad, Ismail Meeruti, Munshi Sajjad Hussain, Shambhu Nath 'Mushtaq', Shibli Nomani and Akbar Allahabadi and then to Dr. Mohammad Iqbal, Maharaj Kishan 'Baraq', Brij Narain Chakbast, Maulana Hasrat Mohani and Durga Sahai 'Suroor' Jahanabadi-a galaxy of writers and poets of whom any language would be legitimately proud. Finally, we come to Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaquallah Khan, Mela Ram Wafa, Ahmaq Phaphundvi, Prem Chand, Josh Malihabandi, and Jamil Mazhari who sang of liberty. Two of them even laid down their lives fighting for it. Quite a few Urdu writers like Lala Lajpat Rai, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Hakim Ajmal Khan, Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar and Maulana Hasrat Mohani came to occupy important positions in our national life.

11. The Urdu press also played a courageous role in furthering the objectives of the freedom struggle. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad's Al- Helal and Al-Balagh, were proscribed and the publisher punished with the forfeiture of security several times in 1913. Maulana Mohammad Ali's Hamdard and Comrada, Maulana Hasrat Mohani's Urdu-i-Moalla, Zafar Ali's Zamindar, Shaukat Ali's Khilafat like the Siasat, the Pratap and the Milap of Lahore; Musheer-i-Bihar of Patna; Shan-e-Hind of Meerut; Frontier Advocate of Dera Ismail Khan; Jhung of Siyal; Al Moin of Amritsar; Al-Jamiat of Delhi; Medina of Bijnore; Quami Awaz of Lucknow; Rozana Hind of Calcutta; Tej of Delhi; Haqiqat of Lucknow and Payam of Hyderabad, have earned a lasting place in the history of journalism for their fearless advocacy of the national cause.

12. From the earliest period to the modern times, intellectuals of all communities have served Urdu with their writings. Without a mention of its Hindu, Muslim, Sikh and Christian writers no history of Urdu will be complete. It is not possible to recount even all the important names from the very beginning. We have had writers and poets of stature like Chander Bhan Brahaman, Raja Ram Narain 'Mauzun'; Jagan Nath 'Khustar', Sarb Sukh, 'Diwana', Bhagwat Rai 'Rahat', Dwarka Prasad 'Ufaq', Ratan Nath 'Sarshar', Brij Narain 'Chakbast', Daya Shankar 'Naseem', Durga Sahai 'Suroor', Tilok Chand 'Mahrum'. The tradition has been maintained to the present day. Urdu can still be proud of stalwarts like Raghupati Sahai, 'Firaq' Gorakhpuri, Anand Narain 'Mulla' Krishan Chander, Rajinder Singh Bedi and Malik Ram. They tower over many of their Muslim contemporaries.

13. Spoken by some 286 lakh persons, according to the 1971 census figures, Urdu is the sixth largest language of India. If we add to this the number of those who had declared it as their subsidiary language*, the-figure would cross the three crore mark, only Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Tamil and Telugu are spoken by larger number of persons. Assamese, Gujarati, Kannada, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Oriya and Punjabi, with more compact concentrations in the States, are spoken by lesser number of people. Persons speaking urdu constitute the second largest language group in Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Mysore and Gujarat while they occupy the third place in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Chandigarh, Delhi and Goa, Daman and Diu. This vast Urdu speaking population is spread over all the States and Union Territories, with several pockets of concentration, but Urdu does not happen to be the language of the majority in any one State. After the linguistic reorganisation of States, it has acquired the status of a minority language in all the States. Only in Jammu and Kashmir,it has been recognised as the official language of the State. For its future development, therefore, Urdu has to depend heavily on the constitutional and administrative safeguards provided for this purpose from time to time.

14. With its hoary tradition of secularism and of devotion to national ideals and aspirations, and with its roots stretching down deep into our national culture, Urdu has acquired great vitality, and enjoys wide popularity throughout the country. Urdu mushairas continue to draw huge crowds, Urdu films and Qawwalis are appreciated widely in the North as well as in the South. Urdu Ghazals sung to the accompaniment of music are equally popular. The number of speakers of Urdu as also of the pupils studying Urdu is on the increase. So is the number of newspapers and periodicals. Many more schools at the primary and secondary levels are now teaching Urdu, while the number of students at the graduate and post-graduate stages is showing a definite upward trend.

15. After Independence, our languages were released from the crippling influence of foreign domination. Apart from the official patronage that became available to them, the expansion of education and the growth of genuinely free press provided new impetus to writers. A new generation of young men, well versed in their mother tongue, engaged themselves in creative activity of a high order. Another important factor which accelerated the development of languages was the reorganisation of States on a linguistic basis in

*The 1971 census us figures have not yet been published, the number of those returning Urdu as their subsidiary language stood in the neighbourhood of 21 lakh in the precedig census.

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1956. As a consequence, the regional languages concerned were declared the official languages in the States.

16. Outside the areas where these regional languages acquired an official status, they became minority languages and their preservation and development gave rise to new problems. Some of these difficulties had been foreseen and in order to remove them, a scheme of constitutional and administrative safeguards was evolved over the years. Still the hardships inherent in a situation of sudden transition were exploited by some interested elements for purposes other than educational or literary or administrative. Such attempts at the politicalisation of the language issue thrust extraneous considerations to the fore and the focal issue of the promotion of languages was relegated to the background. It was an unfortunate development indeed fir it gave a mischievous twist to linguistic issues and delayed the natural growth and development of all our national languages including Urdu.

17. As a language spoken all. over the country, Urdu had some problems of its own apart from those it shared in common with sister languages. Those varied from State to State and area to area. The Government of India have been taking steps in consultation with the State Governments to remove genuine grievances of the speakers of Urdu language and to create conditions congenial to the growth and development of the language. It was felt, however, that lasting solutions to some of the lingering problems could be found only after all these problems had been studied in depth, and a resolution of the difficulties sought through collective deliberation and discussion with all the elements interested in the problem. It was with that end in view that the Committee for the Promotion of Urdu was appointed.

18. The Committee has carefully studied the difficulties and impediments in the way of sustained growth of Urdu, and has tried to offer concrete suggestions for its development at a faster pace and on a firmer basis. These recommendations flow from our firm belief that the preservation and promotion of a language with such rich traditions and enduring beauty, is indeed a matter of national concern. For all those who are deeply interested in the stability of our cultural life and the strengthening of harmonising and integrating trends, the growth and development of the language is of supreme importance. It is widely appreciated that the fulfilment of the just aspirations of the various linguistic minorities in the country must be sought with a sense of urgency.

19. In the course of its visits to various States, the Committee made it a point to contact the respective Chief Ministers and Education Ministers, and was gratified to notice a general climate of goodwill towards the language. The State Chief Minister. were willing to go far enough to meet all the legitimate demands of the speakers of Urdu. In fact, some administrations have already issued instructions to remove certain difficulties that we brought to their notice.

20. Provision of adequate facilities to students belonging to linguistic minorities has been the cornerstone of the scheme of linguistic safeguards evolved by the planners of our national policies. A definite safeguard aimed at enabling the child to receive primary education in his mother tongue has been provided in the Constitution. Similarly, each citizen has been assured of his right to present applications and representations in the language of his choice. In addition, a number of administrative safeguards have been provided for education at the primary and higher stages; for prevention of discrimination in the matter of employment on account of lack of knowledge of a regional language and the availability of acts, Notifications etc., on the minority languages. In the course of implementation, a number of lacunae have been noticed, causing hardship to speakers of Urdu as also to some other linguistic minorities. There is demand not only for removal of these difficulties but also for extension of facilities. In making the recommendations, the Committee has endeavoured to ensure that the agreed scheme of safeguards is fully implemented and deviation or distortion occurring at lower administrative levels is ended. The arrangements made in some States are, by and large, satisfactory, while in several other States they leave much to be desired. Urdu speaking people have been experiencing difficulties, mainly due to the non-implementation or inadequate implementation of the agreed safeguards. We are convinced that things would change for the better if the implementing machinery were activised and reinforced where necessary. Non-implementation of agreed national policies and schemes creates a credibility gap which is difficult to overlook and affects the morale of the people. A serious effort must be made to ensure full and speedy implementation.

21. The survey conducted by us has revealed that, despite the difficulties, there is a continuing increase in the number of students learning Urdu. The number of Urdu medium institutions and Urdu teachers has also gone up. Arrangemens for the training of Urdu teachers, however, require improvement.

22. In the post-Independence period, Urdu newspapers and periodicals have registered a spectacular rise both in their numbers as well as in their circulation. Off-set printing has helped considerably in im- proving their get-up. These improvements, however, fall short of the requirements and the majority of newspapers and periodicals suffer from lack of resources and reluctance to take to modern techniques.

23. Since Independence, the number of books printed has been constantly on the increase and there is a much greater variety in subjects covered now. Many of the popular Urdu works have been printed fn Devnagari script also and nave run into very large editions. Similarly, many more translations from other Indian languages into Urdu have appeared in recent years. The Committee has taken note

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of these welcome developments as also of the shortcomings in implementation of safeguards and the needs of a growing language.

24. In making the recommendations, the Committee has been guided by the sole objective of ensuring that the safeguards enshrined in our Constitution are fully implemented and that the National policy of preservation and encouragement of Urdu as one of the national languages is carried out in letter as well as in spirit. The Committee feels that Urdu as a language is a valuable national asset and, as such, it deserves full encouragement and patronage.

25. Our recommendations cover the 'constitutional, administrative, educational, literary and journalistic fields. The greatest emphasis has been placed on the full and faithful implementation of the various schemes evolved by the Central and State Governments for the preservation and promotion of Urdu. To eliminate doubts and to ensure proper understanding of the basic official formulations in respect of the language, it has been proposed that the State Language Acts should spell out clearly the areas and purposes for which a language is to be used, in addition to the official language. The Andhra Pradesh Language Act, which draws its authority from Article 345 of the Constitution, may form the pattern with such amplification as has been indicated in this Report. The Centre has to ensure effective implementation of the safeguards for the linguistic minorities in the matter of the use of the language as a medium of (a) education and communication; (b) work and employment; and (c) administration and justice.

26. In the educational field, the 10 : 40 and 15 : 60 formulae for provision of facilities at the primary and secondary levels respectively have failed to give satisfaction to the linguistic minorities. On the contrary, these have given rise to a number of new problems. As a result, complaints of inadequate provision of educational facilities have remained over the years, despite the instructions for advance registration of linguistic minority pupils. The maintenance of registers is-erratic and the stipulation of numbers creates problems in cases of drop-outs. Simultaneous registration of the required number on particular date has been found to be difficult of achievement in actual practice. It has, therefore, been suggested that concentration of linguistic minority population of ten per cent or more in any area be taken as the basis for the provision, of primary education through the mother tongue in that area. One third of the total number of pupils, studying through the minority language at the primary level, should be taken as moving on to the next stage of education and this proportion should form the basis for Provision of educational facilities at the secondary level. The existing 10 : 40 and 15 : 60 formulae should be abandoned.

27. The problem of lack of trained Urdu teachers is acute. Immediate action by the Central and State Governments is required to train sufficient number of Urdu teachers. Meanwhile, untrained but otherwise qualified persons may be appointed on the condition that they would get trained within a specified period. As it may not be possible-for the States to bear the entire additional financial burden of the training of Urdu teachers, the Central Government should open a few more centres for the training of Urdu teachers on the lines of the centre recently established at Solan for the Himachal Pradesh Government.

28. The Three Language Formula has already been varied and modified by most of the States in different ways. At several places, the formula has created difficulties for the students offering Urdu as a special subject. We have attempted to work out a formula which gives due importance to the national and regional languages in addition to the mother tongue.

29. In evolving our basic approach to educational safeguards, we have felt the need for having mixed schools where the medium of instructions could be the regional language as also the mother tongue. The Committee has laid stress on the opening of parallel classes for imparting instruction in the mother tongue in order to avoid segregation.

30. The need for the implementation of the constitutional provision for the acceptance of petitions and applications etc., in any language of the citizen's choice, and other administrative arrangements for the translation of important acts, notifications etc., has been emphasised. Following the pattern set by the Conference of the Chief Ministers held in 1961, the Committee has recommended the setting up of translation bureax at the State and district headquarters in areas which conform to the population test indicated under our recommendations regarding Education. It has also been suggested that it should be considered an educational qualification for an administrator if be knows the major languages of the area in which he is posted. Officers learning more languages, it is recommended, may be given incentives in the form of advance increments, cash awards, etc.

31. For Urdu newspapers and periodicals, which mostly come under the category of small and mediumsized newspapers, the Committee has recommended a more liberal treatment in the matter of release of advertisements, purchase of machinery and equipment etc.

32. For the promotion of higher research and literature, the Committee has made a number of suggestions including the establishment of two research institutes-one at Hyderabad in the South and the other in the North at Aligarh, Rampur, Lucknow or Delhi in that order of preference. The holding of writers' workshops and the establishment of a writer's cooperative to undertake publication of Urdu books have also been recommended.

33. Given a fair trial, these recommendations will not only remove the difficulties about which complaints were received but may well offer a pattern for the solution of similar problems facing other linguistie

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minorities. The following is a summary of our main recommendations under the appropriate headings. The figures in brackets at the end of each recommendation indicate the chapter and the number of the para, for example 1.26 stands for Chapter I and para 26.

Recommendations

Constitutional Safeguards

34. (i) The Committee recognises the genuineness of the desire for effective implementation of the constitutional and administrative safeguards to the speakers of Urdu. However, it feels that the pattern of providing safeguards, for the linguistic-minorities in the State Acts on official language has been set by the Andhra Pradesh Official Language Act, which draws authority from Article 345 of the Constitution. The Committee commends it to the States and Union Terri- tories 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 the language should be comprehensively specified in the Act itself. Andhra Pradesh should also take further action on the lines indicated above.

(ii) The Centre should ensure effective implementation of the safeguards for the linguistic minorities, by the States and Union Territories. The functional importance of a language lies in its use (a) as a medium of communication and education; (b) in-the spheres of employment and occupation; (c) in administration and judiciary; and the scheme of implementation has to cover all these aspects (3.60)

35. There is a clear divergence of view among constitutional experts regarding the interpretation of Article 347 of the Constitution. These differences cannot be resolved by the Committee by attempting to pronounce a judgement on the legal validity of one or the other of the conflicting interpretations. We are, therefore, not in a position to make a definite recommendation on the exact use of Article 347. (3.52)

Education

Urdu Medium in Primary Education

36. Having considered the evidence and relevant facts and figures in the States and Union Territories, the Committee has arrived at the conclusion that while arrangements for teaching Urdu at the primary stage of education have been made by some States, they are inadequate, taking the country as a whole. Article 350-A of the Constitution has cast a duty on every local authority within the State to provide facilities for instruction in the mother tongue at the primary stage of education for children belonging to the linguistic minority groups. It is, therefore, recommended that the Education Departments of the States, Union Territories and local authorities should make necessary arrangements for teaching of Urdu at the primary stage for the benefit of those who claim it as their mother tongue. (4.123)

37. There are specific problems in some of the States and the Committee has recommended the steps detailed below separately in respect of each State.

(ai) Andhra Pradesh : It was complained that a practice had developed in some parts of Andhra Pradesh when Urdu speakers were being asked for financial contribution to secure permission to start Urdu medium classes. The condition applied to all languages alike but Urdu institutions being economically weaker may be feeling the impact a littlemore. The State Government may like to examine this aspect of the problem and advise the local bodies accordingly. (4.57)

(aii) Delhi : It was stated that the Delhi Administration bad already acquired a large number of dilapidated buildings like Kalan Mahal, Zeenat Mahal, Old Bulbulikhana, Sirki Walan School, etc. It should not be difficult, therefore, for the Delhi Administration to construct buildings for Urdu medium schools in these areas. The Committee understands that it has now been decided that at least one Urdu teacher would be appointed in each school in Delhi and that the existing paucity of Urdu trained teachers would be overcome by appointing untrained teachers who were otherwise qualified for appointment. Such teachers should be given adequate in-service training. Once these teachers have been appointed, the Ministry of Education should arrange for their expeditious training (4.70 and 4.73).

(aiii) Jammu and Kashmir' : In Jammu and Kashmir, it was brought to the notice of the Committee that the learning of both the Urdu and Devnagari scripts was not compulsory and the result was that while in the Valley and Ladakh area, most people were learning through the Urdu script, in Jammu area the general preference seemed to be for the Devnagari script. Care has to be taken that the formula adopted there in this respect does not lead to segregation. (4.82)

(aiv) Punjab : Arrangements exist in Punjab for the teaching of Urdu at higher academic levels but the non-availability of facilities at the roots makes this incongruous. While there may not be need for opening Urdu medium schools at many places, opening of Urdu medium sections wherever necessary may be considered. (4.102)

10 : 40 Formula

38. At present facilities for education through the medium of Urdu at the primary stage are provided in institutions where there are 10 students in a class or 40 in the school as a whole. The State-wise review of the working of this formula has revealed a number of bottlenecks. These have led to mumerous complain

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from several quarters. The formula has been found inadequate to meet the needs of the Urdu speaking people. It is, therefore, recommended that :

(i) Where in an urban or rural area, such as village, town or municipal ward, Urdu speakers constitute ten per cent of the total population, at least one Urdu medium primary school should be set up Wherever necessary, the number of such schools maybe increased. These schools Should 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 areas at the village or the municipal ward level where Urdu speakers form less than ten per cent of the population, there should be provision of an Urdu teacher in such schools as are likely to get a minimum of ten students. This likelihood shall be determined on the basis of the population of the children of Urdu speaking persons of school going age in a particular locality.

(iii) To tide over the immediate difficulty that will arise by a sudden demand for such a large number of teachers, appointment of bilingual teachers in the schools mentioned in category (ii) above should be undertaken. The existing staff may also be given incentives to learn Urdu and the incentive may take the form of an allowance or an advance increment or a lumpsum reward. (4.132)

Urdu Medium at Secondary Stage

39. As we have already recommended Urdu speakers constituting ten per cent of the population should be the criterion for providing facilities in the case of primary education. We can further stipulate the provision of secondary and higher secondary education in the Urdu medium on a scale related to the number of primary school leavers. For classes VI to VIII where the constitutional directive envisages that all children should receive compulsory education, we will have to make a special provision for such instruction wherever education has been introduced compulsorily for these classes. On the basis of esti- mates made, it may be presumed that two-thirds of the students leaving primary schools would be desirous of moving on to the next stage of education. Urdu medium sections in the existing schools should be provided on this basis and Urdu knowing teachers appointed in anticipation of students offering Urdu as a medium. We feel that the opening of such sections will give the Urdu speaking students an opportunity to mix freely in the school and on the playground with students whose mother tongue is not Urdu and will make for greater emotional integration. In our view the emphasis should be on such mixed schools. However, new Urdu medium schools should also be opened wherever necessary. In such Urdu medium schools also there should be provision for parallel sections with the regional language as the medium. As we have indicated in our separate recommendation for Uttar Pradesh, the opening of one Urdu medium higher secondary school for every group of eight to ten primary schools may provide a workable basis for determining the requirements of Urdu medium higher secondary schools in cities with concentrations of Urdu speakers. (4.202)

40. The standard of teaching Urdu in the Urdu medium higher secondary schools, mostly run by the linguistic minorities themselves, needs to be raised. The Government should help these institutions to enable them to provide better teaching facilities so that the students coming out from these institutions are able to compete with their counterparts coming out from other institutions. (4.197)

41. The procedure for obtaining permission to open Urdu medium higher secondary schools and sections has been made so complicated that it has become almost impossible for the linguistic minorities to set up new schools. Urdu speakers usually come from weaker sections of society and, therefore, the preconditions, if any, for giving such permission should be relaxed in their favour and the procedure so simplified that it becomes possible for organisers of the schools and sections' to implement their plans within two months of the date of application. (4.198).

42. In addition to these general recommendations universally applicable to all States, the Committee has made the following recommendations in the light of the specific requirements of the States mentioned below :

(ai) Andhra Pradesh : The Committee feels that it is important for the Government of Andhra Pradesh to make arrangements a tall levels of education for teaching Urdu, and also starting Urdu medium schools or classes on the basis of population as recommended in this report. (4.153)

(aii) Bihar : It was pointed out that in Bihar most of the schools imparting education through the Urdu medium in the secondary schools or having Urdu medium sections were run by the linguistic minoritie itself. No such facility was available in the Government, district board or municipal board schools. This neglected sector should be better looked after and facilities provided as recommended by us elsewhere. (4.158)

(aiii) De1hi : The Committee strongly urges upon the Delhi Administration and the Ministry of Education to provide within a period of two years facilities for teaching through the Urdu medium at the secondary stage in the Union Territory on the basis of the formula now recommended. (4.162)

(aiv) Haryana : The Haryana Government should make arrangements for teaching of Urdu on an expanded scale. Urdu medium schools should be started particularly in Mewat area. (4.163)

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(av) Madhya Pradesh : The Government of Madhya Pradesh should open Urdu medium schools on the new basis within a period of two years. Provision should also be made for appointing an Urdu teacher in higher secondary schools where Urdu is taught. (4.173)

(avi) Punjab : According to the decision taken by the Senate of the Punjab University in August 1971, English, Hindi or Urdu may be the medium of instruction and examination in any affiliated college or recognised institution. In view of this welcome change, there is a strong case for provision of facilities for the teaching of Urdu at the secondary level by the Government. (4.180)

(avii) Uttar Pradesh : In order to satisfy the persistent demands of the Urdu speakers in Uttar Pradesh, we recommend that: (i) on the basis of the general population formula and the pattern for the higher secondary schools on the basis of the projected strength of students opting for Urdu medium at the secondary schools, our recommendations should be implemented forthwith; (ii) in many pockets of Urdu speakers in Uttar Pradesh where the above formula., may not be applicable, arrangements for teaching of Urdu should be made by starting Urdu sections in Hindi medium schools; (iii) since Urdu speakers are generally spread all over the State, it is important to ensure that at least one Urdu teacher is available in every school so that the facilities for teaching Urdu as a subject become readily available as soon as Urdu speaking students are brought on rolls; and (iv) the suggestion of the Anjuman Taraqqi Urdu for the opening of one Urdu medium higher secondary school for every group of ten Urdu medium primary schools may offer a workable basis for determining the requirements of Urdu medium higher secondary schools in cities with concentrations of Urdu speakers. (4.191)

Three Language Formula

43. The Three-Language Formula enunciated in the National Policy Resolution of 1968 provided that: (a) in Hindi speaking areas, the Three-Language Formula should be Hindi, English and a modern Indian language (preferably one of the Southern languages); and (b) in non- Hindi speaking areas, Hindi, English and the regional language. Several permutations, and combinations have been introduced by the various States at the implementation stage. It has created many difficulties for Urdu speakers. It is, therefore, considered necessary that in any formula that is worked out it should be ensured that students are able to study their mother tongue as well as the official language of the State. The Committee has, accordingly, suggested that the modified. Three-Language Formula should provide

(i) in Hindi-speaking States

(a) Hindi (with Sanskrit as part of a composite course);

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

(c) English or any other modern European language.

(ii) in non-Hindi-speaking States

(a) Regional language;

(b) Hindi;

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

(d) English or any other modern European language. (4.240)

44. The Three-Language Formula, at present in vogue in Andhra Pradesh with a degree of success, may also be adopted as an alternative by the non-Hindi speaking States for Urdu speaking population. The formula is :

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

(b) Regional language;

(c) English or any other modern European language.

Care should be taken to ensure that the Hindi course in the Hindi speaking States, and the regional language course in the non-Hindi speaking States, are somewhat different and simpler from the course for those whose mother tongue is Hindi in the former and the regional language in the latter. Likewise in both Hindi as well non-Hindi- speaking States, the Urdu course should be slightly different and simpler for those whose, mother tongue is other than Urdu. A similar formula could be made applicable to other linguistic minorities by substituting in the above formula the mother tongue of the linguistic minorities concerned in place of Urdu. (4.241)

45. We feel that studying languages other than the mother tongue should not be regarded as a burden on the students. In fact, such study helps in bringing peoples peaking differnet languages in close contact with each other and thus promotes social cohesion and national integration. We are, therefore, keen that the students whose mother tongue is Urdu should learn Hindi and those whose mother tongue is Hindi should get an opportunity to learn Urdu. (4.242)

46. In order to encourage learning of additional languages, we suggest that in the Hindi-speaking States provision may be made for a student to offer an additional language as a subject, and in the non- Hindi speaking States, any one of the four languages mentioned earlier may be treated as an additional language. Marks obtained in the additional subject over 30% may be added to the aggregate of the stu- dent to improve his division/grade. Failure in the additional subject should not affect the student's

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result. The Committee noticed that the National Policy Resolution is not being followed in the Centre's own schools, viz., the Kendriya Vidyalayas or in schools affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education. We feel that it would be unwise to continue with the, non- implementation of the Centre's own directives in its own schools and would recommend that non-adherence to the concept of the Three- Language Formula in the Central Schools on the plea of transferability of pupils should not be allowed to continue any longer. We feel that if the Central Government is itself not able to enforce the Three- Language Formula, it cannot possibly exercise any moral influence over the States. It would therefore, be necessary in all Central Schools also to apply the Three-Language Formula strictly, as laid down in the National Policy Resolution. (4.243 and 4.244)

Training of Urdu Teachers

47. As a result of the general expansion of education and also in view of the announcements made by some States like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh of their decision to appoint Urdu teachers in primary and secondary schools, there is bound to be an immediate demand for a large number of trained Urdu teachers. Some of the States are trying to get over the difficulty by appointing untrained teachers on the condition that they get trained within a specified period. This presupposes the existence of the necessary training facilities on round, which in reality do not exist. In order to surmount the difficulty, we recommend as follows :

(i) Immediate and effective steps should be taken to ensure expansion of training facilities in various States to cope with the demand.

(ii) Keeping in mind the present paucity of trained Urdu teachers, States Like Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Karnataka , Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal should set up centres for giving concentrated short-term courses for Urdu teachers as has already been done by the Central Government at Solan in Himachal Pradesh from the academic year 1973-74. These special courses should be sponsored and financed by the Central Government.

(iii) In the remaining States, where facilities for teaching Urdu are to be provided, the number of Urdu teachers required is comparatively small and does not justify separate centres. There fore, in these States Urdu medium sections should be opened in some of the training centres. The Central Government may also set up centres for such States collectively at suitable places.

(iv) All the Slate Governments should conduct a quick survey throughout their States to assess the requirements of Urdu teachers for different stages of education and the number of Urdu teachers that are available to teach Urdu and other subjects through Urdu medium. A Committee or educationists including Urdu teachers from schools and colleges, should be associated with the survey. While assessing the present need, it should also attempt a projection of the future needs. (4.286)

48. The problems or Urdu medium teachers are different from those of teachers of the Urdu language, For an average Urdu knowing person it would be difficult to teach general subjects through that medium if he did not know Urdu as well as the relevant subjects to be able to explain them clearly and cogently. It was on that ground that the demand for the training of' Urdu Medium teachers was being backed. While, as an ultimate objective, one may continue to support the argument, some make-do arrangement for training in the existing colleges has also to be entertained in the transitional period. That is what has been done in respect of most of the regional languages and this can be done in the case of Urdu as well. But, where Urdu-knowig persons fail to gain admittance to training colleges, the problem assumes another dimension. We would recommend to the States to ensure that the prospective pupil-teachers from the linguistic minority are assured of admission to the training institutions. (4.276)

49. As regards training of Urdu teachers, the State-wise position has been reviewed and the recommendations made by the Committee are summed up as under :

(i) There may not he a case for opening a separate training school or college for Urdu teachers in Rajasthan out some sections should be opened in the existing institutions to give training to Urdu, teachers to overcome the present paucity of such teachers. (4.270)

(ii) The decision of the Government of Uttar Pradesh not to appoint a teacher in any Urdu medium school unless he is suitably qualified in Urdu and has a working knowledge of Hindi, would seem to be incongruous. This decision was taken following the recommendations of the Kripalani Language Committee. A necessary corollary to the acceptance of the recommendations should have been to make adequate arrangements for the teaching of Urdu teachers and not to withdraw even the existing facilities. (4.274)

(iii) We recommend to the Government of West Bengal to augment the training facilities, and relax the ban on the appointment of untrained Urdu teachers till such time as these facilities are made available. (4.284)

Text Books

50. There have been persistant complaints from Urdu speakers about the non-availability of Urdu text books in several States. Even where Urdu text books had been published, they were not readily available in the market or became available so late that the students in sheer desperation changed over to

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other media. The publication of text books after the academic session has begun is self-defeating. The State Governments must ensure that all Urdu textbooks are not only printed but are also made available in the market well before the beginning of the academic session. (4.323)

51. The distribution machinery for Urdu textbooks will also need considerable toning up. Where no such machinery exists, it will have to be created to ensure that the complaints do rot recur. (4.324)

52. The price of paper has risen steeply and since most of the new textbooks in Urdu are printed by the offset process, the cost of production has also gone up. For an average student, particularly if he belongs to a weaker section of the society, it is now extremely difficult to afford such textbooks. The Government may, therefore, consider subsidising the production of Urdu textbooks. (4.325)

53. Apart from the quality of production, the quality of translation as also of the contents requires attention. There were complaints that translations were being entrusted to people who were not fully competent to undertake the job. It was also brought to our notice that the textbooks obtained from other States did not contain material of local interest, particularly for the primary and secondary students. There were also deviations from the syllabi prescribed by the borrowing States. It would, therefore, be necessary to examine carefully the books produced by private publishers as also by other States to see if they fully satisfy the requirements of the State concerned. (4.326)

54. A number of States have established bureaux to publish textbooks. In the State of Karnataka it has been found difficult to do so in respect of Urdu textbooks. There should certainly be a body of experts to supervise translations and to spot out good translators. This body could be constituted as an advisory board, consisting of eminent educationists and writers, which could meet from time to time for the purposes indicated above. (4.312)

Grades of Urdu Teachers

55. From Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, complaints were heard that Urdu teachers were not being given proper grades. In Rajasthan, for instance, the Committee was informed that a primary school Urdu teacher got only Rs. 105 per month, with no allowance or increments. Naturally, there was a demand for equal pay irrespective of the subjects a teacher taught. The Committee feels that the grades of pay of Urdu teachers in the schools run by Government or local bodies should be the same as those of teachers with equivalent qualifications in other subjects. (4.327)

Inspecting Staff

56. We are of the view that one Joint Director (Urdu) should be appointed in States with a sizable Urdu speaking population like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and the Union Territory of Delhi to look after the educational problems of the linguistic minority of Urdu speakers. They should essentially be Urdu knowing. The raised status of the head of the inspectorate would help quicker solution of problems and removal of difficulties. In States other than those mentioned above, an Urdu knowing officer of appropriate status should be entrusted with the job. (4.329)

Adult Education

57. Witnesses from Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh complained that the adult education centres run by the State Government or local bodies did not provide facilities for the teaching of Urdu. This prevented Urdu speakers from joining these centres. The Committee recommends that in States with a sizable Urdu speaking population where there are centres for adult education, classes for teaching Urdu should be opened. (4.330)

Correspondence Courses

58. The State authorities should persuade at least one university in each of the States of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana. Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab and West Bengal to start correspondence courses in Urdu. (4.332)

Libraries

59. The Committee is of the view that Urdu students should get their due share of library facilities provided in schools and colleges having arrangements for teaching Urdu. In school and college libraries, arrangements should be made to maintain the books properly and a catalogue should be prepared and Urdu knowing staff should be appointed to look after the Urdu sections of the libraries. In schools having only sections for Urdu knowing students, assistance of the Urdu teachers concerned may be sought in this regard and they may be given some incentive for doing the extra work. (4.336)

60. The State Governments should evolve a formula under which substantial allocations should be made to purchase Urdu books for school and college libraries. (4.337)

61. The universities and State authorities should ensure that at least the libraries in the universities and the State libraries in the States with a sizable Urdu speaking population are properly maintained and, where none exists in such States, new ones are started with modern and updated collections of Urdu books. The staff in the libraries should also have a complement of Urdu knowing persons. (4.338)

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Teaching of Urdu in Colleges

62. Many universities and colleges situated in areas with a concentration of Urdu speakers, did not have full-fledged departments of Urdu. The right of pupils of linguistic minorities to study their mother tongue right upto graduate and post-graduate levels is concered by all and for the realisation of that right, facilities for teaching of Urdu need to be provided in the universities and colleges located in areas with a sizable population of Urdu speakers. (4.340)

63. Witnesses from Punjab emphasised that there was no prejudice against Urdu in Punjab and the people there wanted to learn it. The Punjab University courses, however, had been framed in such a way as to prevent students of B.A. and B. Sc. from offering Urdu as a subject. This should be remedied. (4.350)

Urdu Research Institutes

64. To promote higher research in Urdu literature and language, with particular reference to allied classical and modern Indian languages and dialects, two Urdu research institutions, one in the North and an other in the South should be established. The institute in the South should be located at Hyderabad and be affiliated to the proposed Central University or the Osmania University. In the North, the choice will lie among Aligarh, Bhopal, Lucknow and Delhi in that order. (4.357)

65. Fellowships should be created at each research institute on the pattern of those in similar institutes in the country. (4.359)

66. Serious research work cannot be carried on without the availability of adequate research material. It will, therefore, be necessary to strengthen simultaneously a Central research library at each of the two places, by adding rare books, manuscripts, microfilms and photostats within the region and outside. For example, at Hyderabad, Tdara-e-Adbiyat-e-Urdu will form the nucleus of the research institute there. (4.360)

Jamia Millia Islamia

67. At present three colleges, two in Hyderabad and one in Maharashtra, in addition to the Jamia Millia Islamia, are imparting instruction in humanities and social, sciences through the Urdu medium. Jamia Milia Islamia has all along been imparting education through the medium of Urdu and its examinations are recognised by the Central and State Governments under Section 3 of the U.G.C. Act. It has been given the status of a "deemed university". In view of the past role of the institution and its potentialities for the future, we recommend that financial assistance and other facilities should be provided to it for graguate and postgraduate studies through Urdu medium. (4.368)

Urdu Medium Colleges

68. We also recommend that at least one college should be set up in a State for making Urdu a medium of instruction. up to the graduate level. (4.369)

Bureau for Promotion of Urdu

69. Some witnesses suggested the creation of a Central Urdu Directorate to be run and maintained by the Union Ministry of Education. The Directorate, they suggested, should work for the promotion and development of Urdu and for coordinating the work being done in the various States. The Committee notes in this connection that the Bureau for Promotion of Urdu, which has recently been set up, functions directly under the Union Ministry of Education and Social Welfare. The Committee feels that the Bureau should be suitably strengthened and assigned the task of coordinating and monitoring the work of promotion and development of Urdu at the Centre and in the States in the field of education. (4.370)

Administration

Use of Urdu for Official Purposes

70. The Union Government and the State Chief Ministers have agreed to provide facilities to linguistic pockets having a population of fifteen per cent or more. A more liberal attitude will, however, be amply justified in the case of a language like Urdu which has no compact concentration of speakers in any one State but has 'a substantial population in a number of States. In the Committee's view, there is a strong case for an extension of facilities to wider areas. The agreed facilities should be provided in the administrative sphere for all concentrations of ten per cent and above, down to tehsil, taluk and in the case of municipalities, the ward level. (5.55)

71. The problem of facilities to be provided in a municipal area was considered by an Ad Hoc Committee of Delhi Municipal Corporation under the chairmanship of Shri Ramcharan Aggarwal in 1961. It is hoped that the Commissioner would-continue to implement the recommendations of the Committee in letter and spirit.

Translation of Laws and Regulations

72. One of the main hurdles in the implementation of the decisions taken by the Chief Ministers and Education Ministers with regard to translation of rules and regulations has been the non-existence of translation cells/bureaux at the State and district headquarters in most of the States. Some States like Andhra

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Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have set up nuclei at the State headquarters and the Maharashtra Government has provided a skeleton staff even at the lower levels. But there is no evidence of these bureaux or cells having started translation of laws, notifications, etc., into Urdu. The staff provided is either too inadequate or is yet to be appointed. We would urge upon the concerned States to take immediate steps to activate these organisations and to set up new ones where needed. These cells and bureaux could undertake the work of translation of petitions, etc., and send replies to representations received in Urdu. A few new posts of Urdu translators and supervisors should be created at the State headquarters and in the districts. However, the burden on the exchaquer can be minimised considerably by offering incentives to the existing staff to learn Urdu also in addition to the official language of the State. (5.77)

73. The Bihar Government has pointed out the difficulties in providing adequate machinery including staff to them for implementing the programme. This position cannot be accepted as irremediable. Until the Government is in a position to appoint the requisite staff, it may well try to get the work done on a job basis from non-official translators. (5.60)

74. For the districts, in the State of Gujarat, the collectors have been authorised to get laws etc., translated into minority languages without the provisions of necessary financial resources or the physical facilities required. This needs to be looked into and necessary action taken to remedy the position. The Committee recommends that where a local body has a sizable population of Urdu speakers in any ward, it should get its notifications, bye-laws, etc., translated into Urdu also. (5.61)

75. In both Punjab and Haryana, where a large section of population still carries on its work in Urdu, he Government may consider the advisability of widening the scope of the present instructions to extend the benefit to this section as well. (5.63)

76. The Government of Madhya Pradesh has informed the Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities that the translations of local Acts, etc., were being issued in Urdu. The witnesses contended that that was not the case. The Committee recommends early fulfilment of the assurances given. (5.65)

77. Under its Directorate of Languages, the Maharashtra Government established regional offices at Bombay, Poona, Nagpur and Aurangabad to undertake translation work and promised that all efforts would be made to provide regional offices with personnel conversant with the minority languages to translate speedily Government notices, rules, etc. Arrangements for the translation of texts of notifications, voters' lists and other notices, etc., issued by the local bodies into Urdu, in areas with a population of 10 to 15 per cent of Urdu speakers should be made early. (5.66)

78. The preparation of the lists of areas with concentration of Urdu speakers had not been finalised. in Orissa. This needs to be expedited on the basis of the news census. The State Government should made adequate arrangements to make available locally at the district, sub-divisional, or taluka levels, the laws, rules' and regulations of statewise character as well as those applicable locally, to the public in Urdu also, where concentrations of Urdu speakers exist. (5.67 and 5.68)

79. The limiting of the scope of issuance of translation in Punjab to non-statutory notifications alone is an abridgement of the agreed safeguards, which should be implemented in full. (5.69)

80. The Government of Rajasthan had agreed as a special case, to publish such laws, rules, etc., in Urdu as were of special interest to Muslims. Publication of these rules and laws in Urdu should not be restricted in this manner and should be broadened to cover other rules and laws as well which are of interest to all citizens. (5.70)

81. The translation bureau of the State of Uttar Pradesh was not equipped to undertake translation of laws and notifications and nothing tangible could be expected of it. It is recommended that it should be strengthened suitably to undertake translation of laws, etc., without further loss of time. (5.75)

Representations in Urdu

82. The Committee feels that the right of the linguistic minorities enunciated in Article 350 is absolute and should be fully respected. The right to receive a reply in the same language in which a letter is addressed to the Government has also been administratively recognised. It has been suggested that Urdu cells should be set up in the Government offices at all levels where the population is ten per cent or more. The officers manning the cells should be well conversant with Urdu, Hindi and the regional language. It should also not be very difficult for most of the State Governments to provide translation bureaux/cells at the district as well as State headquarters. (5.98)

83. While a great deal of emphasis has been laid on the provision of translation facilities at various levels of administration, and also at the State Government secretariat level, the main approach of this Committee is that these translation bureaux and set-ups can be very useful where the Stale language is other than Hindi or for the specific purposes of translating laws, etc. But, in those States where the State language is Hindi, the difference between Hindi and Urdu obviously is mainly the difference of script and vocabulary. If those officials who have to deal with the people of the area know both the languages and scripts, it will really make the administration more efficient and the problems of the public will be better understood by the Government. The Committee, therefore, feels that in Hindi States, knowledge of Urdu should be Trade compulsory for those who have to administer at various levels. (5.99)

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84. It was represented to the Committee that there were still difficulties in States like Madhya Pradesh Maharashtra and Haryana in regard to the acceptance of Petitions, etc., in Urdu and the replies being sent in that language. These have been dealt with in detail in the report. The Committee has made suggestions for expeditious provision of agreed facilities.

85. The orders passed by the Uttar Pradesh Government in regard to representations, etc., stated that there would be no objection to accepting representations "written in Persian or other scripts." The name of the language was, however, not mentioned. It created the impression that the script only and not the language would be acceptable. Pointing out the lacuna, the Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities has requested that facilities should be available to the speakers of different languages also. The Committee feels that the ambiguity has arisen because of faulty drafting and it would not be difficult for the State Governments to rectify the error by issuing the necessary clarification. The Planning Secretary, Government of Uttar Pradesh told the Committee that no record of the number of letters or representations received in Urdu was available with the Government. He also said that sending replies in Urdu depended on the availability of Urdu-knowing staff in a particular office. In the absence of any assessment of the staff required or availability of the staff or the volume of work, one can understand the slow progress made in this respect. The Committee recommends that pending such detailed assessment at least a nucleus should be created at the various levels. (5.94 and 5.95)

Learning of Urdu by Officials

86. It is a well accepted concept of administration in democratic society that the administrators have complete understanding of the grievances and the problems of the people. A script or a language barrier can well defeat this purpose. Ultimately, it would be an easier and more effective method to deal with the problem if the employees were encouraged to learn one or more minority languages. As there has been no effort on the part of the administrators to learn minority languages spoken in their spheres of work, communication gap has developed. The gap should be bridged by providing adequate translation facilities, in the offices and by giving incentives to officials to learn at least one minority language of the State. in the Hindi-speaking belt, officers could be persuaded to acquire knowledge of Urdu also. For a person well versed in Hindi, it should be quite easy to pick up Urdu, with a little effort. (5.100 and 5.101)

87. In order to encourage Government servants to acquire knowledge of Urdu, it was proposed that persons having knowledge of both Urdu and Hindi should be given incentives either in the form of additional salary or advance increments. Some States have done this in the case of tribal languages by providing lump sum incentives. (5.111)

Government Service and Urdu

88. The Committee recommends that the State Governments should reassure the linguistic minorities that entry into the services will not be denied on account of lack of knowledge of the official language but that the candidates will have to acquire proficiency and pass a departmental test in the State official language before confirmation. As regards the standard of the departmental examinations in the official language of the State conducted before the completion of probation, effort should be made to keep it at the level of proficiency. (5.152)

89. The Chief Ministers' Conference in 1961 had restricted the option to English and Hindi as media of examination. The Committee feels that this does not meet the situation fully. Although the number of candidates who are not likely to have full knowledge of the State language is continuously on the decline, the Committee is of the view that to mitigate the hardship likely to arise in the case of linguistic minority candidates, the option of the minority languages should be available. The stipulation should invariably be that the candidate after selection and before expiry of the period of probation must qualify in the official language of the State. This will be fully in conformity with the thinking of the States Reorganisation Commission as also of the stipulation of Government of India in their Memorandum of 1956. The Committee appreciates the 1967 decision of the Government of India whereby the Union Public Service Commission permits a candidate to take these examinations for all-India services and Central Services Class I in any of the Eighth Schedule languages. The Committee feels that this facility should be further extended to the States services as well. (5.108)

90. In the Home Ministry Memorandum of 1956, it was stipulated that where a State or a district has 15 to 20 per cent population speaking a language other than the official language, such a minority language would also be recognised as a medium of examination held for recruitment to the State or district level services as the case may be. The Committee endorses the stipulation in the Home Ministry G.O. of 1956 with the modification that the prescribed limit for eligibility should be brought down to ten per cent of the population in the States for State cadres and in the district for districts cadres. (5.109)

91. The Madhya Pradesh Government has waived the condition of the regional language being compulsory for the State services and has stated that proficiency in Hindi is insisted upon in some services at the time of recruitment. The details of these posts have not been communicated to the Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities. In all fairness to prospective candidates the State Government should publicise the categories of posts for which proficiency in Hindi is a compulsory pre-requisite. (5.131 and 5.132)

20. Punjabi of the matriculation standard is the minimum requirement for most of the State services in Punjab and only of the eighth standard for some technical services. The Commissioner has taken up the

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question of holding the proficiency examination after selection and before termination of probation and the Committee feels that the State Government will have no difficulty in agreeing to the suggestion. (5.138)

93. At present, possession of knowledge of Bengali is considered essential for some of the State services in the State of West Bengal. The Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities has taken up this question with the State Government which is reexamining the whole position in consultation with its departments and in the light of the position obtaining in other States. The Committee is sure that the State Government will keep the interest of the linguistic minorities in view at the time of taking a final decision so that the employment opportunities available to them are not affected adversely. (5.148)

94. In the Andaman and Nicobar-Islands, the Administration has prescribed the knowledge of Hindi as one of the qualifications in the recruitment rules to various posts. The linguistic minorities objected, to it on the ground of the rules being in conflict with the decision of the Chief Ministers' Conference, and requested the Administration to hold a proficiency test after the selection and before the end of the probationary period. The demand is reasonable. (5.149 a)

95. in Chandigarh, the area is regarded as bilingual and knowledge of both Hindi and Punjabi are prerequisite for employment, following the pattern that was prevalent in the erstwhile Punjab. Since Urdu is a recognised language of the territory, it should also be available as an option. (5.149 b)

96. In Delhi, knowledge of the regional language, Hindi is not a pre- requisite for recruitment to the posts of lower division clerks. Delhi, being the capital, should ensure that it is not made a pre- requisite for other categories of posts also. Some witnesses complained that linguistic minorities did not fare well in the recruitment. This needs to be looked into. (5.149 c)

Urdu Typists and Typewriters

97. Great difficulty is being experienced by the States of Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and at the Centre because of lack of arrangements for the training of Urdu typists and procurement of Urdu typewriters. As there is bound to be a demand for Urdu/ Arabic typewriters in a number of West Asian and Far Eastern countries, it is suggested that the Government of India in the Ministry of Commerce and Heavy Industries may like to examine, on a priority basis, how best the question of the manufacture of Urdu typewriters can be undertaken. It might become a foreign exchange earner. (5.102)

98. To meet the immediate demands of the Jammu and Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh Governments, news. papers and cultural and literary organisations for Urdu typewriters, import licences should be given liberally. (5.104)

99. This also leads us to the question of training of Urdu typists and stenographers. Although a centre for the training of Urdu typists has been started at Delhi, there is demand from other States also. These States should set up or subsidise centres for training in Urdu reporting and stenography. Where need is felt, provision may be made for the appointment of Urdu stenographers and typists. (5.105)

Urdu in Courts

100. Another problem pertains to the publication of court notices in Devnagari script in Urdu papers. The publication of these notices in a language or script which the readers of that newspaper are not expected to know, defeats the very purpose of publication. It was pointed out that the language used in the notices was the same as was prevalent in pre-Independence days. If true, its transliteration into Urdu script at the time of sending it to the newspaper should not present any particular difficulty. As there is still a complement of bilingual stiff in the civil courts and collectorates, the rectification of the position should not present much difficulty. In any case, the text could be got rendered easily into Urdu script through authorised scribes. The Committee recommends accordingly. (5.160)

101. The Committee has noted that the work of translating of acts etc., into Urdu has been entrusted to Jammu and Kashmir Government. The Committee recommends that the work of translation of acts, etc., into Urdu should be finalised and the translating agency setup by the Jammu and Kashmir Government should be enabled to finish the job quickly by allotment of adequate funds. Once these proposals are com- pleted, these translated laws will be available to everyone, including the litigants throughout the country. (5 . 162)

102. The documents are sometimes filed by a party in his own language and the authorities insist that its authenticated translated copies should also be attached. The Committee has been informed that in some places the translation facilities are not available and this causes a great deal of hardship to the parties. The Committee, therefore, recommends that adequate translation facilities should be made available against normal payment, particularly at district and lower levels. The Committee also at the same time feels that sometimes the party may be so poor as to find it hard to pay an additional sum forgetting the documents translated. It will meet the ends of justice if in such cases, the financial burden of translation is borne by the authorities and not by the party. (5.163)

103. Some of the States, particularly Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, were issuing copies in Devnagari script of the documents written in Urdu. Witnesses pointed out that such transliteration resulted in Many errors of spelling and mispronounciation, sometimes making it difficult to place complete reliance on

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the copy, particularly for official and judicial purposes. Copies should be made available in the script in which the original is written. If necessary, outsiders may be engaged for copying against payment on job basis. (5.164)

104. Although Telugu has been declared the official language in Andhra Pradesh, the use of English is also being continued for administrative reasons. There seems to be sufficient reason for allowing continuance of Urdu in the Telengana region in the judicial field as well in view of the fact that Urdu was being used by the courts in the past. A situation has already arisen in that State where Urdu knowing judges find themselves transferred to another region although they do not possess adequate knowledge of Telugu. A way out has been found by the Uttar Pradesh Government who have made it compulsory for judicial officers to learn Urdu in addition to the official language. The policy is in keeping with our general recommendations that the officers should be encouraged to get acquainted with the minority language. The Committee commends the Uttar Pradesh Government's decision to other States with a sizable population of Urdu speakers. (5.167)

105. The Committee has been told that the Uttar Pradesh Government has now decided that a document written in the Urdu script can be accepted without attaching to it a true copy in Hindi. This is an example which other Hindi speaking States may well emulate. (5.171)

Urdu in Legislatures

106. The use of Urdu by the legislators and the publication of agenda papers etc., in Urdu are matters on which an all-India policy will have to be laid as it involves the rights and privileges of the legislators. The Committee would, therefore, suggest to the Central Government to discuss the matter with the Chief Ministers and Speakers of the various legislatures to be able to formulate an acceptable guideline. (5.175)

Electoral Rolls

107. In keeping with the Committee's general recommendation, the facility of printing electoral rolls in Urdu should be extended to all areas having an Urdu speaking population of ten per cent. (5.179)

Union Public Service Commission

108. In pursuance of the resolution adopted by the Parliament in December 1967, the Union Public Service Commission allowed the use of any language included in the Eighth Schedule and English as a medium for answering the papers in general knowledge and essay. Two years later it included an optional paper on any one of the fifteen languages. The next logical step in pursuance of the resolution adopted by Parliament will be to permit candidates to answer optional papers in any of the languages included in the Eighth Schedule. The Commission has set up a committee to examine the question of accelerated adoption of languages of the Eighth Schedule as media of examination for all-India and Central services. It is hoped that the Committee will consider all aspects of the problem while taking a decision. (5.185)

Posts and Telegraphs

109. It was represented to the Committee that the Posts and Telegraphs Department should issue all notices and publish all the forms and postal stamps for public use in Urdu also. Registered letters, money order forms and VPPs written in Urdu should be accepted and letters with addresses in Urdu handled with due care in transit and at the time of delivery. As Urdu has been recognised as a State official language only in Jammu and Kashmir State, necessary steps are being taken by the Posts and Telegraphs Department to print money order forms in Hindi, English and Urdu for this State only. The Committee feels that once the forms are printed in Urdu, there should be no difficulty in making them available to post offices any where in India, where there is say, a population of ten percent or more of Urdu knowing people. Without adding much to the costs, it will give great relief to the Urdu-knowing public. Nor would the question of supply of Urdu forms already printed to Urdu speakers require further reference to the Cabinet. In any case, whatever may be the technical or procedural hurdles, these should be overcome and the Posts and Telegraphs forms including money order forms should be printed in Urdu in substantially large quantities to meet the demand from Urdu speakers all over the country in areas with an Urdu speaking population of ten per cent and above. (5.186-5.188)

110. At present public notices are being issued in Hindi and English only. However, important notices and circulars, which are meant for use in a particular region or circle, are being issued in regional languages, including Urdu, by the circles concerned. In conformity with the principles laid down by the Ministry of Home Affairs for the translation of notices, etc., for pockets with a concentration of linguistic minority and in accordance with the norms suggested by this Committee, the Posts and Telegraphs Department should make similar arrangements. It would sound odd that while States are asked to fall in line with the all-India pattern, Central Government departments should be following a divergent policy. (5.189)

111. The absence of a clear and unambiguous policy seems to make it difficult for the Posts and Telegraphs. authorities to take concrete steps to supply public notices to the concerned departments in Udru also. The Committee would recommend to the Posts and Telegraphs departments to accommodate in their pattern of work the requirements of linguistic minorities as well. (5.190)

112 The Committee feels that the policy of the Department to encourage the staff to learn more languages should be pursued more vigorously in the case of postmen, sorters and those who have direct dealings with the public. In making the suggestion, the Committee does not have in mind the case of Urdu

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alone. Departmental promotions, rewards or advance increments could be some of the ways of encouraging the staff. (5.192)

Railways

113. The names of stations should be displayed in Urdu also, especially in States like Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Harayana, Punjab and the Union Territory of Delhi. (5.195)

114. The Committee appreciates that it may not be possible to print the name of the station and the fare on a ticket in all the recognised languages. It was, however, suggested that if the stations from where the journey begins are in areas where Urdu happens to be the second largest language after the regional language, the fare and the name of the station may be printed in Urdu also. This formula should be applied to other scheduled languages as well. (5.196)

115. The present policy of the Railways is to confine the printing of the time tables to Hindi and English. it would, however, be open to private individuals or organisations to print the time- table in Urdu if they so desire and the Railway Board would cooperate in giving them the necessary material. (5.197)

Sign Boards and Name Plates

116. There was also a demand that mile-stones, roads, streets, lanes, etc., should bear names in Urdu in addition to English, Hindi and the regional language. Similarly name plates of officers and doctors should be in Urdu script also. It would be placing the Urdu knowing minority at a disadvantage if these minor facilities were not made available to them. The same facilities were required from municipalities, town areas and other local authorities where a sizable number of Urdu speakers lived. Notices meant for display on public notice boards were also required to be in Urdu. The Committee would like to avoid a sweeping recommendation but commends these suggestions to the authorities concerned for sympathetic considerations. (5.199)

Media of Mass Communication

(i) All India Radio

117. Having reviewed the present frequency and duration of Urdu programmes at various stations, the Committee feels that the criteria evolved by All India Radio, namely, (a) population; (b) local interest; and (c) the availability of talent are by and large satisfactory, but in some respects they are some what vague and also inadequate. The additional factors to be reckoned with are the importance of place and its linguistic traditions. From this point of view,the frequency of Urdu programmes at Jullundur, Lucknow and Patna needs to be stepped up. The frequency of Urdu programmes at Simla, Calcutta, Bombay, Nagpur, Ranchi, Rampur, Bangalore-Dharwar, and Mathura is very low and calls for an upward revision in the matter of allocation of time, and broadcasts of developmental features, rational Programmes and special programmes. (5.210)

118. Urdu speakers constitute the second largest group of listeners in both Lucknow and Hyderabad. The time allotted to the Urdu programmes there is very inadequate. The duration of Urdu programmes at Rampur had not been indicated to us but as Rampur has an overwhelming percentage of Urdu speakers and can serve a part of the Western and Central Uttar Pradesh, where also there are large, Pockets of Urdu speakers, a strong Urdu Unit should be established there. (5.211)

119. An increasing tendency has been noticed on the part of Indian language boardcasters and news readers,etc., to use uncommon and ornamental words in preference to simple and commonly spoken words. While it is appreciated that most of the translations are done in a great hurry, the language of the broad casts can be improved and brought closer to the spoken language if a periodical review of the broadcasts, talks and news is undertaken-at least once every quarter. For this purpose a small committee of Urdu experts, including outsiders should be formed to undertake such a review. (5.213)

120. Increase in the time allocation for Urdu broadcasts will necessitate the appointment of Urdu producers/assistant producers/and the ancillary staff like copywriters at all these places. In selecting the staff, the present emphasis on poets alone must change. Young and energetic talent from among writers and journalists should also be inducted to give greater variety and verve to our programmes. (5.220)

121. The Committee strongly recommends that the stations located in areas with a sizable Population of Urdu speakers should appoint Urdu producers/assistant producers. They should work in close coordination with their Hindi counterparts. (5.214)

122. There is also need for introducing changes in the pattern of Urdu programmes from the point of view of originality as also of wider acceptability to different sections of population. Urdu speakers belong to different communities and regions and this fact should be kept in mind while drawing up the programmes. There is little justification for not giving sufficient attention to Muslim, Parsi and Christian festivals in the Hindi programmes and to Hindu, Sikh, Christian and Parsi festivals in the Urdu programmes. (5.215)

123. There was considerable demand for broadcasting developmental features and national programmes in Urdu. This should be accepted. (5.216)

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124. It has been stated that the representation given to Urdu in the matter of plays is too inade quate Urdu has a long history and a rich talent in the field of plays. The Committee recommends that in the national programmes of plays and features, Urdu plays and features may be included on a more liberal scale. (5.217)

125. In drawing up the schedule for the Urdu programmes, Urdu should figure more frequently in the programmes for women, children, youth labour and kisans also. (5.218)

126. A complaint was made regarding the repeated relaying of old poetic symposia. This was obviously being done to save expenditure. Excessive resort to repetitive relays should be avoided at all costs. As the Mushairas are very popular, they should form one of the important items of the Urdu programmes. It would be worthwhile to tape the Mushairas organised at other important regional centres by private organisations. This will give an opportunity to budding talent in various parts of the country to be heard outside their immediate circle. (5.219)

127. At Bombay there were complaints of faulty pronunciation and non-relaying of Urdu news broad casts from Delhi. A noted Urdu poet complained that the news bulletins were often translated in highly artificial language. This needs looking into. (5.223)

128. At Bhopal it was suggested by the local Urdu newspapers that slow speed news bulletin in Urdu should be started. This may be accepted. (5.224)

129. In Television, the name of the writer/poet should be exhibited in Urdu also when he is shown reciting Urdu poetry or participating in a literary discussion. This would, however be in addition to Hindi or the regional language as the case may be. (5.221)

(ii) Press Information Bureau

130. The committee has noticed that almost entire work of this Organisation in Urdu consists of translation apart from the scrutiny of newspapers. In very few cases has the Organisation attempted to initiate publicity originally in Urdu. Effectiveness will be seriously eroded if effort is not made to tailor publicity material produced to suit the special needs of the Urdu-speaking audience. (5.226)

131. There appears to be a lurking tendency to associate the language with Muslims and as such to issue only items relating to them in the special publicity features. Even now there is a large number of newspaper owned by non-Muslims. Some of the most widely circulated dailies and periodicals fall in this category. It is therefore, necessary to issue material of interest to other religious groups also on special occasions. As things stand today, Urdu still provides a potent forum for putting across secular and progressive ideas and it should be fully utilised for promoting these ideas. Unlike newspapers in other languages, which represent economically affluent sections, Urdu newspapers are generally not in a position to commission special features, articles, etc. Independently written and well documented material, therefore, will be welcomed by the Urdu press. The extra expenditure incurred on recruitment of additional staff for production of original features will be more than fully justified. (5.227)

132. The Press Information Bureau could make available to Urdu newspapers and journals translations of suitable material on foreign affairs appearing in the Indian and foreign Reviews and scripts of the informative talks broadcast from All India Radio. (5.228)

(iii) Publications Division

133. The number of books brought out in Urdu forms only a small proportion of the books published. in 1972-73, only two Urdu books were published as against a total of 52, released in all the languages. This seems to be the normal pattern of production, the only exception being 1971-72, when eleven books were brought out. We recommend that the matter be looked into. (5.229)

134. It would be worthwhile trying to publish a journal in Urdu which would consolidate information scattered over many journals brought out by the various Ministries. This should be attempted in other languages also.(5.230)

135. The Government of India may consider whether it is desirable to maintain the present multiplicity of publications issued by the various Ministries and Departments. Perhaps some sort of coordinated approach would help not only in effecting economy but in making it possible for various sections of the population to have information on more than one subject consolidated into one journal. The committee does not aim at discouraging specialized journals altogether but it is certainly in favour of a stricter scrutiny to effect economy and to avoid duplication of effort. The savings in staff and expenditure effected as a result of such scrutiny could be diverted partly to meet the expenditure of consolidated journals proposed to be brought out in different languages. (5.231)

136. There has been a pressing demand for the publication of the Urdu version of "Yojana", the journal issued on behalf of the Planning Commission. We understand that the Government had already agreed to the proposal in principle. Publication of the Urdu edition of the Yojana should be undertaken preferably in a place like Delhi or Hyderabad to ensure quick and simultaneous distribution all over the country and also a good standard of production. (5.233)

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137. Some of the witnesses wanted cheaper editions of Urdu; literary books to be brought out by the Publications Division. This work, though important, does not fall within the purview of the Division. The proper organisation to handle this job should be the National Book Trust and the Committee commends the suggestion to them. (5.234)

138. There was a suggestion that the publications Division should bring out a book on Urdu literatures, journalists and poets who participated in the Indian Freedom Movement. This should be carried out. (5.235)

(iv) Distribution of Plan Literature

139. There was some criticism of the faulty distribution of plar publicity and other literature issued by the Central Government in Urdu. This applies not only to Urdu but also to other publications. The recent experiment of opening a shop in Super Bazar, Delhi, to sell all official publications seems to have been successful. Such shops should be opened elsewhere also. Counters may be started, in particular , in various universities which could be managed by students' cooperatives. Such shops and centres could also handle the literature produced by the State Governments. (5.236)

(v) Films

140. The Films Division produces documentaries, etc., In all the languages listed in the Eighth Schedule, including Urdu. The major contribution of films is that they have not allowed any barriers to grow between Urdu and Hindi. The Committee has noted that the linguistic integration of the country has been considerably assisted by the films produced in the country. There Is need to produce more films In a popular language on subjects In which Urdu speakers may be specially interested. (5.237)

(vi) Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity

141. It was suggested that every year exhibitions of scientific and Informative books In Urdu should be organised in various parts of the country. The idea is plausible and may be examined. While it may not be possible to have a separate exhibition for Urdu, other languages may also be associated with It. The periodicity should be decided by the D.A.V.P. (5.238)

142. A few recommendations are given below for the consideration of the State Governments:-

(i) Government Gazette : In response to popular demand the Uttar Pradesh Government has decided to publish the whole gazette in Urdu. The Andhra Pradesh Government is also doing the same. These are very welcome decisions and some other States with a sizable population of Urdu speakers may well emulate the example. (5.240)

(ii) Publicity Materials : In a number of States with concentrations of Urdu speakers, there is only a skeleton staff provided for the preparation of publicity material in Urdu. The editors of newspapers from Srinagar and Jammu complained that only the English version of press releases was being supplied to newspapers there. The Information Secretary who appeared before us assured the Committee that the State Government had expanded their Urdu section. As soon as the staff is recruited, the supply of material in Urdu would commence. The Committee hopes that the assurance has been implemented. (5.242)

143. A number of witnesses complained of the absence of an Urdu section in the public relations department of the Maharashtra Government. In view of the fact that a large number of Urdu dailies is being published from Maharashtra, the State Government, which has been known for its liberal language policy, should look into the matter. (5.243)

144. The Committee was told in Uttar Pradesh of the non-availability of literature on the Five Year Plan and developmental projects In Urdu. It is hoped that this deficiency will be looked, into and remedied early. Suitable augmentation of Urdu knowing staff in the information/publicity departments of the State is recommended. (5.244 and 5.246)

Implementation of Safeguards

145. The Committee expresses its displeasure at the manner In which some of the authorities at lower levels were trying to take constitutional and other safeguards lightly. The Committee hopes that all concerned would realize that their failure has created a state of emotional tension and dissatisfaction. (5.249)

146. Officers charged with the tasks of implementing constitutional and other guarantees must under. stand clearly that these guarantees are to be fulfilled. Any laxity or the part of the Implementing machinery should be interpreted as its failure to carry out the specific mandates of they Constitution. There has been a demand for the creation in the State Governments of some dependable machinery to deal with the questions pertaining to linguistic minorities. The Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities has been pressing the States to nominate an officer to deal with, problems of linguistic minorities. (5.250-5.252)

147. There were persistent complaints that the orders issued and policy announcements made by the State Governments from time to time were not being implemented or were only partially observed. Some times, difficulties were created through misinterpretation. Such a situation tends to shake the confidence of the linguistic minorities in the sincerity of assurances given. It also creates administrative difficulties. Misgivings about official Intentions on the part of the general public will be removed once it is made clear that

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non-compliance of orders will earn State displeasure. (5.253). The Committee accordingly recommends that :

(i) In order to ensure full implementation, the States should identify officers responsible for the implementation of safeguards for linguistic minorities without further delay. These officers should be of a sufficiently high status to be able to coordinate effectively with the various department and Ministries. The appointment of such an officer should be notified to the public through the press and the official gazettee, so that individuals and organisations may know whom to approach in case of need. (5.254)

(ii) A demand was voiced in Andhra Pradesh for the appointment of an advisory body consisting of officials and non-officials under the chairmanship of the Education Minister of the State Government to look into the grievances of Urdu speakers and to make recommendations. The Committee feels that in the light of recommendations of the Conference of the Committee of Vice-Chairmen of Zonal Councils held in November, 1961, State level committees should be appointed in the States for this purpose under the chairmanship of the Chief Ministers. This would, among other things, look into complaints in respect of primary schools as well. (4.56)

(iii) Similar arrangements should exist in the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, which may earmark an officer specially for the work relating to linguistic, minorities It will be his job to coordinate with other Ministries and departments also (5.254)

(iv) Cells should be created in the States and in the Ministry of Home Affairs to assist the officers referred to in paras (i) and (iii) above. (5.254)

(v) The Linguistic Minorities Commissioner hag repeatedly mentioned in his reports that complete statistics and full information was not being supplied to him regularly. This (foes hamper the effective functioning of the Commissioner and also deprives Parliament of an opportunity to discuss the reports fully. The Committee would strongly urge upon the States and Union Territories/ Administrations to ensure the submission of timely and complete statistics to the commissioner (5.254)

Journalism

Financial Assistance

148. The Central Government may advise the nationalised banks and other financial institutions to give sympathetic consideration to the needs of the Urdu press in view of its financial backwardness and instability. (6.87)

149. Most of the Urdu papers and periodicals are individually owned and majority of them do not have enough resources. There is a strong case for encouraging the formation of cooperatives to run the papers. It would entitle them to loans and all the concessions available for cooperatives. (6.89)

150. While a few newspapers and periodicals are printed in their own presses, many more are printed outside. This is truer of the medium and small newspapers. It adds to the cost of production and diverts their already meagre resources from other more important items. The remedy lies in at least the dailies and weeklies having their own printing presses to run on modern lines. The difficulties of procuring the printing machinery will ease considerable only after significant expansion in the indigenous production of the printing machinery has been achieved. In the meanwhile, Urdu papers should be allowed to import machinery not manufactured locally, on a liberal scale. (6.94 and 6.95)

Newsprint

151. It was represented to the Committee that Urdu newspapers faced a number of difficulties in obtaining newsprint in turn and in sufficient quantity. The complexion of the whole problem has changed since the question was first raised before the Committee. The supply position has become much more acute and the prices have shot up much higher. It is against this back ground that the demand for the simplication of the procedure for obtaining newsprint and elimination of delays in its supply is to be viewed. Complicated procedures and delays sometimes forced the small newspapers to go to the black market. The procedures have been considerably simplified after the report of the Small Newspapers Enquiry Committee was Presented. Government may consider the possiblity of further streamlining them. (6.109)

152. A new factor has been introduced by the recent decision of the Supreme Court rejecting restrictions on the allocation of newsprint to any category of papers. We, however, feel that some way should be found for a favourable revision of allocation to smaller newspapers, including Urdu ones. (6.114)

153. The possibility of evolving a new distribution policy in respect of the newsprint in the country to give some relief to the smaller newspapers with a circulation upto 15,000 should be explored. (6.114)

154. To facilitate the distribution of newsprint to smaller newspapers and to Urdu papers, it is necessary that State Governments make arrangements either through cooperative banks or finance corporations to lift the bulk newsprint requirements of their area and distribute it to the newspapers in their States on the basis of their allocations. This will considerably mitigate the present hardships faced by smaller Newspapers who have to take delivery of the newsprint from main port towns and then arrange transportation to the destination themselves. (6.116)

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Advertisements

155. At present the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity does not give advertisements to newspapers and periodicals unless they have been in existence for more than six months and have attained an average circulation of 1,000 copies. In this connection, we would specially like to plead for exemption maker and deserves special consideration. It will, however, be the discretion of the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity to decide the quantum or the nature of advertisements that should be released to such newspapers and periodicals. (6.121 & 6.122)

156. Mass campaigns : As regards mass campaign Advertisements, at least 60 percent of such advertisements should go to the small and medium newspapers, including those of Urdu, particularly in the rural and semi-urban areas. In view of the general economic backwardness, the existence of large pockets of Urdu knowing people in most of the linguistic regions, as also the underdeveloped state of the Urdu press, some special consideration should be shown to them at the time of allocation of advertising funds for general and display advertisements. (6.125 and 6.126)

157. Announcements and Notifications : The display advertisements should be reduced in size in order to accommodate a larger number of small newspapers and periodicals within the available allocation. (6.129)

158. Public and Private Sector Advertisements : In view of the existence of large pockets of Urdu knowing people in most of the linguistic regions, some consideration should be shown to Urdu papers at the time of allocation of advertising funds for the public sector undertakings. Private sector should also be persuaded to release some advertisements to Urdu. (6.131)

159. Centralized Release of Advertisements : The Union and State Governments should strictly enforce the policy of centralizing advertising in the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity or the corresponding organizations in the State directorates of information/public relations. Fears, even if unfounded, should be removed by laying down definite guidelines to ensure that advertisements are given on merit, that is circulation, class appeal and the area served. These centralised agencies would be able to rotate advertisements to the smaller and medium newspapers in a manner that no section or region remains uncovered and that papers catering to special interests like education, health, women, childdren, science, labour, etc., are not neglected. (6.132 and 6.143)

160. It would be necessary to ensure that Urdu papers get their due share in classified advertisements. (6.133)

161. There are a number of States which do not publish any newspaper in English though they give advertisements to English papers on the strength of their circulation. The same rule should apply to Urdu newspapers. (6.140)

162. The Committee is of the view that the determination of rates for advertisements by D.A.V.P. must follow the normal commercial practice. However, smaller and medium newspapers must not be allowed to entertain the feeling that their insecure financial position is being taken advantage of in awarding lower rates. (6.149)

163. Payment of Bills : Urdu newspapers, with their instable finances, cannot afford to wait long for payments. Expeditious clearance of bills should be ensured not only in their case but in the case of all other medium and small scale newspapers. (6.151)

164. Through joint consultation with professional bodies like A.I.N.E.C. and I.F.W.T., some procedure could, perhaps, be worked out for the economically weaker sections of the press to ensure accredi- tation. Even limited accreditation for certain functions could be thought of. (6.160)

Postal Rates

165. The disproportionate rise in postal charges has affected the price structure of the periodicals. A downward revision of the postal rates in the case of magazines and periodicals has been urged by several editors and publishers and there is some justification in their submissions. The present postal rates for periodicals are high and the incidence falls on the consumer whose purchasing power is already low. The committee strongly urges the Government to give substantial concession to periodicals and other publications in regard to postal rates. (6.82)

Small Newspapers Consultancy Service

166. The Urdu newspapers and periodicals, which have been categorized mostly as small, need a assistance in the matter of selection of printing machinery, in the resolution of other day-to-day problems, in the maintenance of proper accounts, sales promotion, organisation of circulation and advertisement revenue and in the general measures for economies in expenditure. It would be worthwhile to get up a small consultancy cell in the Press Information Bureau to advise the Urdu press in these matters. (6.96)

Training in Journalism

67. With the coming up of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, it should not be difficult to organise refresher courses of short duration for the benefit of the small newspapers. (6.165)

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168. Punjab still being a virile and thriving centre of Urdu journalism, there is full justification for the Punjab University starting a course in Urdu journalism also. We feel that, with a little persuasion, the Punjab University should be agreeable to ran courses in Urdu journalism. (6.167)

169. State Press Units : Small Urdu units, capable of handling the work of press relations and communication and headed by an experienced journalist at least of the level of a State Information Officer should be established in all the States from where Urdu newspapers and periodicals are published (6.173)

170. These units could take up translation of all the press releases and even summaries of important enactments, ordinances, five year plans, etc., to ensure fuller appreciation of governmental policies and active participation of the people in developmental activities. (6.174)

171. There should be adequate arrangements for the scrutiny of newspapers to provide feed-back to Government on the basis of what is appearing in the Urdu press. (6.175)

Katibs

172. With the expansion of education, as also of journalism, the demand for katibs is likely to grow manifold. Earlier, the traditional madrasas used to provide good katibs. It appears that even they have ceased to attach importance to calligraphy. The Committee has, therefore, recommended that some of the established madrasas like the ones at Deoband and Lucknow may be advised to start classes in calligraphy and kitabat. (6.181)

Press, Advisory Service

173. A press advisory machinery should be in existence at the State and, wherever possible, at the district level also, to scrutinize cases of violation of journalistic ethics or press Laws. If such a course is adopted, many of the complaints from the press will vanish. On the press advisory boards, Urdu newspapers should also be adequately represented. (6.185)

Literature

Urdu Academies

174. The Committee notices with satisfaction that the States of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have set up separate academics for Urdu, while the State of Jammu and Kashmir looks after the promotion of Urdu literature through its Academy of Arts, Culture and Languages. There are other State level sahitya parishads or academies in Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. We are sure that the claims of Urdu, will receive due recognition soon it) Andhra Pradesh, Chandigarh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. Pending the establishment of such academies there, the State Governments/Administrations should ensure that Urdu writers and scholars within their territories are represented on the existing academies and parishads and are given the same incentives as are available to fellow writers in the official or other regional languages of the States and Union Territories. In some State academies, the representation of Urdu writers is nominal. This should be remedied by providing due representation to them. (7.69)

175. The role and effective functioning of the academies has become important in the context of rapid developments taking place on the cultural and literary fronts. Much can be done by the academics to stimulate original writing and research through subsidies or grants. They could offer greater insentives for the writing and publication of books on social and physical sciences and for other functional literature which could prove helpful to readers in the choice of professions and in earning a livelihood. (7.70)

176. Indeed, there is a genuine need for general reading material on topics of vital interest to society. Writers must aim at producing literature which will broaden the outlook of the readers and modernize their approach to life in general. The ministries/departments of education and culture at the 'Centre and in the States, as also the various academies set up all over India, should make it a point to earmark a substantial proportion of their budget for promoting production of specialized literature in various fields. (7.56)

177. State academies should also promote the compilation of reference works like bibliographies, biographical dictionaries, encyclopedias, directiories, etc., in Urdu and help in the cultivation of closer links between Urdu and other regional languages. We would strongly urge upon the Union Ministry of Education and Social Welfare and the concerned State departments to reshape the role of the academies on the above lines. (7.71)

Incentives to Writers

178. In the absence of a clear-cut policy, directive or even a regular scheme of assistance to writers, the ministries and departments both at the Centre and in the States have been working on an ad hoc basis. It is high time that a regular scheme of incentives is drawn up. The Education Ministry may initiate discussion with the States on the subject with a view to chalking out a coordinated programme. (7.72)

Financial Assistance

179. Writers and authors should receive some subsidy from the Central and the State Governments to enable them to publish their own works. Some of the banks could also advance loans to such writers against the publication itself. (7.74)

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Distribution of Award

180. There have been complaints of nepotism and favouritism in the distribution of awards, prizes and even assistance. The motivation for such complaints is not always impersonal. But, it must be admitted that there is considerable room for improvement in the procedure adopted at present. We would like to make a few suggestions for the serious consideration of the Governments and the academies:

(i) The composition of the Committee appointed to select awardees should be broad-based and representative not only of the talent available in the teaching profession but also of scholars and writers outside this circle.

(ii) The heads of various language departments usually get represented in the selection committees on the basis of protocol, while good scholars and writers at the lower levels are riot considered fully eligible for representation on these committees. The composition should, as a general rule, reflect merit and scholarship and not seniority in service.

(iii) No person should be allowed to remain on such selection committees for a term of more than two years. Rotation would eliminate many causes of complaint.

(iv) One of the prime responsibilities of academies which deal with more than one language is to ensure that patronage is equitably distributed and no linguistic group suffers front a sense of injury. Therefore, the academies should err, if at all, on the side of liberality towards linguistic minorities. (7.75)

Assignments of Translations

181. Some witnesses complained that very few translations from other languages into Urdu have been undertaken by the Sahitya Akademi. This respectable body has a clean record of fair play and justice and any inference to the contrary will be really unjust but, because of its very stature, a heavy duty is cast on it to see that obstacles, if any, obstructing speedy execution of Urdu translation and publication programme are removed. (7.76)

182. It has been alleged that translations have been entrusted to a very small circle of writers, who have in a few cases got it done through others, adversely affecting quality. At least the Sahitya Akademi must ensure that translations executed under its supervision are of top quality. (7.77).

Coordination among Government Agencies

183. There is multiplicity of agencies directly or indirectly controlled by the Government of India which are doing more or less the same job. For example, Publications Division, National Book Trust, Taraqqi Urdu Board and Sahitya Akademi, besides several State Government organisations are publishing books. One comes across several instances of duplication and overlapping. The Government of India should devise means of bringing about coordination between the various official and semiofficial organisations in the matter of selecting titles and writers. (7.108)

Research and Reference Works

184. In the absence of organized research work, much of the effort centres around individuals behind the project. This leads to overlapping for neither the individuals nor the academies and the other sponsoring bodies are aware of similar work being done elsewhere. Interests of the language and of research work will be well served by the constitution of a central coordination committee consisting of representatives of all the various official and non- official organisations engaged in or concerned with research. Governments could be represented through the representatives of the University Grants Commission, the Sahitya Akademi, the Taraqqi-e-Urdu Board, the Urdu academies of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh Sahitya Parishad and the Jammu and Kashmir Academi of Art, Culture and Languages and similar bodies. They could jointly chalk out a programme of research. The Sahitya Akademi should take the initiative in convening a preliminary meeting of experts to formulate the scheme for each major language including Urdu in its basic outlines. (7.80)

185. Similarly, there is need for coordinating the production of reference work. We are told that more than one agency has plans for compiling dictionaries, encyclopaedias, etc. This work also does not admit of duplication. The coordination Committee discussed above, could re-plan and re-schedule their work also. (7.81)

Old Age Stipends

186. The amount of old-age stipends given to Urdu writers by the Centre and the States needs to be raised substantially. The present limit of Rs. 150/- is too low, considering the phenomenal rise in the price of commodities that has occurred during the past few years. (7.79)

Scholars Empritus

187. There are a number of eminent Urdu scholars whose services deserve to be utilized even in their old age. There should be a scheme of having Scholars Empritus who should be given a substantial scholarship to pursue their researches and writings. The amount of scholarship given should be adequate to cover all their expenses as also the expenses on such helpers as calligraphists, typists and research assistants they might require. (7.114)

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Vocabulary and Terminology

188. Urdu writers must borrow freely from other languages and thus come closer to the sister languages of India, especially Hindi which differs from it only in the use of script and vocabulary. The desire to enrich Urdu vocabulary by drawing upon other languages, however, has to be tempered with caution. Judicious selection has to be done not by outside or official agencies but by the writers themselves, in the interest of the rapid advancement and growth of the language. (7.49)

189. Whether in the matter of accepting terminology for the modern sciences or assimilating more and more words in common use in the various regions of India, Urdu writers must show the same fore- sight and responsiveness which made for the speedy growth of the language in the earlier years of its history. The Committee is glad to record that the vast majority of writers, poets, critics and scholars of Urdu, with whom it had occasion to exchange views, was found to be in sympathy with these basic objectives. (7.50)

190. To make Urdu a medium of instruction at the higher stages of learning it is essential that its treasure house is enriched with books on technical and scientific subjects. The absence of Urdu medium instruction in the higher stages of learning on the one hand, and the paucity of experienced writers in Urdu on the other, have together formed a vicious circle. Keeping in mind the numerous branches of' modern science and technology it is essential that international terminology is retained and adapted to the extent possible, for technical and scientific subjects. Any rigid stand on terminology which rejects all-India and inter-regional considerations will recoil on the growth prospects of the language itself. The Chief Ministers of the States were right in deciding, at their meeting in August 1961, that the technical and scientific terminology should be based on international usage and should be common to all the Indian languages. The decision, so far as Committee's knowledge goes, has been accepted by all the States. The Committee, therefore, commands this criterion with regard to the coining of terminology in Urdu for scientific and technical subjects. Inadequacy, if any, should be carefully looked into and connected in the light of the principles already referred to. A line of demarcation may, however, be drawn between the humanities and the scientific subjects. Subjects like philosophy, logic, sociology and economics can be studied even with independent terminology devloped in Urdu but not the scientific and technical subjects. (7.58, 7.59 and 7.65)

Urdu Books in Devnagri Script

191. The Committee feels that the script and language usually go hand in hand and together they make a composite personality. It has, therefore, not recommended any change of script for Urdu or any other language for that matter. It has, however, noted that the close proximity of interests between Urdu and Hindi has already stimulated publication of Urdu works in Davnagri script also. There is a strong case for publishing Urdu books in Devnagri script, in addition to the Urdu script. The diwans of Urdu poets and the anthologies of Urdu poetry in Devnagri script have sold in thousands. In our opinion, the experiment should be extended to cover fiction and humour also. This will blunt the edge of controversy that has marred the recent history of both the languages. They will stand to gain by coming closer and by thinking in unison. We would also suggest publication of Hindi fiction and humour and satire, as also popular Hindi poems in the Urdu script and would strongly recommend the Government of India earmarking some funds for the purpose and entrusting the job to some semi- official organisation. (7.40, 7.41 and 7.42)

Inter-lingual Exchanges

192. The Committee has endorsed the suggestion that the history of Hindi literature should be incorporated in the history of Urdu literature and vice versa. (7.51)

193. The Committee welcomes the suggestion that Hindi scholars should be invited by the university departments of Urdu to give lectures on the latest trends in and problems faced by Hindi. Urdu scholars should be requested to deliver similar lectures to Hindi students on Urdu and its problems and we commend it to our universities for immediate implementation. (7.52)

Writers' Workshops

194. Writing is a craft as well as an art. While the talent to write is inborn, the technique of writing is acquired through a process of trial and error, which incolves great waste of time and labour. The Committee is convinced that there is a positive need for organising writers' workshops to enable the writer to understand the craft better. These workshops could conduct a course in commercial writing which would help open the doors of the film, radio and television media to the Urdu writers and also enable them to enter the advertising, publicity and public relations professions. (7.104)

195. These workshops could also conduct a course in book trade. This would help the new entrants to this field of writing to be equipped not only with a knowledge of book production, printing, advertising etc., but also with business management. (7.105)

196. The Institute of Mass Communication is doing partly this type of job but it is not language based. Tile institute may make a beginning in that direction by opening Hindi and Urdu Sections, to followed in due course by sections for other languages also. (7.106)

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197. The expenditure on the workshops will have to be borne partly by the Central Government and partly by some States having concentrations of Urdu speakers like Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Mahaiashtra and Uttar Pradesh. (7.107)

copyright

198. For the growth of healthy practices in the publishing business, the signing of a copyright and royalty contract between the writers and the publishers should be made obligatory and such contracts should be duly registered with the appropriate governmental authority so that they could be enforced legally by either of the parties, if ever need arises. Appropriate changes should be incorporated in the copyright law. (7,80)

Piracy

199. The problem of piracy in publishing has assumed menacing proportions in Urdu. Piracy deprives the rightful authors and the publishers of their genuine profits and dumps on the market unauthorized and badly produced versions. The Committee feels that the Government should institute a probe into the whole matter in order to uncover and break the racket once and for all. To check the evil, all publishers should be asked to get themselves registered with the appropriate governmental authority. (7.90)

200. There is obviously need for legislation to protect the author as well as the book lover and the general tax payer from unethical practices of piracy and misuse of copyright. (7.97)

Calligraphy

201. Difficulty in finding suitable katibs has been worrying writers and publishers alike. As publishing in Urdu is still largely geared to the litho process, the very survival of the trade is threatened if a solution to the problem is not found soon. For the purposes of literature, Urdu academies in the States, the Lalit Kala Akademi at the Centre and similar other organisations should give serious thought to the preservation of kitabat and calligraphy as a valuable art form. This effort should be in addition to what has been recommended in the chapter on Journalism. (7.44 and 7.45)

Use of Type for Printing

202. irrespective of what may be done to save the art of calligraphy and kitabat, the future of Urdu seems to be linked with type. We would do well to start preparing for the inevitable. (7.46)

Publishers' Problems

203. The partition of the country was responsible for the loss of a very active publishing centre of Urdu in Lahore. It also resulted in the migration of some of the established Indian publishers to Pakistan. The loss was only partially set off by the publishers who came over to India because they did not stay long in the business of publishing Urdu books. Only a few new publishers have entered into the business of printing Urdu books recently. During the last decade, printing costs have shot up. These factors inhibited the rapid expansion of the Urdu publishing trade. There is obviously need for new and well organised publishing houses to come Lip and undertake this work on a large scale. They have also to organise a system for a large scale production of books to bring down costs and to improve standards. The channels of distribution of Urdu books are even less scientifically organized than book production. For a vast country like ours, there should be an all-India net-work of book-sellers or book agents for all the languages of the country. Such network of booksellers and book agents including news agents can be built up mainly through cooperative effort. It could take care of the sale of Urdu books as well as newspapers and periodicals. If an all-languages sales Organisation takes longer to materialise, we may expedite the setting up of one such network exclusively for Urdu. (7.82, 7.83, 7.85 and 7.86)

204. The high cost of production of the academi books and inadequate sales arrangements have also come in for criticism. The tendency on the part of each Central or State academi to undertake sales separately without an adequate sales Organisation restricts sales and increases handling costs. A coordinated approach is recommended. (7.78)

205. The State academies which are producing their own books may consider the desirability of entrusting the work of publication to some established publishers who may be subsidized by them, if necessary. When the proposed writers' cooperative, which we shall discuss later in detail is set up, this work could profitably be given to it. (7.78)

206. As there is no regular journal to carry notices of new book arrivals in Urdu, giving a short description, including names of publishers and prices, the Anjuman Taraqqi Urdu or some such organisation should consider publishing such a journal. (7.87)

Cheap Editions

207. There has been a tremendous rise in the cost of production and, as a result, the prices of books have shot up. To spread the reading habit amongst the people, low priced books like paper-backs require to be made available to the public all over the country, wherever demand for Urdu books exists. This will be difficult to achieve without the active support of the Government. A special allocation of low-priced printing paper should be made to such publishers as are prepared to bring out cheap editions of quality books. There should also be a phased programme for the production of low-priced printing paper on a large scale, keeping in view the future demand. (7.91)

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Loans from Banks and Import Facilities

208. Banks should advance loans at reasonable rates to publishers/printing presses to enable them to put up modern presses and to expand or renovate the existing presses. The Government should help by giving facilities for the import of such machinery as is not manufactured indigenously. But to serve the long-term needs of the growth of the industry, the Government of India must launch a project for manufacturing offset presses within the country as soon as possible. (7.92)

Calligraphers' Ink

209. The Katibs use a special kind of ink for writing. It has been stated that there is only one company in the country which holds virtual monopoly of this item. No research had so far been conducted either to improve its quality or to find a substitute for it. This needs to be looked into. (7.93)

Railway stalls

210. The railway book stalls used to provide the biggest outlet for Urdu books and journals but of late there have been complaints from the publishers and general readers alike that the facility has been virtually withdrawn. The Railway Ministry should see to it that the Urdu books are also displayed properly at the railway book stalls. (7.94)

Refresher Courses

211. As the publishing trade in Urdu is disorganised and still in its infancy in so far as modern techniques are concerned, periodical exposure of the enterprising publishers to the latest methods being adopted by more progressive publishers will be useful. It is, therefore, suggested that the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi or the School of Printing at Allahabad may be asked to evolve a refresher course for them. (7.95)

The Cooperative Concept

212. The logical step for the Urdu writers, in the face of many difficulties, is to organise a cooperative publishing venture of their own. An excellent example of this type of endeavour to develop a language and to protect the authors' rights is provided by the Sahitya Parvarthaka Cooperative Society Limited of Kottayam, Kerala. There is no reason to suspect that Urdu writers cannot emulate the success story of their Malayalam counterparts. The Committee feels that an Urdu Writers' Cooperative Society should be set up with Government assistance to publish and sell Urdu books. While the broad aim should be to ensure a fair deal to writers and to provide the types of literature vital for the growth of the language, the Society must run on strictly commercial lines. (7.97, 7.99)

213. The selection of books or manuscripts for publication by the Society should be made by an independent selection committee on which the majority of members should be established literatures not connected with the Society. The Government, which would own a majority of shares, should nominate the Chairman of the Society, who must be fully conversant with Urdu and all production techniques. it may also be necessary to stipulate that books or manuscripts written by the members of the selection committee itself would not be eligible for selection, unless approved by a separate panel appointed by the Society. (7.100)

Sales Organisation

214. The above mentioned Society would not be able to function properly without a sales-organisation and a sales network spread over all the regions where Urdu is read and spoken to a considerable extent. The research and evaluation wing of the Society should be able to devise scientific cirteria for the opening of sales-points. Broadly speaking, every city or district, which has about one lakh Urdu-knowing persons, should have a sales-point of the Society. The emphasis on a district is relevant because the census figures reveal that about 60 per cent persons who returned Urdu as their mother tongue reside in rural areas. We could utilise the existing sales channels also. (7.102-7.103)

Export of Books

215. Urdu is being taught in several universities of Europe and America. Their Urdu departments have libraries which purchase Urdu books annually in bulk from India. Moreover there is a large number of Urdu-knowing people in Pakistan, Great Britain, Canada, U.S.A., U.S.S.R., and other countries. We could develop an export trade if proper attention were paid to it. The Government should make a study of this export market either through our diplomatic missions abroad or otherwise and take steps to encourage export of quality Urdu books. (7.109)

National Bibliography

216. Very few books published in Urdu were being received and fewer still brought on the registers of the National Library, Calcutta, for want of staff. This situation is very unsatisfactory. The members of the Committee, who visited the Library were surprised to find that even some of the most popular titles and works of well- known writers were not available there. Notices of new publications appear in some Urdu literary journals, specially the Kitab Numa and the Farogh-e-Urdu. It is important from the writers, point of view also to ensure that their works are sent to the National Library under registered cover. (7.110).

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217. The staff for Urdu in the library needs to be strengthened immediately. It should function under an officer who is well conversant with Urdu literature so that he can keep a watch on new arrivals in the market. (7.111)

218. The National Library, at the end of each year, should publish a register, giving short description of all the tides in Urdu. The list containing Urdu books should be published in Urdu also and Should be supplied to booksellers, universities, etc., in India and abroad. (7.112)

Grants for Libraries

219. The question of providing grants. to libraries specially in the educational institutions, deserves attention. There should be adequate provision for the purchase of Urdu books on a regular basis. Private Urdu libraries should be given grants at par with those in other languages. (7.113)

Grants for Conferences

220. Government should provide suitable grants for holding literary conferences and seminars. Literary trusts engaged in similar activities should also receive such grants. (7.115)