Date:19/06/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/06/19/stories/2006061917870200.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Urdu meet on July 29, 30

Staff Reporter

Best students of Urdu medium to be honoured on the occasion

500 delegates from all over the country to take part
Problems of Urdu language, literature to be discussed

Rs. 1,000 crores for Ministry of Minority Affairs sought

Hyderabad: A.R. Antulay, Union Minister for Minority Affairs, will inaugurate the two-day 28th All-India Urdu conference at Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University here on July 29.

He will also inaugurate the postgraduate building of MA economics (Urdu medium) at the Indira Priyadarshini Government College for Women.

Mohd. Jaleel Pasha, chairman, All-India Urdu Educational Committee, told presspersons here on Sunday that Union Minister for Human Resource Development Arjun Singh, Union Minister of State for HRD D. Purandeshwari, Chairman of the National Commission for Minorities Hamid Ali Ansari were expected to attend the conference.

About 500 delegates from different parts of the country would take part in the conference which would discuss problems of Urdu language and literature in the country.

As first language?

Issues like introduction of Urdu as first language in all educational institutions, including Kendriya and Navodaya Vidyalayas, missionary and convent schools, would figure in the conference.

Mr. Pasha urged the Government to allocate at least Rs. 1,000 crores for the Ministry of Minority Affairs at the national level and Rs. 100 crores at the State level.

He said eminent persons, teachers and best performing Urdu medium students of SSC, Intermediate, degree and PG level would be honoured on the occasion.

The conference would conclude with a mushaira and sham-e-ghazal programme. Resolutions of the conference would be submitted to the Prime Minister and the AICC president.