HYDERABAD: As Telangana is gearing up to make Telugu compulsory across all schools in the State, both public and private, a five-member special committee will visit Chennai and Bengaluru to study the implementation of similar programmes.
Both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have made mother tongue a mandatory language paper in State, CBSE and ICSE schools. The committee will make a submit a report based on the experiences from these two states so that the same can be done in Telangana within the next academic year that is set to commence in June.
The team has already left on a three-day visit to Chennai today; this will be followed by a visit to Bengaluru next week. Telugu Sahitya Academy chairperson N Sidda Reddy, who is actively involved in the process, said that the major issue they are facing is the implementation of the programme in CBSE and ICSE schools. “We want to study how these two states have managed to overcome this hurdle.
We will be visiting both urban and rural schools in Chennai and Bengaluru and then come up with a plan of action for implementation of Telugu as a mandatory subject in our state,” he said. The team will also study and decide the curriculum for students from classes I to intermediate and submit its report to the Chief Minister.
The details, however, will be finalised by a specialised syllabus committee. “In all likelihood, the curriculum would be broken down into three levels -- first for classes I to V, second for classes VI to X and third for junior colleges,” said Sidda Reddy. “We are yet to take a call on the syllabus but the idea is to make it easy and with as little syllabus as is possible while making the students learn the language,” he added.
Commenting on the apprehensions around making Telugu a compulsory subject, director of Telangana Language and Culture department Mamidi Harikrishna pointed out that it will only be an additional paper and not the medium of instruction. “The subject will be introduced with basics for non-Telugu speakers. It would be like learning any foreign language,” he told Express.
Notification for hiring Urdu translators soon
Hyderabad: Advisor to Telangana government AK Khan, on Wednesday, announced that a notification to begin the hiring of Urdu translators will be issued in the state within 10 days. General Administration and Finance Departments has given a green signal to Minority Welfare Department (MWD) to recruit 66 Urdu translators through Telangana Urdu Academy.
The posts include assistant directors and 60 Urdu officers in Minorities Welfare Department. Khan, who spoke to media along with Urdu Academy Secretary SA Shakoor and Telangana State Haj Committee Chairman Mohammad Masiullah Khan said Minorities Welfare Department has sent across a letter to Telangana State Official Language Commission which states that all government offices in Telangana must have a signboard in Urdu as well.
“There are two categories for the hiring of Urdu translators: Grade 1 and Grade 2. The eligibility criteria for Grade 1 category which is for Urdu Officer, the candidate should have studied Urdu as his/her second language in Class 10 and as first language in graduation. Telugu should have been a part of their course at both levels too. For eligibility for grade 2 postings, the candidate should have studied both Urdu and Telugu in graduation,” Shakoor said.