“Orders are not compulsory”: Minister Dilip Jaiswal on Urdu controversy

Kishanganj (Bihar) [India], January 1 (ANI): District Education of Office (DEO) Nasir Hussain had stirred a controversy in Bihar after he ordered the private schools affiliated with Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) board in Bihar’s Kishanganj district to teach Urdu.

Speaking on Hussain’s letter, Bihar BJP President and Minister of State for Minister for Revenue and Land Reforms, Dilip Jaiswal said, “The orders are not compulsory for any private school and the language (Urdu) can be included only if the school wants to.”

He also said that this is not the work of a District Education and “he (Nasir Hussain) should do his actual work”

Speaking on the matter, District Magistrate Vishal Raj said that no other compulsory guidelines have been issued.

“A request has been made to include Urdu as an option in private school curriculums for those who want to learn it”, he said.

The statement evoked a reaction from the Bal Mandir School Secretary, Trilok Chand Jain who stated, “… Neither is this his (Nasir Hussain) jurisdiction, nor has the Central government issued any such order. It is illegal to issue this order and should be cancelled as soon as possible.”

Earlier, The DEO Kishanganj issued a letter to all private schools, notifying them to teach Urdu in the “minority-dominated district.”

DEO Hussain further said that the private schools being operated in the district must ensure necessary arrangements are in place for students to study Urdu. They have been asked to provide compliance report to Bihar Education Project Office, as per the order.

“All the private schools in Kishanganj district, recognized by CBSE Board, are requested to ensure the necessary arrangements for the study of Urdu to the willing students and provide the relevant compliance report to Bihar Education Project Office, Kishanganj,” the order dated December 12, 2024, read.

This decision came after the meeting of District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) which was held in October, 2024, where Congress MP Javed Azad and Congress MLA Izharul Hussain noted that Urdu was not being taught in private schools in the district.