Bihar Launches Online Urdu Course for Government Staff

The Bihar government has announced a fresh initiative to promote Urdu, the state's second official language, by offering a 70-day online certification course for its employees. The course, scheduled to begin on October 13, is designed to help non-Urdu speaking officers and staff across all departments and regional offices learn to read and write Urdu.

According to an official letter issued on September 8 by SM Parvez Alam, Additional Secretary-cum-Director of the Cabinet Secretariat Department, the two-hour classes will be held from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm, Monday through Thursday, excluding public holidays. An examination will be conducted at the end of the course, and successful participants will receive an Urdu Learning Certificate.

This move aligns with the state's broader goal of expanding free Urdu-speaking and writing courses in Patna and other district centres. It also follows the recent announcement of appointments for 2,000 Urdu translators through the Bihar Staff Selection Commission.

Minority Welfare Minister Zama Khan said the government is committed to providing a level playing field for all communities, adding that more online and offline Urdu learning courses will be introduced. A senior government official noted that while the Directorate of Urdu has previously conducted training programmes, this is the first time online training is being offered on a larger scale. Earlier, in 2018-19, the directorate had run a 60-day residential course.

Urdu was declared Bihar's second official language in 1981, making Bihar the first state in the country to do so. Since then, all government notifications and district gazettes have been issued in both Hindi and Urdu. The state's Muslim population stands at 17 percent.