Vineeta Pandey

New Delhi: Language cannot be a barrier for growth and development.

To ensure Urdu-speaking youth are transformed into professionals fit for the challenges of the modern job market, the National Institute of Open School (Nios) is translating about a dozen books used in vocational courses such as beauty culture, jute weaving and automobile repair from Hindi and English to Urdu.

The translations will come in handy for Muslim boys and girls who cannot read Hindi and English but are keen to join vocational courses.

So far, Nios has translated books on beauty culture, jute weaving, computer and child health care. The translation of books on automobile repairing, air-conditioning, refrigeration, TV repair and information technology is in process.

These books are for elementary and middle-level students who have studied Urdu till Class V in madrasas and maktabs. To be used at all vocational training centres, including ITIs, these books will be available from the coming academic session.

“Books for professional courses are right now available only in English and Hindi, which makes it difficult for many Muslims children to follow the theory part, particularly the scientific terms. Now, for the first time, the books are being translated into Urdu so that the language barrier is removed. While most of these courses are gender-neutral, we are, in the first phase, focusing on upgrading skills of Muslim girls,” Nios secretary BS Bisht said.

The Urdu translation follows the Sachar Committee recommendation for policy initiatives to end educational and career deprivation of Muslims. The panel had recommended providing education in Urdu in areas where the language is widely used.

The decision was also taken after a meeting with maulanas and maulvis who wanted professional books translated into Urdu since it is the medium of instruction in madrasas and maktabs.

It was observed that a lot of students educated in madrasas are unemployable since they cannot easily read Hindi or English. Officials in the HRD ministry said while Muslim children in urban areas preferred mainstream schools, madrasas and maktabs were still the institutions for learning for Muslim children in rural areas.

Source : DNA