‘Controversial’ undertaking for Urdu writers simplified, says govt

The National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language has “simplified” the declaration form for authors after the body was criticised for seeking an undertaking that the content will not be against the government or the country.

To remove “any scope for misunderstanding”, National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language (NCPUL) has “simplified” the declaration form for authors, the HRD ministry said on Thursday. The body was criticised for seeking an undertaking from writers that the content will not be against the government or the country.

File photo of Smriti Irani. The NCPUL was criticised over reports that it had introduced a form that required authors to declare that the content will not be against the government or the country. (Sonu Mehta//HT Photo)

In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, HRD minister Smriti Irani said that NCPUL gives grants for bulk purchase of books and as part of this process, an undertaking had to be provided by the applicant authors.

She said this practice of an undertaking is also used in similarly placed other language institutions under the HRD ministry.

“Keeping in view certain complaints, NCPUL had amended the undertaking or declaration on September 1, 2015, which has now been simplified on April 22, 2016 by the NCPUL removing any scope for misinterpretation or misunderstandings,” Irani said.

Rajya Sabha member, Harivansh, wanted to know if NCPUL had asked Urdu writers to show their allegiance to the country and the reasons behind such a move.

The NCPUL, which falls under the HRD ministry, has been criticised over reports that it had introduced the form that requires authors to declare that the content will not be against the government or the country.

The council had, in March, clarified that the form is not something new and this has been the practice for the last many years for books sponsored by NCPUL.

“Last year, a complaint was received by NCPUL that some content of a book under the bulk purchase scheme was not factually correct. Therefore, NCPUL, as a precautionary measure, modified the form with the objective that the content in government-sponsored books should only create harmony and goodwill among various sections of the society and not otherwise,” it had said in a statement.