Department of Urdu

Overview

Those who opt for Urdu in the College will have exposure not only to the richness of the language but also to the rich history of its literary expressions. As evidenced by its literary history, Urdu is a language full of beauty and grace, a language that seems to have been custom-built for literature, a language that adds meaning to prose and charm and beauty to poetry, a language that might have passed the zenith of its splendour, but is still spoken by many and cherished by all.

There are some seats earmarked for students who have passed Urdu in Class XII or Class X, in the B.A. Multidisciplinary course, who wish to study Urdu as a major or minor.

Teaching & Learning

The Department provides both core and elective courses for students enrolled in the B.A. Multidisciplinary Studies and Honours programmes. These courses are thoughtfully designed and delivered to help students develop critical thinking and encourage them to evaluate commonly accepted social norms.

Through experiential learning, engaging activities, and workshops, along with interactive tutorial discussions and educational visits to institutions, the Department ensures that its courses are dynamic, enriching, and participatory.

Course Structure

The College offers Urdu as a discipline course under the Multidisciplinary Programme, in which students are required to study a set of discipline-specific papers across six semesters.

For beginners, the Department provides a Basic Urdu paper under the Ability Enhancement Course (AEC), giving students the opportunity to learn the language from the basics.

The Department also offers Generic Elective (GE) courses in Urdu, Persian, and Arabic for beginners, such as Elementary Urdu, Basic Arabic Reading and Writing, and Introduction to Elementary Persian Language.

Through these courses, students get the opportunity to study ghazals by Ghalib, Meer, Iqbal, Faiz, and Firaq; nazms by Josh, Hali, and Jan Nisar; and short stories by Prem Chand, Manto, Ismat, and Rajinder Singh Bedi, among others.

Career Progression/Scope

Students from the Department have gone on to pursue a wide range of courses and careers after graduation. Those who have studied Urdu have excelled in various fields, including civil services, journalism, academia, social service, film, and theatre.