After removal of Urdu from list of compulsory subjects for students of pharmacy and commerce Higher Education Commission (HEC) removed national language from list of compulsory subjects for science students.
An official of HEC, who wished not to be named, told Pakistan Today that HEC has removed the national language from list of compulsory subjects for students of science faculty. “HEC has uploaded the approved syllabus for students of science faculty and the Urdu, which was taken as a compulsory for graduates, was not in the list of compulsory subjects,” he added.
In uploaded syllabi for faculty of science students, the HEC has added some more subjects of English in list of compulsory subjects but it has removed Urdu from the list,” he maintained. “Before this, HEC removed Urdu from list of compulsory subjects for students of pharmacy and commerce faculties with claim that Urdu do not matter for the students of pharmacy and commerce graduates,” he said.
He said many private universities following directives of HEC has stopped teaching of Urdu as a compulsory subject. However, the HEC do not get response from public sector universities over revision of curriculum,” he added.
The public sector varsities have termed this move of HEC an axe on the national language. It may create problems for the public sector varsities as these universities have specialized departments for Urdu and large number of students enrolled in the subject for study of Urdu literature. Removing Urdu from list of compulsory subjects would lower enrolment in Urdu specialization subjects which not only create problems for public sector varsities to run Urdu department but also resulted into decline of jobs for graduates of Urdu in the open market.
Talking with Pakistan Today, HEC National Curriculum Revision Committee Director confirmed that Urdu is now no more compulsory subject for the students of faculty of science. When he was asked when HEC took this decision, he was found uninformed. It is confirm that HEC has removed Urdu from list of compulsory subjects but when it happened I can not recall exact date,” he said.
“I think the decision was taken in last year HEC curriculum revision committee, but I have no exact idea that when the commission has passed ruling of removing Urdu, the national language, from list of compulsory,” he added.
