Latest news with #Urdu
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Lokrajya Urdu magazine discontinued, SP MLA urges CM to resume publication
Mumbai: The Urdu edition of the state govt's Lokrajya magazine has been discontinued. Raising concerns over this, Samajwadi Party MLA Rais Shaikh wrote to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis , urging him to resume its publication. In his letter, Shaikh urged the CM to direct the Directorate General of Information and Public Relations (DGIPR) to restart the Urdu edition to cater to Urdu-speaking readers across Maharashtra. The Lokrajya magazine, first published in Marathi in 1947, was later released in English, Hindi, Gujarati, and Urdu. According to Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) data, Lokrajya is one of the most widely read govt magazines in the country. "However, during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Urdu edition was discontinued from April 2020. There are 75 lakh Urdu speakers in state. Urdu is the ninth most spoken language in India and is not limited to any one religion—it's a Hindustani language," said Shaikh. Citing the legacy of Urdu journalism in the freedom movement and its contribution to Bollywood, Shaikh noted that around 25 dailies are published in Urdu in Maharashtra. "The Urdu edition of Lokrajya served as a crucial source of information on govt schemes and policy decisions," said Shaikh. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Automotive
- Time of India
Who is this auto driver in Bengaluru who speaks 7 languages, has 2 MA degrees and once dreamed of becoming an IAS officer?
You expect small talk in an auto, traffic woes, weather, maybe a cricket match debate. But for content creator Abhinav Maylavarapu, a regular auto ride in Bengaluru turned into a whirlwind of wisdom, life lessons, and pure admiration. The man behind the meter? An unassuming genius with credentials that could humble most of LinkedIn. Double MA, 7 languages, IAS dreamer: Bengaluru's inspiring auto driver The auto driver, whose name remains unknown but whose story is now viral, challenged Abhinav and his friends with a bet. If they cracked the full form of 'COMPUTER', their ride was free. Spoiler alert: they could not. The driver then schooled them with the answer: Commonly Operated Machine Purposely Used for Trade, Education, and Research. A definition that sounded like it belonged in a classroom, not a city street. But that was just the beginning. IAS aspirant, MNC survivor, and linguistic legend In a casual tone that made the whole interaction feel surreal, the auto driver revealed his backstory. Once an IAS aspirant, he holds not one, but two MA degrees, in English and Political Science. Life, however, had other plans. A sudden marriage, children, and responsibilities pushed him off his academic path. Yet, instead of lamenting, he embraced his journey. He shared that he had worked in top MNCs, where he claimed the pay was good but came at a soul-draining cost. He now finds peace in his humble ride, connecting with people every day and dropping life nuggets along the way. And netizens? They were quick to appreciate this man in the comment section. While many were inspired how he embraced journey many also felt bad and said he deserves better than just riding an auto. Oh, and did we mention, he speaks seven languages? English, Hindi, Kannada, Urdu, Telugu, Malayalam, and Tamil. 'I speak Urdu just like our Muslim brothers,' he said with pride. Abhinav wrapped up his video saying the 15-minute ride left him inspired and energised, calling it one of the most memorable moments of his life. Social media agrees, this auto driver may not have cleared the UPSC, but he certainly passed the test of perspective, humility, and grace.
News18
7 hours ago
- Politics
- News18
'Urdu Being Communalised, Judiciary Influenced By Politics': Mehbooba Mufti On CAT's Order
Last Updated: Mufti said that most revenue records and government paperwork in Jammu and Kashmir are still maintained in Urdu Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday criticised the judiciary, calling it 'deeply unfortunate" that it appears to be 'influenced by divisive politics" over the recent controversy surrounding the Urdu language requirement in Jammu and Kashmir recruitment rules. Her remarks came in response to the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) staying parts of the Jammu and Kashmir Revenue (Subordinate) Service Recruitment Rules, 2009, which made graduation with knowledge of Urdu a minimum qualification for the post of Naib Tehsildar. In a social media post on X, Mufti said that Urdu, a recognised official language in the Union Territory, was being 'unfairly communalised" and politically targeted. 'It is deeply unfortunate that our judiciary appears to be influenced by divisive politics. Urdu, a recognised official language for decades, is now being unfairly communalised," the former J&K CM wrote. It is deeply unfortunate that our judiciary appears to be influenced by divisive politics. Urdu, a recognised official language for decades, is now being unfairly revenue records and administrative work continue to be maintained in Urdu, and it is only logical… — Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) July 16, 2025 Mufti stressed that most revenue records and government paperwork in Jammu and Kashmir are still maintained in Urdu. 'It is only logical that applicants for the post of Naib Tehsildar possess basic proficiency in the language," she said. The former chief minister also stated that the Urdu requirement was rooted in administrative practicality, not in any attempt to divide people. 'This requirement is rooted purely in administrative efficiency not in any form of divisiveness," she added. The CAT's interim order followed weeks of protests, particularly in the Jammu region, where the BJP and other groups opposed the Urdu clause, calling it discriminatory. The Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) responded by halting the application process for Naib Tehsildar posts. In a notice issued Tuesday, the JKSSB said: 'In view of the interim direction passed by the Central Administrative Tribunal… the process of inviting applications for the post of Naib Tehsildar (issued on June 9) is hereby deferred till further intimation/orders." The CAT bench, comprising Member (A) Ram Mohan Johri and Member (J) Rajinder Singh Dogra, heard the matter and issued a stay. The petitioners, represented by Senior Advocate Abhinav Sharma and Advocate Abhirash Sharma, argued that the Urdu language requirement was 'ultra vires the Constitution of India," claiming it violated principles of equality and non-discrimination. The tribunal has issued notices to the concerned authorities and asked them to respond within four weeks. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for 13 August. (With inputs from PTI) view comments First Published: July 16, 2025, 16:54 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
NDTV
10 hours ago
- General
- NDTV
NCERT New Textbooks For Class 5, 8 Now Available For Purchase, Details Here
NCERT New Books 2025: The National Council of Education, Research and Training (NCERT) has launched several new textbooks for Class 5 and 8 in the past few days. The textbooks were not readily available for sale earlier during their launch but now, students can buy the textbooks on the NCERT's and Amazon's official website. These new textbooks have been introduced in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023. List of New Textbooks Launched By NCERT NCERT has introduced several textbooks for Class 5 and 8 recently for subjects like English, Hindi, Mathematics, Urdu and Social Science. Here is a list of all of the new textbooks launched by NCERT for Class 5 and 8 "Exploring Society: India and Beyond", a Social Science textbook for Class 8 "Curiosity", a Class 8 Science textbook "Sitar" and "Khayal", Urdu textbooks for Class 5 and 8 "Kaushal Bodh", a Vocational Education textbook for Class 8 "Malhar" and "Poorvi" for Class 8 as Hindi and English textbook "Veena" and "Santoor" for Class 5 as Hindi and English textbook "Kriti", an Art textbook for Class 8 Students can buy these textbooks on the NCERT's official website, " / through the postal delivery option or on Amazon's NCERT section, " How To Buy NCERT's New textbooks on the official website? Visit the official website, " On the homepage, click on "Click Here for Postal Delivery". Select whether you would like to purchase a textbook, General book or NCERT journals and select the medium, Class. Then, select the quantity and add to the cart. Place the order by adding your details such as Name, Address, Mobile number and email id. The price of the textbooks ranges from Rs.50 to Rs.65 for most of the the textbooks and may be higher for some.
New Indian Express
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
20 years of Delhi's Dastangoi Collective so it has to be a Dastan-ival!
It is said you have conceived the modern format of the dastangoi art form, what does that mean in terms of content and presentation? When I revived the form under the guidance of the great late Shamsur Rahman Faruqi none of us had ever seen a dastangoi performance. My innovation was, I thought, of having two people perform together. With Anusha's help [partner, writer and Peepli Live director Anusha Rizvi] and with my intuitive theatre training, we devised the modern form and presentation style as a combination of the traditional and the modern. We had a takht, katoras to drink from, Anusha devised the costumes, I insisted on a certain style of pajamas and topis. We used lights, sound, stage decorum, which made this much closer to a modern stage show, and thereby modern dastangoi was born as something that was akin to theatre, but also much more than that. Why did you think dastangoi would work in Delhi--there was already theatre present in various forms 20 years ago? Which story did you start with? When I read the traditional stories of Dastan-e-Amir hamza, I was flabbergasted at their plot turns, use of language, poetry and their uninhibited, unfettered imagination. They were the most outstanding thing I had ever come across in Indian literature and performance. So, I knew they would work. The first show was at the IIC in Delhi on May 4, 2005. Why has the story of the tilism (magical world) of Hoshruba become one of the foremost fantasy tales of Urdu and can one understand it if one doesn't know Urdu? Yes, Tilism-e-Hoshruba, the most famous chapter of the traditional Dastan-e-Amir Hamza [supposedly an uncle of the Prophet Mohammed], which is itself in eight volumes or over 8,000 pages, is in many ways the crowning glory not just of Urdu but also Indian literature and performance. It is full of wit, playfulness, literary flourishes, inventiveness and fantasy, and has several different rasas in it, as exhorted by the Natyashastra. It speaks wonderfully to non-Urdu speakers, too. In the Partition dastan, you liberally take material from Krishan Chander, Rahi Masoom Raza, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Amrita Pritam, Vazira Fazila-Yacoobali's Zamindar, Intizar Hussain, et al. Is dastangoi copyright-agnostic, or is this part of the dastan tradition? There is no stealing in paying homage. We draw upon poetry but not stories, we allude to those great works and adapt them and synergise them to our narration. All the readings I have done in my life, all the history I have studied at Delhi, Oxford, Cambridge, gets poured into the Dastan's research to re-direct the material and deploy it to new uses. Vazira's Zamindar book, for instance, has not sold as many copies as the number of people it may have reached via our Dastans. Dastangoi takes knowledge out of books, libraries and universities and puts it into the popular realm. In these 20 years, which dastan performance has been your most difficult, or that's given the audience most pleasure? Dastan-e-Karan from the Mahabharata. I put my life into it every time I do it. It has also earned a great response, and why not, it is after all the Mahabharata.
