By Raheem Khan
Jaipur, July 26: The Rajasthan government, while establishing various academies, has consistently failed to fill vacant positions within these institutions. The most critical example is the Rajasthan Urdu Academy in Jhalana, where all posts are vacant, and the academy’s doors are locked, threatening its closure.
Founded in 1979, the Rajasthan Urdu Academy aims to promote Urdu language and literature. It operates under the Department of Art, Literature, Culture, and Archaeology and has seven sanctioned positions, including a secretary, accountant, senior clerk, junior clerks, and class IV employees. Currently, all these positions are unfilled.
The situation worsened after the retirement of the senior clerk, Sajid Khan, on June 30. Since then, the academy has remained closed, with no staff to manage its operations.
Asafak Hussain, state president of Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) Rajasthan, has condemned the BJP government for neglecting the Urdu Academy, accusing it of discrimination against the Urdu language. He called on the government to fill the vacant positions or assign staff from other departments to prevent the academy’s closure. He also demanded the reconstitution of the Urdu Academy and the immediate appointment of staff, warning that failure to do so would be seen as an attempt to undermine the Urdu language.
The potential closure of the academy threatens to impact Urdu scholars, particularly pension recipients, and hinder the development of Urdu literature in the region. The SDPI has emphasized the need for urgent government action to ensure the academy continues to support and promote the Urdu language.
