What is the status of Urdu literacy in India at the turn of the twenty first century as gauged through school education? Or how many students in primary schools in various states of India are studying through Urdu as the language of instruction? How many students are learning Urdu as one of the subjects under the three (or four) language formula in various levels of schools? Have the various levels of government—central, state, and local—facilitated or obstructed learning of Urdu in various states since independence? To what can we attribute the uneven levels of Urdu literacy and education in various states? Besides schools run by the state, who are the other institutions involved in promoting Urdu literacy?

This Report answers these five critical questions that enable reasonable projections about the future of literacy (as opposed to orality) in and education through Urdu. Essentially, this Report quantifies and measures Urdu literacy in India since the 1950s. The Report concludes with a summary of key findings and a set of immediate action proposals for reversing the decline of Urdu literacy.