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Government is taking steps to promote Urdu language but has no plans to make it compulsory in school education, the Rajya Sabha was informed.

Replying to supplementaries during Question Hour, HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar said government is taking a number of steps to promote Urdu and other languages. "There is no proposal to make Urdu compulsory in schools," Prakash Javadekar said in a written reply.

He said that the major objective of three language formula is to promote language harmony and equality among languages in school education by making provision for the study of three languages.

He said ahead of the new national education policy, Urdu books have been readily provided from classes 1 to 12 and training of Urdu teachers is also being carried out.

Mr Javadekar said textbooks for B.Ed courses are also being developed and new Urdu books being readied.

"It is not connected any particular community, it is an issue connected to a language," he said, adding that steps are being taken to further promote the language. He also said that the government is taking steps to fill up vacancies of teachers.

The minister said that education is in the concurrent list and thus the states should also make efforts. The centre on its part has provided Rs. 62 crore to the National Council for promotion of Urdu languages in the last two years.

Mr Javadekar also spelt out a host of schemes for promotion of Urdu in the country and steps to connect the language with activities that help provide employment opportunities.

He said a course of Urdu calligraphy, Urdu correspondence course and a DTP course were being introduced.