Fact Check: Has Kejriwal government made Urdu mandatory in Delhi schools?

"Delhi CM Kejriwal has made Urdu compulsory in all schools of Delhi, do you know?? The real face of Kabaruddin is now coming to the fore", reads the translation of the viral tweet

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Fact Check

The claim is False.

NewsMeter performed a keyword search which led us to a report published on Business Insider's website on March 12, 2020. "As per a new policy, students who do not pass their third language exam in Class 8 will not be allowed to write the Class 10 board exams. Students will have to read and pass any third language along with Hindi and English. This third language can be Sanskrit, Urdu, or Punjabi language. However, few private schools also offer French, Mandarin and other foreign languages," reads the report.

According to a report published by The Indian Express on January 09, 2021, "at present, eight language academies are functioning in Delhi. These include namely Urdu, Sanskrit, Punjabi, Hindi, Maithili-Bhojpuri, Garhwali-Kumaoni-Jaunsari, Sindhi, and Tamil."

The fact check team found another report published by The New Indian Express on August 13, 2021. "Urdu is not taught as a third language in most schools due to acute shortage of Urdu teachers, whereas under the National Policy on Education (NEP), students from Hindi speaking states are taught Hindi and English language. Apart from this, there is an opportunity to learn a third Indian language. Urdu is taught as a third language along with Sanskrit and Punjabi in Delhi government schools," the report reads.

It is therefore evident that the viral claim is False. Urdu has not been made mandatory in Delhi schools. Delhi government had made it mandatory for students to choose a third language apart from Hindi and English. Urdu is one of the optional subjects that students can choose as their third language.