The Development of Urdu
Punjabi language has close affinity with Urdu and Persian languages. Urdu is considered to be one of the most popular languages of this region. The gamut of the scheme aiming of the development of Urdu is as given here under

i. Shiromani Urdu litterateur award
Keeping in view the substantial and over all contribution of an Urdu writer to the cause of Urdu literature and language, an eminent writer of Urdu in Punjab is honoured with an award. The selection of the litterateurs is made by the State Advisory Board constituted by the Government. The selected litterateur is honoured with a purse of Rs. one lac, a plaqe and a medal. For this award recommendations of names are invited by the Department during the financial year from April to March from the Honoured/ eminent litterateurs, Ministers, high officials of the Punjab and the members of the State Advisory Board.

ii.Financial assistance for the publication of books
The Urdu writers of Punjab are provided financial assistance to enable them to get their creative works published in the form of books. A writer is provided    this assistance twice but not consecutively for two years. The evaluation of the manuscripts is got done from the eminent litterateurs. The approval of the eligible candidates for the grant is got from State Advisory Board constituted by the Government.
   Conditions.
   a. Two copies of each manuscripts are invited.

   b. The manuscripts are received every year by April 30. The right of extending the date if required vests in the Director, Language Department Punjab which is         notified in the prominent newpapers of Punjab.

   c. The manuscript should contain at least 70 pages.

   d. The financial assistance to the tune of Rs. 5000/- is given against the manuscript consisting 125 published pages.

   e. The financial assistance amounting to Rs. 7,000/- is offered against the manuscript consisting more than 125 published pages.

    f. The printed book should invariably bear the insignia of the Language Department and the remark" The book published with the cooperation of the        Language Department."

   g.After publication 10 copies of the books are sent to the Department gratis

iii. Pension to the Urdu writers
 The Urdu writers who have put in substantial contribution to the field of Urdu literature are provided pension @ Rs. 800/- per month.
   Conditions
    a. The writer should be sixty year old.

    b. His income should not exceed Rs. 1000/- P.M.

    c. He should not have only other source of income.

iv. Financial assistance to the indigent writers
   The indigent/Urdu writer/artists and their dependent families are given pension by the Department.
   Condition for the financial assistance
    a. Age should be beyond 58 .

    b. Income should not exceed Rs. 1,000/- P.M.

v. The best book award
Under the scheme the book published during the year preceding the current financial year is offered an award of Rs. 5000/- Four books are called for the entry to the competition. The four awards against the different genres have been named after the different scholars of Urdu literature:
    a.Sahir Ludhianvi award (poetry).

    b.Rajinder Singh Bedi award (Novel/story/drama/one act play).

    c.Kanhiya Lal Kapoor award ( prose).

    d.Mehmood Sherani award (criticism)

vi. The best book printing competition
 During the year the books are invited for competition to offer the prize to the book having good printing. Out of these books the printer of the book is given a prize of Rs. 2500/-
   Conditions :
    a. The book should have been printed in the year preceding the year of competition.

    b. Two copies of each book are called for.

vii. The publication the best anthology
An anthology consisting the writings of the Urdu writers of Punjab published in various periodicals and newspapers during the year is compiled and published. The writers whose writings find place in this anthology are paid @ Rs. 100/- against a poem and Rs. 250/- against prose writing as royalty in lump sum. Any resident/domicile writer of Punjab may furnish his writings for this compilation.

viii. Free Urdu teaching classes
For the teaching of Urdu gratis a class is being run by the Department in the name of 'Urdu Amoj'. Free Urdu classes are also being run by the Department in each distt of Punjab and Chandigarh at the Departmental offices. The two sessions of the duration of six months each are held from January and July respectively in which the students are admitted. Anybody may get enrollment to this class. The students declared successful in this examination are issued certificate in Urdu Amoj. The desirous persons may contact the District Language Officer to this effect. The office addresses have been given earlier. The staff related to scheme of development of Urdu is occopies the room No. 25 of Bhasha Bhawan complex, Patiala. The required information and formats     may be had and the applications,books etc. may be sent to this office.