Mohammad Khalil : Science Writer for Urdu

He makes Science simple, in Urdu

Amba Batra

New Delhi, October 20: While critics have been shouting themselves hoarse on how madarsas sideline Mathematics and Science, one man has been burning midnight oil for more than 30 years, turning out books for students in the language they understand.

Teacher and scientist Mohammad Khalil (61) believes the main reason behind the decline in students’ interest has been lack of material in Urdu. ‘‘One can never understand the basic concepts through translations which are available. They are more attractive if explained in one’s own language on which there is very little matter,’’ says Khalil, who has been selected for this year’s Ghalib Institute Award for his efforts to popularise Science in Urdu. ‘‘This (the award) is special as it has a lot of international recognition,’’ he said.



From articles on biotechnology for higher classes to books on animals and the environment, Khalil has come a long way. ‘‘Once I finished college and started teaching, I felt that students were the ones we needed to invest all this knowledge in. That is when I took up the job of taking out Science ki Duniya, a science journal in Urdu,’’ says Khalil. He joined the publication in 1976 and retired last year.

‘‘I wanted people to begin observing science around them and that was only possible if one made it as attractive and simple as possible. The kind of natural instinct that these children have towards science is tremendous,’’ says Khalil who picked Plant Sciences when he joined Delhi University.

Among his nationally acclaimed books are Ajeeb aur Gareeb Janwar and Nehru aur Science. Khalil has been awarded thrice by the National Council for Education Research and Training for his contributions in the subject.

Post-retirement, Khalil plans to write more books in Urdu for children and continue work with CSIR where he has been for the past six months. ‘‘I want to tell children about the natural things in the world so that they notice the birds and plants and learn more,’’ said Khalil.

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Another example of individuals working tirelessly for Urdu; all these people need is support from the Urdu community.