University Department of Urdu is one of the premier institution of eastern India. It was established in March 1972. Dr.Samiul Haque, an eminent personality of Urdu literature, took over the charge as first Head of the Department. Dr. Haque was followed by Professor Wahab Ashrafi who was later appointed as the Chairman of Bihar State University Service Commission and Bihar Intermediate Council. Professor Sheen Akhtar, the faculty member and Urdu Fiction writer, was acting Vice Chancellor of Ranchi University. The Departmental alumni Dr. Siddiuqe Mujibi a prominent Urdu poet rose to the position of Vice Chairmen of Urdu Academy of Bihar. A faculty member Professor Abuzar Usmani, is recognized in urdu world for his book on practical criticism which was first comprehensive work on school of practical criticism. Professor Ahmad Sajjad, former Dean and Head of the department, is a prominent figure in Islamic literature. The Department got the opportunity of hosting 3rd All India Urdu University Teachers Conference in the year 1977. Presently there are two faculty members in this Department .Dr. Md. Rizwan Ali, Head of the Department, has specialization in comparative literature, linguistics and literary historiography and Dr. Ajaz Ahmad has specialization in Progressive Literary Movement and Journalism.
Urdu Department is known for its distinctiveness right from the beginning. Our focus is on regional and socio-cultural aspects in PG curriculum. We have approved many topics for award of Ph.D. Degree in order to highlight the regional identity of Urdu Literature composed in Jharkhand.

In keeping with the vision and objectives of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the Department has undertaken significant curricular innovations. Under the present Headship, the revised UG and PG curricula have incorporated contemporary and interdisciplinary areas including Artificial Intelligence, Digital Learning, Translation, History of Hindi Literature, History of Indian Cinema, Mass Media, Direct/Digital Media and Journalism, thereby broadening the academic scope of Urdu studies.

On 6 December 2024, the Department presented its academic profile, curricular initiatives, research activities and future vision before the NAAC Peer Team in an approximately 20-minute academic presentation.

On 25 November 2025, the Department observed Constitution Day, fostering awareness of constitutional values, democratic principles and responsible citizenship.

From the academic session 2025–26 onwards, the Department has implemented the revised NEP 2020-based curriculum, including the Honours with Research Programme. The M.A. programme for the 2025–27 batch is presently in progress.

On 7 April 2026, the Department organized a distinguished One-Day National Seminar on “Indian Civilization and Culture and Urdu Literature,” facilitating scholarly discourse on the interface between Indian civilization, cultural plurality and Urdu literature.

On 22 August 2026, under the patronage of Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor Prof. Saroj Sharma, the Department organized a One-Day University-Level Seminar on “The Contribution of Urdu to the Indian Knowledge System.”

The Department presently has 33 Research Scholars, including 05 UGC-SRFs, 05 UGC-JRFs and 05 CM Fellows. The M.A. programme has 36 students in the 2024–26 batch and 15 students in the 2025–27 batch.

The Department remains committed to fostering a multilingual, multicultural and interdisciplinary academic vision, with a strong focus on literary historiography, regional and cultural dimensions of Jharkhand, Urdu fiction and poetry, linguistics, comparative literature and the study of Indo-Aryan languages.