Questions related to the teaching of Russian and Soviet literature in the second language programs in India are explored, particularly, the amount of time to be devoted to the study of literature, an appropriate method, and the most appropriate time to introduce it. Russian has been taught in India for only 30 years and only recently have need-based courses been introduced. Because literature is an effective way to acquaint students with the culture and civilization of the country, the study of literature should not be neglected even in courses based on student needs. Students must have a good enough command of the vocabulary and grammar to read the literary selections with some facility and the texts must be short and uncomplicated enough to maintain students' interest. Conversational texts that can be adapted to situational dialogues as well as poetry are useful on the elementary and intermediate levels; carefully selected Russian and Soviet texts can be introduced on the advanced level, according to students' needs and interests. At present, in the one full-time university-level course in Russian, students are introduced first to contemporary prose, then to poetry. In the third and fourth years, students who elect a literature concentration begin a serious study of Russian and/or Soviet literature. (AMH)