Karnataka HC Tells Govt To Reconsider Decision To Make Kannada Compulsory For UG Courses

The state advocate-general assured the Court that he will advise the state to reconsider the new policy.

Karnataka High Court | Getty

Chennai: The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday directed the state government to reconsider the decision to make Kannada compulsory in undergraduate courses in all colleges of the state from the academic year 2021-22, as part of the National Education Policy (NEP). The state advocate-general assured the Court that he will advise the state to reconsider the new policy.

According to a report on The New Indian Express, a Public Interest Litigation by Samskrita Bharati Karnataka Trust and others came up for a hearing in which the petitioners contended that the decision to impose Kannada as compulsory language was not taken by the task force which has been entrusted in rolling out NEP.

On Tuesday, the PIL came up for hearing before the bench of Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi and Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum in which the Advocate General Prabhuling K Navadagi, appearing for the government, argued that it was not a regular course and those wanting a job in Karnataka should learn Kannada.

The Senior Counsel SS Naganand, appearing for the petitioner said that the academic year has started and the students should make a choice now.

The petitioner also stated that the students who are coming to Karnataka from other states may fail in the subject since they would find it difficult to learn the language at graduation level and that the decision would affect 1.30 lakh students and 4,000 language teachers in the state. 

Taking a note of the argument, the bench said that the state should not insist on Kannada and they cannot impose any subject for the students coming to Karnataka. 

The bench further said that the state can take time to reconsider the decision of the state government or the Court will stay the order immediately. 

The Court then adjourned the hearing in the case to November 10, 2021.